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CAN-SPAM Compliance Checker

Paste your email body and footer to scan for an unsubscribe link and physical address, plus the full requirements checklist.

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Unsubscribe mechanism
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Physical address
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Full CAN-SPAM checklist (self-review, not auto-scanned)
  • Subject line accurately describes the email content, nothing deceptive or misleading
  • From, To and routing header information is accurate and identifies you as the sender
  • Message is clearly identified as an advertisement if its primary purpose is promotional
  • A valid physical postal address is included, street address, PO box, or registered private mailbox
  • A clear, easy opt-out mechanism is provided, with no fee and no more than an email address required
  • Opt-out requests are processed within 10 business days of receiving them
  • You are not selling or transferring email addresses of people who have opted out

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A CAN-SPAM compliance checker gives you a fast way to catch the two most common, most checkable mistakes in a marketing email footer before you hit send: a missing unsubscribe link and a missing physical address. Paste your email body and footer above and the scanner looks for both, then use the full checklist below for the requirements that need a judgment call rather than a text match.

What the CAN-SPAM Act actually requires

The FTC's CAN-SPAM Act sets a specific list of requirements for commercial email. Your header information, the From, To, and routing data, must be accurate and identify you as the sender. Your subject line must not be deceptive about what the email contains. If the email's primary purpose is advertising, it needs to be clearly identifiable as such. You must include your valid physical postal address, either your current street address, a registered post office box, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency. And you must give recipients a clear, easy way to opt out of future emails, one that costs them nothing and asks for nothing more than an email address.

The 10-business-day rule

Once someone opts out, the FTC requires you to honor that request within 10 business days. You cannot charge a fee for it, you cannot require them to visit multiple pages or provide information beyond an email address, and you cannot sell or transfer their address to another list after they have opted out. A working unsubscribe link that nobody actually processes on the back end is not compliance, it just delays the problem.

CAN-SPAM applies more broadly than most people assume

CAN-SPAM covers any commercial email, not just mass consumer newsletters. A B2B cold outreach sequence, a product update sent to existing customers, or a one-off promotional email to a small list all count if the primary purpose is advertising or promoting a product or service. Penalties run up to $53,088 per violating email, which is per email, not per campaign, so a footer template mistake that ships to a large list is a bigger risk than it looks. If your team is scaling outbound or lifecycle email as part of a bigger growth push, it is worth having compliance basics like this checked alongside your deliverability and content strategy, a free SEO audit is a natural place to start that broader conversation.

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FAQ

CAN-SPAM Compliance Checker: questions, answered

What does the CAN-SPAM Act require in a marketing email?
The FTC's CAN-SPAM Act requires accurate From, To and routing header information, a subject line that is not deceptive, clear identification that the message is an advertisement, your valid physical postal address, and a clear, easy way for recipients to opt out of future emails.
How long do I have to honor an unsubscribe request?
The FTC requires businesses to process opt-out requests within 10 business days. You cannot charge a fee, require the recipient to give more than an email address, or make them take any step beyond replying or visiting a single web page to opt out.
What counts as a valid physical address under CAN-SPAM?
Your current street address, a registered post office box, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency all satisfy the physical address requirement. A website URL or email address alone does not meet this requirement.
Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B emails, not just consumer marketing?
Yes. CAN-SPAM applies to any commercial email whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a product or service, regardless of whether the recipient is a business or a consumer, and regardless of whether you have an existing relationship with them.
What are the penalties for violating CAN-SPAM?
Each separate email that violates the Act can carry a penalty of up to $53,088, and violations can also draw scrutiny from the FTC or state attorneys general. Consistent, small compliance habits, like a working unsubscribe link and an accurate address, cost far less than the risk of ignoring them.

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