Definition
Consent expiry refers to how long a subscriber's permission remains valid before it must be refreshed. While some privacy regulations (like CAN-SPAM) do not specify a fixed expiry, others (like the GDPR's guidance on consent) suggest that consent weakens over time and should be refreshed periodically.
Typical Time Frames
- GDPR (EU/UK): No fixed expiry, but consent should be refreshed if the processing changes or after a prolonged period of inactivity (typically 2 years)
- CASL (Canada): Express consent does not expire, but implied consent expires after 2 years
- CCPA (California): Does not specify an expiry but requires opt-out rights to be honoured
- Best practice: Refresh consent every 2-3 years or after 12 months of inactivity
Why It Matters
Letting consent expire without renewal creates legal risk. If a subscriber has not engaged in years and their consent is technically stale, continuing to send may violate privacy regulations in some jurisdictions. Periodic consent refreshes protect both your legal standing and your deliverability.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is an automated message sent to customers who added items to their online shopping cart but left without completing the purchase. It is one of the highest-converting email types in ecommerce.
AIDA Model for Email
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic copywriting framework used to structure email campaigns that guide subscribers from awareness to conversion.
AMP for Email
AMP for Email is a Google-developed framework that allows email messages to include interactive elements like forms, carousels, accordions, and live content. It turns static emails into dynamic, interactive experiences directly inside the inbox.
Anchoring Effect in Email Marketing
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) influences subsequent decisions, used in email to frame pricing and value perception.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.