What is the CAN-SPAM Act?

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law created by the U.S. government in 2003 to help reduce unwanted spam and set clear rules for sending commercial emails. It applies to anyone sending marketing or promotional messages by email.

In short, the CAN-SPAM Act makes sure that marketing emails are honest, transparent, and easy to opt out of.

What does the CAN-SPAM Act mean for you?

If an account is found sending commercial emails that don’t follow these rules, the related services may be suspended or even cancelled.

If you’re ever unsure whether your email meets CAN-SPAM requirements, please reach out to our customer support team before sending, we’re happy to help you stay compliant.

Key CAN-SPAM Rules for Sending Legal Marketing Emails

Here are the main guidelines every marketer must follow:

1. Be honest with your subject lines
   Your subject line must clearly describe what’s inside the email. Misleading or deceptive subjects (like “news for a friend”) are not allowed.

2. Use a real “From” name
   The “From” field should clearly show your name or business — not a sales pitch or fake identity.

3. Include a working reply address
   The reply-to email must remain active for at least 30 days after you send your message.

4. Covers all commercial email
   The law applies to both solicited and unsolicited commercial messages.

5. Include an unsubscribe link
   Every marketing email must have a visible, working unsubscribe option.

6. Honour unsubscribe requests quickly
   You must remove people from your list within 10 business days of their request.

7. Label advertisements properly
   If you’re sending unsolicited marketing emails, you must label them as advertisements (for example, using “ADV” in the subject line, though this specific tag isn’t required).

8. Include your physical mailing address
   Every commercial email must include a valid physical postal address for your business.

9. Sexually explicit content must be clearly labelled
   If an email contains adult material, it must include a clear warning in the subject line or at the top of the message.

10. No email harvesting
    Collecting or buying email addresses through automated tools or website scraping is illegal under the CAN-SPAM Act.

Following these rules keeps your email marketing compliant, professional, and trustworthy, and ensures your messages actually reach your audience instead of getting flagged as spam.