Support - CAN-SPAM Compliant Checklist

How can I make sure that my email newsletter is CAN-SPAM compliant?

As responsible email marketers, we all want to do the right thing for our subscribers and our businesses. Making sure that your email newsletter is CAN-SPAM Act compliant is a good place to start. Essentially the main points of the Act are that it:

Outlaws the use of false or misleading headers
Outlaws the use of deceptive subject lines
Requires a clear and conspicuous opt-out mechanism that works in every commercial (non-transactional) email
Requires the inclusion of a valid physical postal address within every commercial email

Want to make sure that your next email campaign is “operationally correct?” Then review the following checklist before you hit the send button. It will not only ensure that you are CAN-SPAM compliant but will also help you avoid a number of other potential pitfalls.

Email Deployment Checklist

Valid FROM email address?
SUBJECT line not misleading?
Email address is working and available for at least 30 days?
Size of email box is sufficient to hold bounced / returned messages?
Physical postal address included in message?
Domain name registration information accurate?
Opt-out / remove system working properly?
Your mail server is not an open relay or gives non-authorized users access?
You have permission to send via the appropriate mail server?
List was gathered appropriately?
Spell check message?
Common Sense Test: Does the message make sense to a potential recipient?
Message is relevant to target audience? Somehow adds value to their lives?
Personalization is used properly?
Test messages to make sure they render properly in different email platforms?
Privacy Policy posted on Website and link included in email?
Abuse@ & privacy@ email addresses working?
Are messages flagged by anti-spam filters?
Names are not all pasted into TO: line?

Thank you to Terry Miller of CRM Group for providing this information. CRM Group specializes in the development and implementation of customer acquisition and retention strategies, including email marketing.

Just getting started with email marketing? Check out Adhost's Email Marketing Manager.