• home
• resources
• whitepapers
• pre flight email checklist

Does the Message Comply with the CAN-SPAM Act?

This is one of the most crucial steps of the entire email marketing process, and it is sometimes mistakenly overlooked by many companies.  If messages do not comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, the sender’s company may be fined or charged with a criminal and civil offense. 

The CAN-SPAM Act calls for unsolicited email campaigns to have several items in place in order for the message not to be labeled as spam.  However, even if sending permission-based emails, marketers should still add these items into their campaigns.

• An opt-out feature
• A valid subject line and header (routing) information
• The physical address of the mailer
• A warning label if the email contains adult content

Also, it is very important that the recipients may unsubscribe through the opt-out button or by replying to the message with common phrases such as “unsubscribe” or “remove” in the subject lines.  In the past, responses like these sometimes bounced back to the members as the sender’s email address either didn’t exist or Spam Block wouldn’t allow the message to go through due to the subject lines.  Senders must set up a valid email address for responses and the inbox must be monitored daily.