Guides
Can I cold email info@ and other generic company addresses?
Yes in France, Ireland, Latvia, the UAE, Egypt and Qatar when the mailbox belongs to a company, in the UK when the business is a company, and in the US.
No in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, where a published or general contact address isn't consent. In Canada and Australia a published address only helps when your message is relevant to the role of the mailbox.
Checked on 7 November 2026
Check an address
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Country by country
France
Yes. The CNIL says generic addresses of legal persons (info@, contact@, commande@) aren't subject to the prospecting rules. Identify yourself and offer a way to object.
- CNIL, La prospection commerciale par courrier électronique (checked on 3 October 2026)
More: France guide
Ireland
Yes, until the company tells you to stop. A company's shared mailbox is a subscriber that is not a natural person, so the email is lawful until it objects.
- S.I. No. 336/2011 (Irish ePrivacy Regulations), Regulation 13(4) (checked on 17 October 2026)
More: Ireland guide
Latvia
Yes, at a registered company. The consent requirement is limited to natural persons.
- Information Society Services Law, section 9(6); Data State Inspectorate guidance on commercial communications (checked on 2 November 2026)
More: Latvia guide
United Arab Emirates
Yes, at a business identified as a company. The PDPL protects natural persons only, so a company's general mailbox is not personal data.
Egypt
Yes, at a business identified as a company. Egypt's law protects natural persons only, so a company's general mailbox is not personal data.
- Personal Data Protection Law (Law 151 of 2020), article 1 (definitions of Personal Data and Data Subject) (checked on 7 November 2026)
More: Egypt guide
Qatar
Yes, at a business identified as a company. Qatar's law protects natural persons, so a company's general mailbox is outside article 22.
- Personal Data Privacy Protection Law (Law 13 of 2016), article 1 (definitions of Individual and Personal Data) (checked on 7 November 2026)
More: Qatar guide
United Kingdom
It depends on who owns the business, not the mailbox name. A company, LLP, Scottish partnership or public body can be emailed without consent; a sole trader or most partnerships need consent.
- PECR 2003 regulation 22(1) and ICO Guide to PECR, electronic mail marketing (checked on 3 October 2026)
More: United Kingdom guide
United States
Yes. No prior consent is needed for commercial email, and CAN-SPAM's content and opt-out rules apply.
- FTC CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business (checked on 3 October 2026)
More: United States guide
Germany
No. A published address doesn't count as consent, and prior express consent is needed for businesses too.
- German Act against Unfair Competition (UWG), section 7(2) no. 2, English translation (checked on 3 October 2026)
More: Germany guide
Netherlands
No. A general contact address on a company website isn't consent. Only an address designated and published for receiving commercial offers qualifies.
- Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 3 onderdeel a (geldend van 15-08-2026) (checked on 17 October 2026)
More: Netherlands guide
Spain
No. The AEPD said in resolution E/01853/2015 that an address published on a website is not authorisation, and the LSSI applies to company addresses too.
- LSSI, article 21.1; AEPD resolution E/01853/2015 (checked on 2 November 2026)
More: Spain guide
Italy
No. The Garante says the consent rule covers legal persons, so a company address needs consent as well.
- Privacy Code (d.lgs. 196/2003), article 130(1) and (2); Garante guidelines of 4 July 2013, doc. web 2542348 (checked on 2 November 2026)
More: Italy guide
Australia
Only in a narrow case. A work address published conspicuously with the owner's agreement, without a no-marketing note, counts as consent if your message is relevant to the function or role of the mailbox. Publication alone is never consent.
- Spam Act 2003 (Cth), Schedule 2 clause 4(2) (consent inferred from publication of an electronic address), Compilation No. 10 (checked on 17 October 2026)
- ACMA, Statement of Expectations: Use of consent in telemarketing and e-marketing (June 2024) (checked on 17 October 2026)
More: Australia guide
Canada
Only in a narrow case. A conspicuously published address with no refusal gives implied consent when the message is relevant to the recipient's business, role, functions or duties.
- Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, sections 6, 10(9)(b) and 11 (checked on 3 October 2026)
- Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, section 6(1) (checked on 3 October 2026)
More: Canada guide
For developers
curl https://precleared.dev/api/v1/check \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pc_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"recipient_email": "jane@example.co.uk",
"sender_country": "GB",
"pitch": "Bookkeeping software for small firms",
"address_source": "published",
"company_number": "01234567",
"recipient_country": "GB"
}'Over MCP, call contact_check with the same fields at https://precleared.dev/mcp.
Common questions
Can I cold email info@ addresses in France?
Yes. The CNIL says generic company addresses aren't covered by the prospecting rules. Identify yourself and offer a way to object.
Is a contact address on a company website enough in the Netherlands?
No. It has to be designated and published for commercial offers, not just for general contact.
Does info@ change the answer in the UK?
No. In the UK the answer depends on whether the business is a company or a sole trader, so check its legal form.
Country guides
Other questions
Decision support with sources, not legal advice.