Summary
The distinction between automated sales emails and marketing emails under the CAN-SPAM Act is a common point of confusion for businesses. While automated sales outreach may feel like personal one-to-one communication, its primary purpose often aligns with commercial advertisement or promotion. This categorization is crucial because it dictates whether an unsubscribe mechanism is legally required.
Key findings
- Commercial purpose: The CAN-SPAM Act defines commercial messages broadly as any electronic mail whose primary purpose is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a product or service. This includes emails promoting content on commercial websites.
- Not limited to bulk: CAN-SPAM does not specify a minimum number of recipients for an email to be considered commercial. Even one-to-one emails can fall under its scope if their primary purpose is commercial.
- B2B inclusion: The law makes no exception for business-to-business (B2B) email, meaning such communications must also comply with its provisions.
- Unsubscribe requirement: All commercial messages must provide a clear and conspicuous mechanism for recipients to opt out of receiving future emails from the sender.
- Honoring opt-outs: Opt-out requests must be honored within 10 business days, and it's generally understood that an opt-out applies to all commercial messages from the company, not just specific types or lists.
Key considerations
- Legal counsel: Always consult with your legal team to ensure full compliance with CAN-SPAM and other relevant email laws in all jurisdictions where you operate. This provides protection against legal liability.
- Primary purpose analysis: Evaluate each automated sales email's primary purpose. If it's to promote or advertise, it's commercial. If it's purely transactional or relationship-based (e.g., fulfilling an order, providing service updates), it may not require an unsubscribe link, though the line can be blurry. For further details, consider how account update emails are classified.
- One-click unsubscribe: Best practice dictates a simple, clear, and one-click unsubscribe process. This also helps with deliverability, as email providers favor easy opt-out mechanisms.
- Universal opt-out: If a recipient opts out, assume they want to stop all commercial messages from your company across all platforms. This prevents issues like companies ignoring opt-out requests. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides a comprehensive compliance guide for businesses.
- Platform compliance: Even if a sales automation platform doesn't enforce unsubscribe links, the responsibility for CAN-SPAM compliance rests with the sender (your company).
What email marketers say
Email marketers often navigate a complex landscape when categorizing automated sales emails, especially concerning CAN-SPAM requirements. Many struggle with sales teams pushing against unsubscribe links, viewing them as obstacles to conversions, despite the legal and deliverability risks involved. The consensus typically leans towards caution, emphasizing that most automated outreach, even if personalized, serves a commercial objective.
Key opinions
- Sales email as commercial: Many marketers believe that most automated sales emails, even those designed to look personal, fall under the commercial category due to their underlying promotional purpose.
- Platform responsibility: While platforms like SalesLoft might not enforce unsubscribe links, marketers recognize that the legal obligation to include them ultimately lies with the sender, not the software.
- Customer expectation: There's a strong sentiment that once a recipient unsubscribes from one type of email, they expect all commercial contact from that company to cease, regardless of the sender or department. This relates to why recipients keep getting emails after unsubscribing.
- Risk mitigation: Marketers often prioritize legal compliance and good deliverability practices over sales' desire to omit unsubscribe links, recognizing the potential damage to sender reputation and legal penalties.
Key considerations
- Educate sales teams: It's crucial to educate sales leadership and teams on the legal requirements and deliverability implications of sending commercial emails without unsubscribe options.
- Consolidate unsubscribe lists: Implement a unified unsubscribe management system across all platforms to ensure that opted-out recipients are not contacted by any department for commercial purposes.
- Define transactional vs. commercial: Clearly define what constitutes a purely transactional email versus a commercial one within your organization to guide sales and marketing efforts. This can be complex, especially with classifying follow-up emails with promotional content.
- User experience: Consider the user experience; providing an easy unsubscribe option improves recipient trust and reduces spam complaints, which are vital for deliverability, as highlighted by Mailchimp's anti-spam requirements.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks notes that their sales team is getting onboarded with SalesLoft, which helps send automated emails that look personal. They are seeking clarity on when these emails are considered marketing under CAN-SPAM and thus require an unsubscribe link. They specifically note that SalesLoft doesn't require an opt-out option, putting the decision on the sender.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks also asks if it's safe to assume that once someone responds to an automated email, the sales person can then manually correspond without including an unsubscribe link. They are trying to understand the nuances of when the commercial nature shifts or changes.
What the experts say
Deliverability experts consistently advise that the classification of automated sales emails under CAN-SPAM hinges on their primary purpose. If the email is promotional, regardless of how personalized it appears or whether it's part of a 'sales' sequence, it falls under the commercial umbrella and requires an unsubscribe link. Experts also highlight that mailbox providers often enforce stricter anti-spam standards than the baseline legal requirements.
Key opinions
- Primary purpose governs: The core determinant for CAN-SPAM compliance is the primary purpose of the email. If it's commercial advertising or promotion, it requires an opt-out.
- Scope of commercial email: The law applies to all commercial messages, explicitly stating it does not just apply to bulk email and makes no exception for B2B communications.
- Opt-out universality: A recipient's opt-out request typically applies to the entire company. This means once someone unsubscribes, they should not receive any unsolicited commercial emails, whether from marketing or sales.
- Beyond CAN-SPAM: While CAN-SPAM sets a baseline, deliverability experts stress that mailbox and filter providers often have much higher standards. Adhering only to the minimum legal requirements may still result in poor inbox placement or even inclusion on a blocklist or blacklist.
Key considerations
- Consult legal counsel: Always seek professional legal advice tailored to your specific operations and jurisdictions. While general guidelines are helpful, a lawyer can provide definitive interpretations and mitigate liability.
- Ethical and reputation considerations: Beyond legal compliance, consider the ethical implications and impact on your sender reputation. Being perceived as a sender that ignores opt-out requests can severely damage deliverability and brand trust. You should know when to stop sending to inactive subscribers.
- Holistic unsubscribe management: Ensure all internal teams (marketing, sales, customer service) have access to and respect a centralized unsubscribe list, preventing unwanted future communications.
- Proactive compliance: Aim for compliance that exceeds the minimum legal requirements, aligning with best practices for deliverability and recipient experience to maintain a healthy sender reputation, as Spam Resource often emphasizes for email marketing best practices.
Expert view
Email expert from Email Geeks advises that if you're sending commercial email, you should consult with legal counsel, as the law explicitly covers "commercial" messages, not just "bulk" ones. This distinction is fundamental to compliance.
Expert view
Email expert from Email Geeks recommends assuming that anyone who has opted out is "gone" from your mailing list for all commercial communications, at least until legal advice dictates otherwise. They highlight that the default opt-out in CAN-SPAM applies to the entire company.
What the documentation says
Official documentation, particularly from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), provides definitive guidance on the CAN-SPAM Act. It clearly outlines what constitutes a "commercial message" and the non-negotiable requirements for senders, regardless of email volume or perceived one-to-one nature. The emphasis is consistently on the message's primary purpose and the mandatory inclusion of a clear unsubscribe mechanism.
Key findings
- Broad definition of commercial message: The law defines a "commercial message" as any email with the primary purpose of advertising or promoting a commercial product or service. This broad definition includes emails promoting content on commercial websites.
- No bulk threshold: The CAN-SPAM Act explicitly states it doesn't apply just to bulk email, covering all commercial messages regardless of quantity.
- B2B emails included: There are no exceptions for business-to-business emails, meaning they must also comply if they are commercial in nature.
- Mandatory unsubscribe: Commercial emails must contain a clear and conspicuous explanation of how recipients can opt out of receiving future emails from the sender.
- Prompt opt-out processing: Senders must honor opt-out requests within 10 business days.
Key considerations
- Transactional vs. commercial: The CAN-SPAM Act distinguishes between transactional or relationship messages (which may not require an unsubscribe) and commercial messages. The primary purpose dictates the classification. An example being if gift membership invitations are transactional.
- Sender identity and address: Commercial emails must include the sender's valid physical postal address and not be deceptive about the sender or subject line.
- Mechanism of unsubscribe: The unsubscribe mechanism must be operational for at least 30 days after the email is sent, and it must not require the recipient to pay a fee or provide information beyond an email address.
- Impact of third parties: If another entity initiates a commercial email on your behalf, both parties may be held legally responsible for compliance. This implies that relying on sales automation platforms that don't enforce unsubscribe links can still lead to liability for your company.
- Consistent opt-out policy: The law intends for an opt-out to stop all commercial messages from that sender, meaning a single unsubscribe preference should be honored across all departments and types of commercial outreach.
Technical article
Documentation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) clarifies that despite its name, the CAN-SPAM Act doesn't apply just to bulk email; it covers all commercial messages, which are defined by their primary purpose. This means any electronic mail primarily promoting a commercial product or service falls under the law.
Technical article
Documentation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) further explains that the CAN-SPAM Act makes no exception for business-to-business (B2B) email. Therefore, even messages to former customers announcing a new product line must comply with the law's requirements.
Related resources
11 resources
Related pages
How to classify post-webinar follow-up emails with promotional content and send them to unsubscribed users?
Why do companies ignore email opt-out requests and unsubscribe preferences?
Why do I keep receiving emails after unsubscribing?
How should account update emails be classified as commercial or transactional if users can opt out?
What are the deliverability effects of unsolicited link building and sales emails?
When is affiliate marketing email considered spam and how does it impact deliverability?
How does the List-Unsubscribe header affect email deliverability with a preference center?
Gmail launches "Manage subscriptions" directly in Gmail - everything you need to know
Email Deliverability Issues: Getting Your Messages to the Inbox in 2025
How your email address ends up on a blacklist
