Definition
A cold email is a message sent to a recipient who has no prior relationship with the sender and has not opted in to receive marketing communications. It is most commonly used in B2B sales, recruitment, partnerships, public relations and business development.
Unlike spam, a well-crafted cold email is personalised, relevant, concise and respectful. It clearly explains who the sender is, why they are reaching out, what value they offer and how the recipient can respond. It also includes a clear way to opt out of future messages.
Cold email is regulated differently depending on the country. In the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act allows commercial email to non-opted-in recipients if certain requirements are met. In the European Union and Canada, stricter consent rules generally make cold email to consumers difficult and to businesses more limited.
Best Practices
- Research the recipient and personalise every message with a relevant reason for reaching out.
- Keep the email short, clear and focused on the recipient's potential benefit.
- Include a clear, low-friction call to action, such as a short reply or calendar link.
- Provide a simple opt-out mechanism and honour it immediately.
- Warm up sending domains and monitor sender reputation carefully.
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Related Glossary Terms
Abuse Complaint
An abuse complaint is a report from a recipient who marks an email as spam, which negatively affects sender reputation and deliverability.
Anonymized Data
Anonymized data is email subscriber or interaction data that has been stripped of personally identifiable information so individuals cannot be re-identified.
Australia Spam Act 2003
The Australian Spam Act 2003 bans unsolicited commercial email, requiring consent, accurate sender information and a clear, working unsubscribe facility on every message.
Brazil LGPD Email Marketing
Brazil's LGPD regulates personal data use for marketing, requiring a legal basis such as consent or legitimate interest, plus transparency and clear opt-out in email campaigns.
CAN-SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act is a US law that sets rules for commercial email. It requires accurate subject lines, a physical address, a clear opt-out mechanism, and prompt processing of unsubscribes. Violations can result in penalties up to $51,744 per email.
Canada CASL Guide
CASL (Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation) requires express or implied consent, clear identification, and a functioning unsubscribe mechanism before sending commercial electronic messages to Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the jurisdiction. In the US, CAN-SPAM allows commercial cold email with certain requirements. GDPR and CASL impose stricter consent rules.
Cold email is targeted, personalised and relevant. Spam is mass-sent, unsolicited and often deceptive.
Personalise deeply, keep the message short, offer clear value, use a specific call to action and follow up sparingly.
For a new domain, start with a small volume and ramp up gradually. Established domains can send more, but monitor reputation and response rates.
Use a loose template for structure, but customise every message. Recipients can spot generic templates and ignore them.