CASL coverage
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation
Rules for commercial electronic messages such as email, text messages and direct messages: consent, sender identification and a working unsubscribe mechanism.
General information, not legal advice. Coverage reflects the product as of the last-updated date (September 12, 2026). These lists are not exhaustive — they cover the obligations most relevant to small and medium businesses, including ones the product does not cover.
CASL's private right of action (ss. 47–51) was suspended in June 2017 and is not in force.
- Live
- 2
- Guidance
- 6
- Planned
- 0
- Not covered
- 3
11 obligations listed · 3 self-assessment questions feed the CASL score
How to read the status
- Live
- A shipped product feature does part of the work today.
- Guidance
- We explain it in our guides, articles or in-app knowledge centres. No tool does the work.
- Planned
- On the dated product roadmap. Not available today.
- Not covered
- No product feature and no dedicated explanation from us today. It may be mentioned in passing elsewhere.
Separately, each row shows which self-assessment questions ask about it. A question records your answer — it does not verify your practices.
Obligations
- Guidance
Have the recipient's consent — express or implied — before sending a commercial electronic message.
Coverage
Explained in: CASL guide · Express vs. implied consent
The in-app CASL knowledge centre includes an express-vs-implied consent decision tree. The product does not store or track consent records today.
Self-assessment
- Q5 — How do you obtain consent for marketing emails? (counts toward the CASL score)
- Guidance
When asking for express consent, state clearly and simply what the consent is for and who is asking (and on whose behalf, if different).
Coverage
Explained in: Express vs. implied consent
Self-assessment
- Q5 — How do you obtain consent for marketing emails? (counts toward the CASL score)
- Guidance
Treat implied consent from a business relationship as time-limited: 2 years from a purchase or contract, 6 months from an inquiry or application.
Coverage
Explained in: CASL guide · Express vs. implied consent
The product does not track consent dates or expiry today.
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Live
Identify who sent the message (and on whose behalf, if different) and include information that lets the recipient readily contact the sender.
Coverage
Feature: CASL unsubscribe-footer checker (in-app): paste an email footer and it flags a missing mailing address or a footer too short to identify the sender.
The check runs on the text you paste. It does not confirm the details are accurate or current, and it does not scan your sent emails.
Self-assessment
- Q1 — Do your marketing emails identify your business — name, mailing address, and a working contact? (counts toward the CASL score)
- Not covered
Keep the contact information in the message valid for at least 60 days after sending.
Coverage
—
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Live
Include an unsubscribe mechanism in every message that lets the recipient opt out at no cost, with an email address or web link to send the request to.
Coverage
Feature: CASL unsubscribe-footer checker (in-app): flags a footer with no clickable unsubscribe link, an unlabelled link, or an opt-out that appears to require logging in.
The check runs on the text you paste. It does not test whether the link works.
Self-assessment
- Q13 — Do your email marketing messages include an unsubscribe link? (counts toward the CASL score)
Source
- Guidance
Keep the unsubscribe address or link valid for at least 60 days after sending.
Coverage
Explained in: CASL guide · CASL unsubscribe requirements
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Guidance
Give effect to an unsubscribe request without delay, and no later than 10 business days after it is sent.
Coverage
Explained in: CASL guide · CASL unsubscribe requirements
The footer checker does not check whether requests are honoured.
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Guidance
Be able to prove consent — whoever relies on consent carries the onus of proving it.
Coverage
Explained in: Express vs. implied consent
The product does not store consent records today.
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Not covered
Do not alter the transmission data of an electronic message so it goes somewhere other than, or in addition to, where the sender intended, without express consent.
Coverage
—
Self-assessment
Not asked
- Not covered
Do not install a computer program on another person's computer system in the course of commercial activity without express consent.
Coverage
—
Self-assessment
Not asked
| Obligation | Status | Coverage | Self-assessment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Have the recipient's consent — express or implied — before sending a commercial electronic message. | Guidance | Explained in: CASL guide · Express vs. implied consent The in-app CASL knowledge centre includes an express-vs-implied consent decision tree. The product does not store or track consent records today. |
| |
| When asking for express consent, state clearly and simply what the consent is for and who is asking (and on whose behalf, if different). | Guidance | Explained in: Express vs. implied consent |
| |
| Treat implied consent from a business relationship as time-limited: 2 years from a purchase or contract, 6 months from an inquiry or application. | Guidance | Explained in: CASL guide · Express vs. implied consent The product does not track consent dates or expiry today. | Not asked | |
| Identify who sent the message (and on whose behalf, if different) and include information that lets the recipient readily contact the sender. | Live | Feature: CASL unsubscribe-footer checker (in-app): paste an email footer and it flags a missing mailing address or a footer too short to identify the sender. The check runs on the text you paste. It does not confirm the details are accurate or current, and it does not scan your sent emails. |
| |
| Keep the contact information in the message valid for at least 60 days after sending. | Not covered | — | Not asked | |
| Include an unsubscribe mechanism in every message that lets the recipient opt out at no cost, with an email address or web link to send the request to. | Live | Feature: CASL unsubscribe-footer checker (in-app): flags a footer with no clickable unsubscribe link, an unlabelled link, or an opt-out that appears to require logging in. The check runs on the text you paste. It does not test whether the link works. |
| |
| Keep the unsubscribe address or link valid for at least 60 days after sending. | Guidance | Explained in: CASL guide · CASL unsubscribe requirements | Not asked | |
| Give effect to an unsubscribe request without delay, and no later than 10 business days after it is sent. | Guidance | Explained in: CASL guide · CASL unsubscribe requirements The footer checker does not check whether requests are honoured. | Not asked | |
| Be able to prove consent — whoever relies on consent carries the onus of proving it. | Guidance | Explained in: Express vs. implied consent The product does not store consent records today. | Not asked | |
| Do not alter the transmission data of an electronic message so it goes somewhere other than, or in addition to, where the sender intended, without express consent. | Not covered | — | Not asked | |
| Do not install a computer program on another person's computer system in the course of commercial activity without express consent. | Not covered | — | Not asked |
Guides to CASL
Plain-language explainers on CASL, each citing the statute or regulator guidance it draws on.
- What is CASL? Canada's Anti-Spam Law, ExplainedWhat CASL is and when it applies: which messages count as commercial electronic messages, what consent you need, and what every message must contain.
- CASL Express vs Implied Consent: Complete Guide with ExamplesExpress vs implied consent under CASL: how each is obtained, the 2-year and 6-month expiry clocks, and what records you need to prove consent.
- CASL Unsubscribe Requirements: Build a Compliant Opt-Out MechanismWhat CASL section 6 requires in every message: a working unsubscribe that stays valid 60 days, sender identification and a mailing address.
- Double Opt-In and CASL: Is It Required for Canadian Email Marketing?Is double opt-in required under CASL? Not legally — but it provides the strongest CASL consent evidence.
- CASL Exemptions: When You Don't Need Consent to Email in CanadaNot every commercial electronic message needs CASL consent. The full exemption list: transactional messages, B2B exceptions, family and more.
- CASL Compliance for B2B Companies: Cold Email Rules in Canada 2026Can you legally cold email in Canada? CASL B2B exemptions, the conspicuous-publication rule, and how to build outbound sequences that stay onside.
- How to Audit Your Email List for CASL Compliance in 2026Audit your email list against CASL step by step: find contacts without valid consent, document what you have, and clean the list before you send.
- CASL Compliance for Email Marketing: Consent, Unsubscribe and Penalty Rules for Canadian BusinessesHow CASL is enforced and what it can cost: the consent, identification and unsubscribe rules, the common failures, and how to audit your email.