Granular consent management

Granular consent management lets you manage user permissions by communication purpose and delivery channel at the same time. A user can accept promotional emails, reject promotional push notifications, and keep security alerts on every channel — and Netmera enforces each of these decisions separately at send time.

In Netmera, communication purposes are represented by Message Categories. Each category declares which channels it applies to, and each user holds an independent opt-in state for every category + channel pair. The state can be changed by the user (through an in-app preference center built with the Mobile SDK) or by the brand (through the Netmera Dashboard or the REST API, for example from a CRM, a call center, or an unsubscribe flow).

For example, you can define:

• promo — promotional communications

• order_tracking — order and delivery updates

• security — account and security notifications

Granular consent management provides the technical structure for purpose- and channel-specific permissions. Your organization remains responsible for determining the consent model, lawful basis, and wording required by applicable regulations. The GDPR references on this page are for orientation and are not legal advice.

What's new: channel-based category consent

Channel-based category consent removes the single "on / off per category" limitation. It is useful when users want to control not only what they receive, but also where they receive it.

Capability	Before	Now
Category scope	A category applied to every channel	A category is defined for one or more selected channels (Mobile Push, Email, SMS, WhatsApp, In-App, Web Push)
Consent storage	One state per category	One state per category + channel pair
Opt-out effect	Opting out of a category stopped it on every channel	Opting out of a category on one channel leaves the same category on other channels unchanged
Default for users without a record	—	Determined per category by the Subscription Type (Opt-in or Opt-out)
User Detail	One toggle per category	One toggle per category and channel
Targeting	By Category Permission	By Category Permission with a channel selection
Reporting	Category-level opt-in / opt-out counts	Opt-in / opt-out counts per channel
REST API and SDK	Category-level read and write	Optional channel parameter for category + channel read and write; category-level calls keep working unchanged

Categories created before channel selection was introduced are treated as valid on all channels. No migration is required.

How consent is evaluated

Before delivering a message, Netmera answers three questions. Separating them keeps "where can the user be reached" apart from "why is the message sent" and "does the user accept this purpose on this channel."

Check	Question
1. Channel permission	Is the user reachable and permitted on this channel at all (for example, push permission, email permission, SMS permission)?
2. Category + channel preference	Has the user accepted this communication purpose on this specific channel?
3. Category default	If no preference record exists for the category + channel pair, what does the category's Subscription Type say?

A message is delivered only when all applicable checks pass.

General channel permission	Category + channel preference	Result
ON	ON, or no record on an Opt-in category	Delivered
ON	No record on an Opt-out category	Blocked until the user opts in
ON	OFF	Blocked for this category on this channel only
OFF	Any	Blocked

For an SMS campaign with the promo category, the user must have SMS permission and an effective promo + SMS permission. The user's promo + Email state has no effect on this campaign.

A category-level opt-out never changes the general channel permission. Turning off promo on Mobile Push leaves the user's general push permission and all other push categories untouched. If the general channel permission is turned off and later back on, the stored category + channel preferences still apply.

Channels and API values

The same six channels are available in the panel, the REST API, and the Mobile SDK.

Panel channel	REST API / SDK value
Mobile Push	MOBILE
Email	EMAIL
SMS	SMS
WhatsApp	WHATS_APP
In-App	IN_APP
Web Push	WEB

Set up granular consent

1. Define your communication purposes.

2. Create a Message Category for each purpose and select its channels and Subscription Type.

3. Assign the matching category to each campaign.

4. Collect and update category + channel preferences through the SDK, REST API, or Dashboard.

5. Configure İYS when it manages SMS or email consent.

6. Verify preferences, targeting, and campaign eligibility.

Step 1: Define communication purposes

This step turns your communication plan into a small, stable list of purposes. A clear purpose list makes consent requests understandable for users and keeps reporting meaningful for your team.

Create one category for each purpose, not one category for each channel.

Purpose	Message Category	Typical channels
Promotional communications	promo	Mobile Push, Email, SMS
Order and delivery updates	order_tracking	Mobile Push, Email, SMS
Account and security notifications	security	Mobile Push, Email, SMS
One-time passwords	sms_otp	SMS

Keep Category IDs short, stable, and meaningful. Your integrations and preference center rely on these IDs.

Step 2: Create Message Categories

Categories are where the purpose, its channels, and its default consent behavior are defined. Getting this configuration right determines how every later consent decision is evaluated.

In the Netmera Dashboard, select Settings → Messaging & Content → Message Categories and create one category for each purpose.

• Channels: Select the channels the purpose applies to. At least one channel is required. Only the selected channels accept preference records and appear in campaign category lists.

• Subscription Type: Choose Opt-in (users without a record are subscribed) for purposes users expect by default, such as order tracking. Choose Opt-out (users without a record are not subscribed) for purposes that require explicit consent before the first send, such as marketing in regions that require prior consent.

• Category ID: Immutable after creation. Use a purpose, not a channel.

Changing the Subscription Type of an existing category clears all stored channel permissions for that category, because the meaning of the stored records is inverted. Decide the Subscription Type before collecting preferences.

Learn more about Message Categories.

Create a category in Settings

Step 3: Assign a category to campaigns

The campaign category tells Netmera which consent record to check. Without it, purpose-based enforcement cannot be applied to the campaign.

Assign the category that matches the message purpose when you create a campaign. The category list in the campaign editor shows only the categories active on the campaign's channel, plus legacy categories.

Message	Channel	Message Category	Consent record checked
New product promotion	Mobile Push	promo	promo + Mobile Push
Discount announcement	Email	promo	promo + Email
Order shipped notification	SMS	order_tracking	order_tracking + SMS
Suspicious login alert	Mobile Push	security	security + Mobile Push

Before launching a campaign, verify that its Message Category matches the communication purpose.

Select a category in the campaign flow

Campaign editor examples

Each channel uses its own campaign editor, but the category selection serves the same purpose.

Select the message category in the campaign editor.

Choose the category that matches the message purpose.

Confirm the category before completing campaign setup.

Step 4: Collect and update preferences

Category + channel preferences can be written from three sources. This lets the consent state follow the user wherever the decision is made — inside the app, in your backend systems, or by your operations team — while Netmera keeps a single, enforceable record.

Source	Who changes the preference	Typical trigger
Mobile SDK	The user	In-app preference center or notification settings screen
REST API	The brand, on the user's behalf	CRM or consent-management platform sync, web preference center, email unsubscribe page, SMS keyword reply, call center request
Dashboard	The brand	Manual correction or support request in User Detail

Every source updates only the category + channel pair it targets. It does not change the user's general channel permission, the category's other channels, or other categories.

Mobile SDK

The per-channel category preference methods require the following native SDK versions (released September 17, 2026):

Platform	Minimum version	Get preferences	Update preferences
Android	4.21.0	Netmera.getUserCategoryPreferenceList(filter, callback) with NMCategoryPreferenceFilter	Netmera.setUserCategoryPreference(NMCategoryPreferenceUpdate, callback)
iOS (Swift)	4.26.0	Netmera.getUserCategoryPreferenceList(categoryIds:channels:)	Netmera.setUserCategoryPreference(categoryId:categoryEnabled:channel:)

Android example — opt the user out of category 42 on SMS only:

val channelPreference = NMCategoryPreferenceUpdate(
    categoryId = 42,
    categoryEnabled = false,
    channel = NMCategoryChannel.SMS
)

Netmera.setUserCategoryPreference(channelPreference, object : NMCategoryPreferenceSetCallback {
    override fun onSuccess() { /* update UI */ }
    override fun onFailure(error: String?) { /* handle error */ }
})

iOS example — read the user's Email and SMS preferences for categories 42 and 43:

Netmera.getUserCategoryPreferenceList(
    categoryIds: [42, 43],
    channels: [.sms, .email]
) { result in
    // category.categoryEnabled: true if enabled on any channel
    // category.channelPreferences: per-channel breakdown
}

• The channel argument is optional. Without it, the update applies to every channel of the category, which is the behavior of earlier SDK versions.

• The aggregate status (optInStatus on Android, categoryEnabled on iOS) is true when the category is enabled on any channel. Use the per-channel breakdown (channelPreferences) to render channel toggles.

• On Android, Netmera.setUserCategoryPreference(categoryId, categoryEnabled, listener) is deprecated and behaves like the new method without a channel.

• SDK channel values: MOBILE, SMS, EMAIL, WHATS_APP, IN_APP, WEB.

See the Developer Guide for full reference: Android — Message Categories and iOS — Manage Push Notification Categories.

REST API

Both category preference endpoints accept an optional channel parameter. When it is omitted, the call behaves exactly as before channel-based preferences were introduced, so existing integrations keep working.

Endpoint	Purpose	Channel parameter
POST /rest/3.0/setCategoryPreferences	Opt a user in or out of a category	channel (optional, per entry)
GET /rest/3.0/getCategoryPreferences	Read a user's category preferences	channels (optional, list filter)
GET /rest/3.0/getPushCategories	List the categories defined for the application	—

Channel values: MOBILE, SMS, EMAIL, WHATS_APP, IN_APP, WEB (case-insensitive).

Opt a user out of Promotion on Email only, and out of Shopping on every channel:

curl -X POST https://restapi.netmera.com/rest/3.0/setCategoryPreferences \
  -H "X-netmera-api-key: your_rest_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[
    { "extId": "id1", "category": "Promotion", "enable": false, "channel": "EMAIL" },
    { "extId": "id1", "category": "Shopping",  "enable": false }
  ]'

Read the user's Mobile Push and Email preferences:

curl -G "https://restapi.netmera.com/rest/3.0/getCategoryPreferences" \
  -H "X-netmera-api-key: your_rest_api_key" \
  --data-urlencode 'externalId=id1' \
  --data-urlencode 'channels=MOBILE,EMAIL'

{
  "categoryPreferences": { "Promotion": true },
  "categoryChannelPreferences": {
    "Promotion": { "MOBILE": true, "EMAIL": false }
  }
}

• categoryPreferences is kept for backward compatibility and is true when the user is permitted on any of the category's channels. The channels filter does not affect it.

• categoryChannelPreferences returns the per-channel state. Use it for channel-level decisions.

• An entry with an unrecognized channel value is skipped and logged; the remaining entries are processed. A typo leaves that preference unchanged instead of updating every channel.

See the Developer Guide — Category Preferences for all parameters.

Dashboard

Open a user in User Detail to see a toggle for each category and channel. Only the channels the category is defined for are editable. A toggle without a stored record reflects the category's Subscription Type.

Use cases

The following scenarios show how channel-based category consent supports common business and compliance requirements.

1. In-app preference center

A retail app shows a settings screen with a row per category and a toggle per channel. The user keeps Promotions on Email, turns it off on Mobile Push and SMS, and keeps Order Updates on every channel.

• Implementation: getUserCategoryPreferenceList with channelPreferences to render the screen; setUserCategoryPreference with channel for each toggle.

• Result: Promotional push and SMS campaigns skip the user; promotional emails and all order updates are still delivered.

• GDPR reference: Art. 7(3) — withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. Recital 43 — separate consent for different processing operations.

2. Channel-specific unsubscribe from an email or SMS

A user clicks the unsubscribe link in a promotional email, or replies with an opt-out keyword to a promotional SMS. The user objects to that message type on that channel, not to all communication.

• Implementation: Your unsubscribe page or SMS keyword handler calls setCategoryPreferences with "channel": "EMAIL" or "channel": "SMS" and "enable": false.

• Result: Only promo + Email (or promo + SMS) is turned off. Promotional push, order tracking, and security messages continue as consented.

• GDPR reference: Art. 21(2)–(3) — right to object to direct marketing at any time; once exercised, the data must no longer be processed for that purpose. Art. 7(3) — withdrawal of consent.

3. Consent collected in another system (CRM, CMP, web, call center)

Consent is captured outside the app — during web registration, in a consent-management platform, or by a call center agent — and Netmera must reflect it.

• Implementation: Your backend syncs changes with setCategoryPreferences, sending one entry per category + channel pair. Use getCategoryPreferences to reconcile states.

• Result: Netmera enforces the same decision the user gave elsewhere, without waiting for an app session.

• GDPR reference: Art. 7(1) — the controller must be able to demonstrate consent; keeping one enforceable record per purpose and channel supports this. Art. 5(1)(d) — accuracy.

4. Explicit consent before the first marketing message

Some markets or internal policies require that no marketing message is sent until the user explicitly agrees.

• Implementation: Create the marketing category with Subscription Type Opt-out. Users without a record are not subscribed. Write an opt-in record only after the user agrees on a given channel.

• Result: New users receive no marketing on any channel until they opt in on that channel.

• GDPR reference: Art. 4(11) and Art. 6(1)(a) — consent must be a clear affirmative act. Art. 25(2) — data protection by default. ePrivacy Directive Art. 13 — prior consent for electronic direct marketing.

5. Keeping service messages separate from marketing

A user opts out of every promotional channel but must still receive order and security notifications.

• Implementation: Keep order_tracking and security as separate categories from promo, and assign them to their campaigns.

• Result: A marketing opt-out never blocks service messages, and service channels cannot be reused for promotional content without a visible category mismatch.

• GDPR reference: Art. 5(1)(b) — purpose limitation. Art. 7(2) — a consent request must be clearly distinguishable from other matters. Recital 32 — consent should cover all purposes; when processing has multiple purposes, consent should be given for each of them.

6. Purpose-limited SMS categories

An OTP category is defined for SMS only.

• Implementation: Create sms_otp with only SMS selected. It does not appear in other channels' campaign editors, and no preference records can be created for it on other channels.

• Result: The purpose is restricted to the channel it was collected for.

• GDPR reference: Art. 5(1)(b) — purpose limitation; Art. 5(1)(c) — data minimisation.

GDPR reference summary

Article	Principle	How granular consent management supports it
Art. 4(11)	Consent is specific, informed, and unambiguous	Each category + channel pair is a separate, specific decision
Art. 5(1)(b)	Purpose limitation	Categories represent purposes; campaigns must declare one
Art. 5(1)(c)	Data minimisation	Categories can be restricted to the channels the purpose needs
Art. 5(1)(d)	Accuracy	REST and SDK keep the Netmera record aligned with decisions made in other systems
Art. 6(1)(a)	Consent as a lawful basis	Opt-out Subscription Type prevents sending before an explicit opt-in
Art. 7(1)	Ability to demonstrate consent	Per-channel states are visible in User Detail and retrievable through getCategoryPreferences
Art. 7(2)	Consent request clearly distinguishable	Separate categories for marketing and service messages
Art. 7(3)	Withdrawal as easy as giving consent	One toggle or one API call withdraws consent for a single purpose on a single channel
Art. 21(2)–(3)	Right to object to direct marketing	A marketing opt-out on a channel is enforced on the next send
Art. 25(2)	Data protection by default	Opt-out Subscription Type defaults new users to not subscribed
Recital 32, 43	Consent per purpose; separate consent for separate operations	Consent is stored per category and per channel

In Türkiye, commercial electronic messages over SMS, email, and calls are also subject to İYS. İYS consent and Message Category preferences manage different permissions; configure both. See Step 5.

Common implementation pattern

Communication purpose
        ↓
Message Category (with channels and Subscription Type)
        ↓
User preference per category + channel (SDK, REST API, Dashboard)
        ↓
Campaign category and campaign channel
        ↓
Channel permission + category/channel permission
        ↓
Message delivery

For a promotional email campaign:

Promotion
  ↓
promo (Mobile Push, Email, SMS)
  ↓
User: promo + Email = ON, promo + Mobile Push = OFF
  ↓
Email campaign uses promo
  ↓
User has email permission
  ↓
Eligible for delivery (a push campaign with promo would be blocked)

Recommended category structure

Don't create separate categories for the same purpose:

• push_promo

• sms_promo

• email_promo

Use a single promo category and select the channels it applies to. Channel-level consent is stored under that single category, so users and reports see one purpose with a per-channel breakdown.

Use order_tracking, security, and account_updates for separate purposes. This keeps category management maintainable as you add channels.

Step 5: Configure İYS when applicable

If İYS manages SMS or email consent, decide which system owns consent records before configuring the integration.

İYS integrator mode

Netmera collects consent information and sends relevant updates to İYS.

İYS sync mode

Netmera retrieves consent information from İYS. İYS remains the consent record source.

Choose the mode that matches your consent-management process.

• İYS Permissions

• İYS Sync Mode

• İYS Integrator Mode

İYS consent management and Message Categories manage different communication permissions. Configure both for your consent and governance model.

Step 6: Verify preferences and eligibility

Verification confirms that the consent recorded for a user produces the delivery result you expect, before a campaign reaches production.

Check User Details

Open People and review the user's per-channel category toggles.

Check targeting

Under Targeting → Find People, use By Category Permission with a channel selection to count users with a given category + channel state. With no channel selected, the condition evaluates the campaign's channel or, with no campaign context, the category's own channels.

Check Channel Reachability

Use Channel Reachability to review permission coverage by purpose and channel. The Message Categories list shows opt-in and opt-out counts per channel; there is no single category-level figure, because a user can hold a different state on each channel.

Test scenarios

For a new category, test at least the following with a test user:

Scenario	Expected result
Channel permission ON, category + channel ON	Delivered
Channel permission ON, category OFF on this channel only	Blocked on this channel; same category on other channels delivered
Channel permission ON, no record, Opt-in category	Delivered
Channel permission ON, no record, Opt-out category	Blocked
Channel permission OFF, category + channel ON	Blocked

Review permission coverage by channel.

Opt-in and opt-out users by message category

Related pages

• Message Categories

• İYS Permissions

• İYS Sync Mode

• İYS Integrator Mode

• Contact Upload

• Channel Reachability

• People

• Opt-out

• Developer Guide — REST API Category Preferences

• Developer Guide — Android Message Categories

• Developer Guide — iOS Message Categories