Definition of CAN-SPAM
CAN-SPAM is the law that keeps commercial emails honest. Passed in 2003, this U.S. regulation sets rules for sending commercial messages and gives recipients the right to stop you from emailing them.
Think of it as the "please behave yourself" rulebook for email marketers.
Why you should care
Following CAN-SPAM isn't just about avoiding fines. Although, those can reach $46,517 per email, so heads up.
It's about maintaining your sender reputation so your emails reach inboxes instead of spam folders. Better deliverability means more eyes on your content and higher engagement rates.
Quick win:
- Filter subscribers who haven't opened or clicked in your last 3 sends into a "slipping away" segment
- Send them a re-engagement campaign
- Move non-responders to a suppression list after 5-6 inactive sends
This proactive list hygiene keeps your deliverability strong while preserving your sender reputation. And yeah. watching your list size drop can hurt your ego, but clean lists drive real results.
Continuing to email disinterested subscribers damages your sender reputation, tanks engagement metrics, and ultimately harms your ability to monetize.
5,000 engaged readers beats 50,000 ghosts every time.
Some resources we rely on
Ask Claude for help with CAN-SPAM
Copy and paste this prompt into Claude or the AI of your choice. Be sure to tweak the context for your situation.
<goal>
Help me implement a strategic list hygiene system that enhances deliverability and engagement while maintaining CAN-SPAM compliance.
</goal>
<context>
* I send a [FREQUENCY] newsletter to approximately [# of SUBS] subscribers
* My current unique click rate is around [CURRENT RATE]%
* Using [PLATFORM] as my ESP
* Current unsubscribe rate is approximately [UNSUB RATE]%
* No systematic approach to managing inactive subscribers yet
* Looking to optimize deliverability and engagement metrics within 2 months
</context>
<output>
Please provide:
* Specific segmentation criteria for identifying "slipping away" vs "inactive" subscribers based on my sending frequency
* General framework for creating automation rules to move subscribers between engagement segments (adaptable to any ESP)
* Re-engagement campaign sequence with 2-3 high-converting message templates
* Decision framework for when and how to suppress inactive subscribers
* Measurement plan to track the impact of improved list hygiene on deliverability and revenue
</output>
<example>
Segmentation structure example:
- Active: Clicked in last [X] days based on send frequency
- Slipping: Opened but not clicked in last [X] days
- At-Risk: No opens or clicks in last [X-Y] days
- Re-engagement: No activity in [Y-Z] days (receiving targeted campaign)
- Suppressed: Failed re-engagement after [Z] days (no longer receiving regular campaigns)
Re-engagement subject line: "Is this goodbye? [One last thing before we part ways]"
</example>
<guardrails>
* Ensure all automations comply with CAN-SPAM requirements
* Balance aggressive list cleaning with revenue potential
* Consider your specific industry engagement benchmarks
* Maintain ability to reactivate suppressed subscribers through special campaigns
* Don't sacrifice long-term deliverability for short-term list size vanity metrics
</guardrails>