The Marketing Compliance Checklist

Nine rule sets to check before a campaign, email or AI feature goes live, each with the regulator's own page. Orientation, not legal advice. Free Word template.

Word document · Free

What this resource helps you do

Nine rule sets to check before a campaign, email sequence or AI feature goes live, from CAN-SPAM and Gmail's sender rules to FTC endorsements and EU AI Act disclosure, each with the regulator's own page.

Get the checklist from AAJ's free marketing templates library.

What the Marketing Compliance Checklist does

The Marketing Compliance Checklist helps you check a campaign, email sequence or AI feature before it goes live. It covers nine rule sets, from CAN-SPAM and Gmail’s sender rules to FTC endorsements and EU AI Act disclosure, with the regulator’s own page for each. It is orientation, not legal advice.

What is inside

Nine rule sets: commercial email (CAN-SPAM); email delivery (Gmail and Yahoo); consent for cookies and email (EU and UK); California privacy (CCPA); endorsements and creators; reviews and testimonials; claims and proof; AI claims and AI disclosure; selling to schools or health care (COPPA, FERPA, HIPAA).
A keep-on-file table (AAJ practice) and 23 numbered sources, each checked on 11 October 2026.
It is orientation, not legal advice: whether a rule applies, and what happens if you miss it, is for your counsel.

How to use it

Pick the campaign, sequence or feature. Answer each row yes or no for what you are about to launch.
Read the source behind any row you are unsure about. The bracketed numbers point to the regulator's own page.
Treat a no as a stop. Fix it, or take it to counsel before launch.
Fill in the keep-on-file table. Where each record lives and the date.
Re-read the sources before you rely on the page again. Rules change.

Who it is for

Founders and marketers at seed to Series B startups who ship campaigns, email and AI features without an in-house lawyer, in B2B SaaS, AI products, EdTech and MedTech. It helps you spot what to fix and what to take to counsel. It does not decide whether you comply.

The worked example uses Example Co., a fictional company; its figures are illustrative. The template is free in exchange for an email address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this checklist legal advice?

No. It is AAJ's summary for orientation, with the regulator's own page for every rule so you can read the source rather than my summary. Whether a rule applies to you, and what happens if you miss it, is for your counsel.

Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B email?

The FTC says the law makes no exception for business-to-business email. Every commercial email needs accurate headers and subject lines, a valid postal address and a clear way to opt out, and opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days. Messages whose primary purpose is transactional are exempt from most provisions.

Does the CCPA apply to my startup?

Only if you meet a threshold. The California Privacy Protection Agency lists three: gross annual revenue of $26.625 million or more for the preceding calendar year (effective 1 January 2025), buying, selling or sharing the personal information of 100,000 or more California residents or households, or deriving 50% or more of annual revenue from selling or sharing it. The checklist quotes the agency's wording; check it with counsel.

Do AI claims need proof?

Yes, the same proof as any other claim. Announcing Operation AI Comply in September 2024, the FTC's Chair said there is no AI exemption from the laws on the books. For the EU, the European Commission says the AI Act's transparency obligations apply from 2 August 2026.

What does the checklist cover for EdTech and MedTech?

Pointers only: COPPA, FERPA and HIPAA, each with the regulator's own page and the instruction to ask counsel whether they apply to you.

Is the checklist free, and what format is it?

Free, in exchange for an email address. It is a three-page Word .docx that opens in Word, Google Docs and Pages.