How Mailneo helps you meet the CAN-SPAM Act when sending commercial email in the United States
The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 sets the rules for commercial email in the United States and is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. Mailneo provides the technical controls and audit trails our customers need to send commercial email in line with the law, and we hold ourselves to the same standard for our own messages.
Every commercial email sent to a US recipient must meet all seven rules below. Mailneo enforces the technical controls automatically; the content rules are your responsibility as the sender.
Your "From," "To," "Reply-To," and routing information must accurately identify the person or business who initiated the message. Mailneo signs all outbound mail with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC tied to your verified sending domain so the headers cannot be spoofed.
The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message. You are responsible for the subject lines you write; Mailneo's AI assistants are tuned to avoid clickbait and misleading phrasing.
The law gives you flexibility in how to do this, but the message must clearly and conspicuously disclose that it is an advertisement.
Every commercial email must include a valid physical postal address: a current street address, a registered post office box, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency. Mailneo's campaign editor blocks sends that do not include a complete sender address in the footer.
Every email must include a clear, conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of future messages. Mailneo injects a one-click unsubscribe link and the RFC 8058 List-Unsubscribe headers required by Gmail and Yahoo into every campaign.
You must honor an opt-out request within 10 business days; the opt-out mechanism must remain functional for at least 30 days after the message was sent. Mailneo suppresses unsubscribed addresses globally within seconds and they cannot be re-added without a fresh consent record.
Even if you hire an agency or use an affiliate, the law holds both the company whose product is promoted and the company that sends the message responsible. Mailneo's sub-account and team controls give you a clean audit trail of who sent what.
Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $51,744 (as of the FTC's 2024 adjustment). State attorneys general and internet service providers also have authority to bring civil actions. Aggravated violations, such as harvesting addresses or using open relays, can result in criminal penalties under separate federal statutes.
CAN-SPAM treats transactional or relationship messages (order confirmations, account notices, receipts) differently from commercial messages. Transactional messages must not contain false header information, but the opt-out and identification rules do not apply. If a single message contains both commercial and transactional content, the primary purpose test determines which rules apply; Mailneo flags mixed-purpose templates during review.
Mailneo's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits sending to harvested, purchased, or rented lists, and prohibits any use of the service that would violate CAN-SPAM or the equivalent law in the recipient's country. Accounts that generate spam complaints above threshold are suspended pending review.
If you have received an unwanted message that appears to come from a Mailneo customer, please report it at abuse@mailneo.co. We investigate every report and take action on confirmed abuse.
This page is provided for general information and is not legal advice. Consult qualified counsel for advice on your specific program.
Last updated: May 13, 2026