Marketing Opt-In: Email & SMS (Serve)

This article describes the marketing opt-in functionality for Email and SMS across Olo's Serve Web, iOS, and Android applications. These features allow brands to capture guest consent for marketing communications directly within the checkout flow.

SMS marketing opt-in is currently available only for unauthenticated guest checkout. It does not appear for authenticated (logged-in) guests. Email marketing opt-in remains available for both unauthenticated and authenticated guests.

SMS marketing opt-in also carries additional legal requirements. Before the SMS experience can be enabled, the brand must provide Olo with the brand's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy URLs. The configured Privacy Policy URL is what powers the guest-facing "Privacy Notice" link. See Legal and Consent Requirements and Configuration & Customization for details.

User experience

In the checkout interface, both opt-in options are located within the Contact Info section, appearing right below the guest's phone number.

SMS opt-in unchecked, acknowledgment hidden and both boxes checked, consent complete

Email Marketing Opt-In

• Availability: Displays for both unauthenticated and authenticated (logged-in) guests.
• Default State: This box is defaulted to checked (opt-in) for all guests.
• Default Language: "Send me emails about future deals and features."

SMS Marketing Opt-In

• Availability: Displays only for unauthenticated guests. If a guest is logged in, this checkbox will not appear.
• Section Title (configurable): The heading above the SMS opt-in is defined by the brand. In the example shown, it reads "Tasty News, Straight to Your Phone." Brands can use a creative, on-brand title to draw attention to the opt-in and encourage guests to subscribe.
• Default State: This box is never defaulted to on. The guest must manually check the box to provide consent. This affirmative consent is required by law and cannot be configured to default on.
• Consent Language (not configurable): "I agree to receive recurring automated marketing text messages from [CHANNEL NAME] at the mobile number provided. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates apply. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help."
• Acknowledgment Language (not configurable): "I accept [CHANNEL NAME]'s Terms and Conditions & acknowledge the Privacy Notice." The Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice text is hyperlinked to the brand's legal pages.

The SMS consent language and the acknowledgment language are fixed and cannot be edited by the brand. [CHANNEL NAME] is a placeholder for the channel or brand name, which Olo auto-populates in the text when the feature is enabled.

Legal and consent requirements

To meet TCPA, CTIA, and A2P messaging requirements, the SMS opt-in experience presents the guest with a clear, transparent consent flow before any marketing text messages are sent.

Affirmative Opt-In

The SMS marketing checkbox is always unchecked by default. The guest must take a deliberate action to check it. Marketing SMS consent cannot be pre-selected on the guest's behalf.

Progressive Disclosure

The acknowledgment is revealed through progressive disclosure. When a guest selects the SMS marketing opt-in, a follow-up checkbox for the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice is then displayed. This keeps the consent step hidden until the guest signals interest, avoiding additional friction for a guest who does not want to opt in.

Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice Acknowledgment

The Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice text in the acknowledgment is hyperlinked and resolves to the brand's own legal pages, configured at the channel level for the brand by Olo. The configured Privacy Policy URL powers the "Privacy Notice" link.

Completing Consent

Both the SMS opt-in and the acknowledgment are optional, and neither is required to place an order:

• A guest can place an order regardless of which boxes are checked. These selections never block checkout.
• SMS marketing consent is captured only when the guest completes both the SMS opt-in and the acknowledgment. If the opt-in is selected but the acknowledgment is not, consent is simply not captured.
• The asterisk beside these fields marks them as required to complete the SMS opt-in, not to place the order.

Reporting & analytics

Customer Data Report

Brands can track these opt-ins through the Customer Data Report in the Olo Dashboard.

• Email Marketing Opt In: Indicates whether the guest (unauthenticated or authenticated) has opted in to receive email communications.
• SMS Marketing Opt In: Tracks the consent status of unauthenticated guests on a completed order. Returns True only when the guest both selected the SMS opt-in and completed the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice acknowledgment. Selecting the SMS opt-in alone does not record consent.
• Values: Both columns return True (Guest opted in) or False (Guest did not opt in or opted out).

The opt-in statuses only reflect what the guest selected at the time of the order, and do not reflect if the guest subsequently made changes to their opt-in.

Webhook events & integration

Olo emits specific webhook events based on the guest's selection. Brands can manage these via the Olo Dashboard Webhook self-service page.

Email Marketing Webhooks

Guest Type	Action	Webhook Event
Unauthenticated	Opt-in at checkout	Guest Email Marketing Opt In
Authenticated	New sign-up. May include opt-in	User Signed Up
Authenticated	Preference update	User Updated
Authenticated	Opt-out	User Email Marketing Opt Out

SMS Marketing Webhooks

Guest Type	Action	Webhook Event
Unauthenticated	Opt-in at checkout	Guest SMS Marketing Opt In

Configuration & customization

Enabling the Serve Checkout Experience

Brands must submit a Support Request to enable either Email or SMS marketing opt-ins at the brand or channel level.

For SMS, the brand must provide its own Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy URLs as part of the request. Olo cannot source, generate, or substitute these on the brand's behalf; the brand must supply them to remain legally compliant. Both URLs are required for the SMS consent UI to display. If one or both are missing, the consent UI will not appear for the guest, even when the SMS opt-in feature is otherwise enabled.

Items the brand provides or defines at enablement:

• Terms & Conditions URL: Provided by the brand. Configured at the channel level for the brand by Olo.
• Privacy Policy URL: Provided by the brand. Configured at the channel level for the brand by Olo, and used to power the guest-facing "Privacy Notice" link.
• Section Title: The brand-defined heading displayed above the marketing opt-in section.
• Email opt-in default text: The default email opt-in wording, which the brand can adjust.

These items can also be changed later by submitting a Support Request. The SMS opt-in consent language and the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice acknowledgment language are fixed and cannot be edited. Only the channel or brand name within that text is variable, and Olo auto-populates it when the feature is enabled.

Capturing Consent for Marketing

Enabling the opt-in in the Serve UI captures and reports guest consent. To put that consent to use, the brand connects it to its marketing platform.

• Engage: Brands that want to use Engage for SMS marketing should indicate this in the Support Request submitted to Ordering. No separate Engage request is required. For Engage, the necessary webhook enablement is completed on the brand's behalf.
• Third-party or in-house marketing: Enable the appropriate webhooks before enabling the guest-facing consent UI. This ensures guest consent is captured in real time from the moment the UI goes live. The relevant events are managed on the Olo Dashboard Webhook self-service page.

FAQ

Why doesn't the SMS checkbox show for logged-in guests?

Currently, the SMS marketing opt-in is designed specifically for unauthenticated guest checkout and is not yet available for authenticated guest profiles.

Can we default the SMS box to "checked"?

No. To remain compliant with TCPA regulations and the CTIA framework, SMS consent must be an affirmative, manual action taken by the guest for promotional or marketing SMS.

Do we have to provide our own Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy links?

Yes. The brand must proactively provide its own Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy links for the SMS opt-in UI to be enabled. Olo cannot source or supply these links on the brand's behalf. Providing them is a legal compliance requirement, and the same links may also be utilized in other areas of Serve, such as checkout.

What happens if we do not provide one or both links?

The SMS consent UI will not display on the front end. Both the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy links are required for the consent UI to appear for the guest, even when the SMS opt-in feature is otherwise enabled. If a guest does not see the SMS consent UI, confirm that both links have been provided.

Does the SMS consent UI handle double opt-in confirmation?

No. The SMS consent UI captures the guest's initial consent at checkout and reports it. Any double opt-in confirmation step is handled downstream by the third-party marketer or the recipient of the webhook, not by the Serve consent UI.

Can we customize the title of the opt-in section?

Yes. The section title is defined by the brand. Brands are encouraged to use a creative, on-brand title that draws attention to the opt-in and encourages guests to subscribe. Provide the desired title text when submitting the enablement request.

Can we change the wording of the SMS consent or the Terms & Conditions acknowledgment?

No. The SMS opt-in consent language and the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice acknowledgment language are fixed and cannot be edited. Only the channel or brand name within the text changes, and Olo auto-populates it when the feature is enabled. The configurable element of this section is the title.

What happens if a guest opts into SMS but does not complete the acknowledgment?

Nothing blocks the order. The guest can still place the order, and the only outcome is that SMS marketing consent is not captured. Not checking any of the boxes will never prevent an order from being placed. SMS marketing consent requires both the SMS opt-in and the acknowledgment.

How do we use the captured consent with Engage?

Indicate in the Support Request submitted to Ordering that you want to use Engage for SMS marketing. No separate Engage request is required. For Engage, the necessary webhook enablement is completed on your behalf. If you instead use a third-party or in-house marketing platform, enable the appropriate webhooks before turning on the guest-facing consent UI so consent is captured in real time.

Does Olo update a guest's profile if they opt out via my CRM or Marketing Partner?

No. There is currently no feedback loop from third-party email or SMS providers to update the Olo guest profile. Opt-outs must be managed within your external marketing platform.

If an unauthenticated guest opts in during one checkout but does not check the SMS box during a subsequent unauthenticated guest checkout, will an opt-out webhook be sent?

No. Because the guest is checking out as an unauthenticated user (not logged in), Olo treats each guest order as a unique transaction rather than a deduplicated user profile. The Guest SMS Marketing Opt In webhook is only triggered when the box is checked to indicate new consent. To opt out of SMS marketing after the initial consent is given, the guest must follow the standard carrier process (for example, replying "STOP") directly through the SMS provider.