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Glossary

CAN-SPAM

CAN-SPAM is the United States federal law that sets rules for commercial email: no deceptive headers or subject lines, a physical postal address, and an opt-out that is honoured.

Updated · By Otman Ounana · How we research

Why it matters when you send from your own Gmail

The US regulator states that the law makes no exception for business-to-business email.[1] It is an opt-out regime, not a consent regime, so cold email to US businesses is allowed if you follow the rules. You must honour an opt-out within 10 business days[2] and include a valid physical postal address.[3] Honest Intros puts your signature and postal address at the foot of every email, and holds sending until your profile includes an address.

Example

A cold email to a US facilities manager carries your name, your company, a postal address and a plain line saying how to stop hearing from you. Anyone who opts out is removed within the legal limit.

What to do

Check that every email has an accurate From line, a subject that matches the content, your postal address and a working way to opt out, and that opt-outs are processed well inside the legal limit.

Related terms

All terms are on the glossary.

Read next

  • United States (CAN-SPAM)CAN-SPAM for B2B cold email, quoted from the FTC: what every email needs, how fast to honour opt-outs, the per-email penalty, and how to give a postal address without your home address.
  • How fast to honour "remove me"The deadlines for honouring an unsubscribe or "remove me" reply after a cold email: UK, EU, US and Canada, quoted from the regulators and the laws, plus Gmail and Yahoo.
  • Double opt-inDouble opt-in is a sign-up process in which a person first asks to join a list and then confirms by clicking a link sent to their address.
  • Legitimate interestLegitimate interest is one of the lawful bases for processing personal data under the GDPR, allowing processing that is necessary for a genuine interest of the organisation, provided the person's rights do not override it.

Sources

  1. US Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. “The law makes no exception for business-to-business email.” Read on 1 October 2026.
  2. US Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. “You must honor a recipient’s opt-out request within 10 business days.” Read on 1 October 2026.
  3. US Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. “Your message must include your valid physical postal address.” Read on 1 October 2026.