What is CAN-SPAM? The U.S. email law explained simply
The CAN-SPAM Act is the U.S. law that sets rules for commercial email. It does not require prior consent, but every commercial message must meet a short list of requirements enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.
The main requirements
- Do not use false or misleading header information (From, To, Reply-To and routing).
- Do not use deceptive subject lines. The subject must reflect the content.
- Identify the message as an ad.
- Include a valid physical postal address.
- Tell recipients clearly how to opt out of future email.
- Honor opt-out requests within 10 business days, and keep the opt-out working for at least 30 days after you send.
- You stay responsible even if another company sends the email for you.
Who it applies to
It covers any email whose primary purpose is to advertise or promote a commercial product or service. A company newsletter is usually treated as commercial.
Messages with only transactional or relationship content, such as an order confirmation, are exempt from most rules but still must not contain false or misleading routing information.
Penalties
According to the FTC's guide, each separate email that violates the law is subject to penalties of up to $53,088.
How Newsletter Ready handles this
Required sender disclosures are inserted into every issue.
Every issue includes a visible unsubscribe link plus one-click unsubscribe headers, and unsubscribes take effect immediately.
Email newsletter glossary
- What is SPF? Sender Policy Framework explained simply
- What is DKIM? Email signatures explained simply
- What is DMARC? Email spoofing protection explained simply
- What is double opt-in? Confirmed subscriptions explained
- What is a preheader? The preview text next to your subject line
- What is a hard bounce? Undeliverable email explained
- What is one-click unsubscribe? RFC 8058 explained simply
Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice.