The rules

This address or domain is on your suppression list: someone asked you not to email them, or you chose not to. A request to stop must be honoured whatever the country.

Next step: Do not email. Leave the address on the suppression list.

the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications

The address is not a valid email address, so there is nothing lawful or deliverable to send to.

Next step: Correct the address and check again, or drop the lead.

Internal syntax check; no legal source applies to a malformed address.

The domain is a disposable or temporary mailbox provider, so this is not a business contact and the message would not reach a business.

Next step: Drop the lead.

Internal list check; no legal source applies.

The domain has no mail server record, so the address probably cannot receive email. The legal position was not assessed because the message would not arrive.

Next step: Check the domain is spelt correctly. If it is, drop the lead.

Internal deliverability check; no legal source applies.

The soft opt-in: you obtained the address in the course of a sale or negotiations for a sale, you are marketing your own similar products or services, and the person was given a simple way to refuse when the details were collected and in every message. All three must hold.

Footer: Give a simple, free way to refuse in this and every message, identify yourself, and include a valid postal address.

Next step: Send only if all three soft opt-in conditions are true. If any is doubtful, treat as consent needed.

Regulation 22(3): "(a) that person has obtained the contact details ... in the course of the sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service"; "(b) the direct marketing is in respect of that person's similar products and services only"; "(c) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for transmission costs)".

A company matched the number found, but Companies House shows it is not active (dissolved, in liquidation or similar). The business behind the website may now be trading as someone else, so the corporate subscriber exemption cannot be relied on.

Next step: Check who runs the site now. If it is a different company, pass its number and check again; if there is no company, treat as consent needed.

"You can email or text any corporate body (a company, Scottish partnership, limited liability partnership or government body)."

Under PECR the consent rule for marketing email applies to individual subscribers only. This recipient is a corporate subscriber (a company, LLP, Scottish partnership or public body), so no prior consent is needed. Where the address names a person, UK GDPR still applies to their name: rely on legitimate interests, say who you are, and make it easy to object.

Footer: Say who you are and who the email is from, include a valid postal address, and give a simple free way to stop further emails (PECR regulation 23). Never disguise the sender.

Next step: Send. Log the receipt against the lead.

Regulation 22(1): "This regulation applies to the transmission of unsolicited communications by means of electronic mail to individual subscribers." ICO: "You can email or text any corporate body (a company, Scottish partnership, limited liability partnership or government body)." ICO: "You may also need to consider data protection implications if you are emailing employees at a corporate body who have personal corporate email addresses".

The recipient is a sole trader or a partnership in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. PECR treats them as individual subscribers, so unsolicited marketing email needs their prior consent, or the soft opt-in for existing customers.

Next step: Do not cold email. Use a route they offer, such as their contact form, or obtain consent first.

Regulation 22(2): a person shall not transmit unsolicited direct marketing by electronic mail to an individual subscriber unless "the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications". ICO: "Sole traders and some partnerships are treated as individuals – so you can only email or text them if they have specifically consented".

No company could be matched for this UK recipient, so the safe reading is that they may be a sole trader, an individual subscriber under PECR, and consent is needed. The ICO fine ceiling for PECR breaches is £17.5m or 4% of worldwide turnover for conduct after 5 February 2026.

Next step: Look for a company number on the site's terms, contact or policy pages, or at Companies House, and pass it to change the verdict. Otherwise do not cold email.

Regulation 22(1) applies to "individual subscribers"; the legislation.gov.uk page notes amendments in force from 5 February 2026 under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

The UWG allows email advertising to an existing customer only if you obtained the address in connection with a sale, you advertise your own similar goods or services, the customer has not objected, and the customer is clearly told at collection and in every message that they can object.

Footer: Tell the customer clearly in every message that they can object at any time at no cost beyond basic transmission costs; identify yourself.

Next step: Send only if all four conditions hold; otherwise treat as blocked.

Section 7(3): "the entrepreneur has obtained from the customer the latter's electronic mail address in connection with the sale of goods or services"; "the entrepreneur uses the address for direct advertising of his or her own similar goods or services"; "the customer has not objected to this use"; "the customer is clearly and unequivocally advised, when the address is collected and each time it is used" of the right to object.

Germany requires the addressee's prior express consent for advertising by electronic mail, for businesses as well as individuals. A published address does not count as consent. Competitors and associations can enforce this with warning letters and costs.

Next step: Do not email. Seek consent through a route the recipient offers, or move the lead to another channel.

Section 7(2) no. 2: an unacceptable nuisance is always to be assumed in the case of "advertising using an automated calling machine, a fax machine or electronic mail without the addressee's prior express consent". Translation current to 6 May 2024.

US law does not require prior consent for commercial email, including business to business. CAN-SPAM governs the content and the opt-out: truthful headers and subject line, identified as an advertisement, a valid physical postal address, a working opt-out honoured within 10 business days, and no exception for business-to-business email.

Footer: Truthful From and subject line; make clear it is a commercial message; include your valid physical postal address; give a clear opt-out that works for at least 30 days and honour it within 10 business days. California and Washington add their own rules against misleading subject lines and headers.

Next step: Send. Log the receipt against the lead. Keep the opt-out working.

"The law makes no exception for business-to-business email." Requirements: "Don't use false or misleading header information." "Don't use deceptive subject lines." "Identify the message as an ad." "Tell recipients where you're located. Your message must include your valid physical postal address." "Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future marketing email from you." "Honor opt-out requests promptly. Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your message. You must honor a recipient's opt-out request within 10 business days." Penalty: "Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $53,088."

CASL allows the message on implied consent: the recipient conspicuously published the address, the publication carried no statement refusing unsolicited commercial messages, and the message is relevant to their business, role, functions or duties. The sender carries the burden of proving this, so keep the receipt and the page where the address was published.

Footer: Identify the sender and anyone on whose behalf the message is sent, give contact information, and include an unsubscribe that works by the same means, stays valid for at least 60 days and is honoured within 10 business days.

Next step: Send, keep the receipt and the URL where the address was published. Confidence is medium because relevance is the caller's assertion.

Section 10(9)(b): "the person to whom the message is sent has conspicuously published, or has caused to be conspicuously published, the electronic address to which the message is sent, the publication is not accompanied by a statement that the person does not wish to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages at the electronic address and the message is relevant to the person's business, role, functions or duties in a business or official capacity". Section 11(2): the unsubscribe address or page must be "valid for a minimum of 60 days after the message has been sent". Section 11(3): give effect "no later than 10 business days after the indication has been sent".

CASL prohibits sending a commercial electronic message without express or implied consent. Without a conspicuously published address and a relevant pitch, or an existing business relationship, consent is needed.

Next step: Do not cold email. Find a published address with no refusal statement and a relevant pitch, or obtain express consent.

Section 6(1): "It is prohibited to send or cause or permit to be sent to an electronic address a commercial electronic message unless (a) the person to whom the message is sent has consented to receiving it, whether the consent is express or implied; and (b) the message complies with subsection (2)."

The CNIL states that generic addresses of legal persons (info@, contact@, commande@) are not subject to the prospecting rules for personal data. Identify yourself and offer a way to object.

Footer: Identify the sender and give a simple way to object or unsubscribe in every message.

Next step: Send. Log the receipt against the lead.

"Les adresses génériques de type info[@]nomsociete.fr, contact[@]nomsociete.fr ou commande[@]nomsociete.fr, qui concernent de personnes morales, ne sont pas soumises aux principes rappelés ci-dessus." Page dated 10 June 2026.

In France, prospecting a professional at a named work address may rest on legitimate interest when the subject of the message relates to the recipient's profession, provided the person was informed their address could be used for prospecting and can object.

Footer: State who you are, say why the message relates to their role, and give a simple way to object in every message.

Next step: Send only if the pitch relates to the recipient's profession. Confidence is medium because relevance is the caller's assertion.

"La prospection à l'égard de professionnels peut être fondée sur l'intérêt légitime de l'organisme lorsque l'objet de la sollicitation est en rapport avec la profession de la personne démarchée"; "il faut s'assurer que la personne concernée a été informée de la possible utilisation de son adresse électronique ... pour de la prospection et est en mesure de s'y opposer." Page dated 10 June 2026.

Outside the two business cases above, electronic prospecting in France requires the recipient's prior consent.

Next step: Do not cold email. Use a generic company address, a relevant pitch to a named professional, or obtain consent.

"la publicité par voie électronique ... est possible à condition que les personnes aient donné leur consentement avant d'être démarchées." Page dated 10 June 2026.

This country is in Europe and its rules for business email are not yet in the table at row level. Most European countries require prior consent for marketing email even to businesses; Ireland and Finland allow role-relevant business email. Treat as consent needed until the country's row is added.

Next step: Do not cold email until this country's rules are added to the table, or obtain consent.

Article 13(1) of Directive 2002/58/EC requires prior consent for unsolicited electronic mail for direct marketing to subscribers who are natural persons; Article 13(5) leaves the position of legal persons to member states. National rows to follow.

The recipient's country could not be determined from the caller, the domain or Companies House, so no rule can be applied.

Next step: Pass recipient_country, or a company number, and check again. Until then treat as consent needed.

No legal source applies until the country is known.