Definition
A regulatory audit evaluates your entire email operation against the legal requirements of every jurisdiction where your subscribers reside. It covers consent practices, data handling, unsubscribe processes, privacy notices, and record-keeping.
Audit Scope
- Consent: How consent is collected, recorded, and refreshed for each list segment
- Unsubscribe: Whether the unsubscribe process meets legal requirements (one-click, immediate, conspicuous)
- Footer compliance: Presence and accuracy of physical address, privacy link, and unsubscribe link
- Data handling: How subscriber data is stored, accessed, and protected
- Third-party agreements: Whether your ESP and other vendors have current DPAs
- Jurisdiction coverage: Whether your program complies with laws in every country where you have subscribers
Frequency
A full regulatory audit should be conducted annually and after any significant legal change. The UK and EU GDPR, CCPA updates, and CASL enforcement guidance all evolve regularly.
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.