diff --git a/addons/website_mail/static/src/js/website_mail.js b/addons/website_mail/static/src/js/website_mail.js
index 99acd3f939b..862e061afd6 100644
--- a/addons/website_mail/static/src/js/website_mail.js
+++ b/addons/website_mail/static/src/js/website_mail.js
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
         var self = this;
         var $data = $(this).parents("div.js_follow");
         var $email = $data.find(".js_follow_email");
+
+        if ($email.length && !$email.val().match(/.+@.+/)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         var message_is_follower = $data.attr("data-follow") || "off";
         $data.attr("data-follow", message_is_follower == 'off' ? 'on' : 'off');
 
@@ -13,7 +18,7 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
             'id': $data.data('id'),
             'object': $data.data('object'),
             'message_is_follower': message_is_follower,
-            'email': $email && $email.val() || false,
+            'email': $email.length ? $email.val() : false,
         }).then(function (result) {
             if (result) {
                 $data.find(" > *").toggleClass("hidden");
diff --git a/addons/website_mail/views/website_mail.xml b/addons/website_mail/views/website_mail.xml
index 244ac4b28c2..e7a17c8f3db 100644
--- a/addons/website_mail/views/website_mail.xml
+++ b/addons/website_mail/views/website_mail.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
               type="email" name="email"
               class="js_follow_email form-control"
               t-att-value="email or ''"
-              placeholder="your email..."/>
+              placeholder="your email..."
+              groups="base.group_public"/>
         <span class="input-group-btn">
             <button href="#" t-attf-class="btn btn-default js_unfollow_btn">Unsubscribe</button>
             <button href="#" t-attf-class="btn btn-primary js_follow_btn">Subscribe</button>