Summary
The consensus among marketers, experts, and documentation sources is that including a physical address in your email footer is generally required and beneficial. The CAN-SPAM Act in the US mandates it for commercial emails, and while GDPR doesn't explicitly require it, transparency is key, and an address can help fulfill that requirement. While a physical address may not directly improve deliverability algorithms, it builds trust and encourages recipient engagement. Ultimately, adhering to these guidelines enhances credibility, sender reputation, and overall email marketing effectiveness.
Key findings
- Legal Compliance: CAN-SPAM Act in the US requires including a valid physical address in commercial emails.
- Transparency & Trust: Including a physical address builds trust with recipients and demonstrates transparency.
- Indirect Deliverability: Enhanced trust and engagement lead to improved engagement metrics, indirectly benefiting deliverability.
- Sender Reputation: A real postal address helps inbox placement and influences sender reputation.
- GDPR Implications: While not explicitly required by GDPR, including a physical address supports transparent sender identification, a key principle of GDPR.
Key considerations
- Regional Regulations: Understand and comply with relevant email marketing laws and regulations in the regions where you operate (e.g., CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and the Netherlands requirements).
- Address Validity: Ensure the accuracy and validity of the physical address included in your email footer.
- Industry Best Practices: Adhere to industry best practices and follow the example of reputable companies in your market.
- Contact Accessibility: Provide recipients with a clear and accessible method to contact you.
- Reputation Management: Understand that including a valid physical address contributes to a positive sender reputation, which can impact inbox placement.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
Including a physical address in the email footer is generally considered a best practice and, in some regions, legally required. While it might not directly impact deliverability algorithms, it significantly boosts recipient trust and engagement. This increased trust and interaction indirectly improve deliverability by reducing the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. Regulations like CAN-SPAM in the US and GDPR in Europe (though not explicitly mandating a physical address, require transparent sender identification) necessitate or incentivize including a physical address to ensure compliance and build credibility.
Key opinions
- Legal Requirement: The CAN-SPAM Act in the United States mandates including a valid physical postal address in commercial emails.
- Trust & Engagement: A physical address builds trust and makes recipients more comfortable interacting with your emails, positively influencing deliverability.
- Indirect Deliverability Benefit: While not a direct ranking factor, increased trust and engagement lead to better engagement metrics, indirectly improving deliverability.
- GDPR & Transparency: Although GDPR doesn't explicitly require a physical address, it requires transparent sender identification, which a physical address can help fulfill.
Key considerations
- Regional Laws: Be aware of the specific legal requirements in the regions where your recipients are located (e.g., CAN-SPAM in the US, GDPR in Europe).
- Address Accuracy: Ensure the physical address is valid and accurate to maintain credibility and comply with legal requirements.
- Transparency: Even if not legally mandated in your region, including a physical address enhances transparency and builds trust with recipients.
- Inbox Placement: Having a real postal address helps inbox placement as it can influence your sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that you must include your business name and address in your email footer per CAN-SPAM act. It helps build trust with your recipients and keeps your emails out of the spam folder.
3 May 2025 - HubSpot
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit shares that including a physical address is essential for CAN-SPAM compliance in the US. It also increases trust and helps avoid being marked as spam, thus aiding deliverability.
20 Jan 2022 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts agree that including a physical address in an email footer is crucial. It is legally mandated under the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S. and is generally considered a good practice to follow reputable companies. Furthermore, a real postal address can influence sender reputation and improve inbox placement. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to a loss of credibility.
Key opinions
- CAN-SPAM Requirement: The CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S. requires a valid physical postal address in commercial emails.
- Reputation & Inbox Placement: A real postal address can influence sender reputation and help improve inbox placement.
- Credibility: Failure to include a physical address and meet CAN-SPAM requirements can damage credibility.
- Industry Standard: Following reputable companies in your market by including company identification (physical address or registration number) in the footer is a generally good practice.
Key considerations
- Compliance: Ensure compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act if sending emails to recipients in the U.S.
- Market Standards: Research and adhere to the practices of reputable companies in your specific market regarding footer information.
- Sender Reputation: Understand that providing a valid postal address contributes to a positive sender reputation and improved deliverability.
- Accessibility: Give recipients a way to contact you, enhancing transparency and trustworthiness.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource.com explains that having a real postal address helps inbox placement as it can influence your sender reputation. Senders need to follow guidelines and give recipients a way to contact them.
18 Feb 2024 - Spamresource.com
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks points out that the inclusion of your valid physical postal address is a requirement under the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act.
27 Jun 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Documentation from various sources confirms that including a physical address in your email footer is often legally required, particularly by the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States. While GDPR doesn't explicitly mandate it, transparency is required and an address helps to fulfill this. The inclusion of an address also helps to verify the sender's identity and provide a means of contact for recipients.
Key findings
- CAN-SPAM Compliance: The CAN-SPAM Act mandates including a valid physical postal address in commercial emails.
- Sender Identification: A physical address helps verify the sender's identity.
- Contact Method: Including a physical address provides recipients with a way to contact the sender.
- GDPR Transparency: While not explicitly required by GDPR, including a physical address contributes to transparent sender identification, which is a GDPR requirement.
Key considerations
- Legal Requirements: Understand and comply with the legal requirements for including a physical address in your email footer based on the regions where your recipients are located.
- Transparency: Prioritize transparency in your email communications, which can be achieved by including a physical address.
- Address Validity: Ensure that the physical address provided is valid and accurate.
- Global Regulations: Be mindful of global regulations like GDPR when crafting your email marketing strategy and footer content.
Technical article
Documentation from ActiveCampaign mentions that you’re required to include your physical mailing address in your marketing emails. This requirement is a part of anti-spam laws like the CAN-SPAM Act.
13 May 2025 - ActiveCampaign
Technical article
Documentation from FTC.gov states that the CAN-SPAM Act requires a valid physical postal address of the sender to be included in commercial emails.
21 Jun 2022 - FTC.gov
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