The email footer is the small block at the bottom of a message, and it does a lot of quiet work. It tells readers who is writing, how to opt out and where you are. In a marketing message it also carries obligations that many countries expect. In a business email signature it is a calling card. This guide covers what to put in an email footer for newsletters and campaigns, what to put in a personal or company email signature, examples you can adapt, design rules that keep it readable, and the mistakes that lead to spam complaints.
Two kinds of email footer
People use the word for two different things, and they have different goals.
- A marketing or newsletter footer sits under a campaign or a bulk message. It is mostly about trust and compliance.
- An email signature sits under an individual's message. It is mostly about identity and contact details.
Transactional messages, such as receipts and password resets, usually carry a lighter footer with the company name and a help link. See what transactional email is for how they differ from marketing mail.
What to include in a marketing email footer
- Who you are. Your company name, in the same form as in the From line, so the reader recognises you.
- Why they are receiving it. A reminder such as "You are receiving this because you signed up at [site] on [date]" reduces spam complaints, because it answers the question "why me?".
- A working unsubscribe link, easy to see and not hidden in a tiny grey font. See one-click unsubscribe and the List-Unsubscribe header to add the built-in unsubscribe option that mail apps show.
- A physical postal address. Rules such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States expect a valid postal address in commercial email. Other countries have their own rules on identifying the sender and on consent. Check the law that applies to you. This guide is not legal advice.
- A way to manage preferences, if you send more than one kind of message, so that a reader can choose fewer emails in place of none.
- A link to your privacy policy.
- A way to contact you, such as a support address that someone reads. See our guide on the no-reply email address for why replies matter.
Optional extras include links to social profiles, a short line about your company and an "add us to your address book" prompt. Add them only if they help. A footer crowded with icons draws attention from the unsubscribe link and the address, which are the parts that matter.
Marketing email footer examples
Replace the details in square brackets with your own.
Minimal footer
You are receiving this email because you subscribed at [website]. [Company name], [street address, city, postal code, country]. Unsubscribe | Manage preferences | Privacy policy
Footer with a reminder of consent
You signed up for [newsletter name] on [date] using [email address]. If this was not you, or you no longer want to hear from us, you can unsubscribe at any time. [Company name], [postal address]. Questions? Write to [support address].
Footer for a store
You are getting this because you bought from [store name] or joined our list. See our returns policy and privacy policy. Choose which emails you receive in your preferences or unsubscribe. [Company name], [postal address].
Email signature: what to include
A business signature should be useful and short. Four to six lines are enough.
- Your full name
- Your job title and company name
- One phone number, if people will call you
- Your website address
- An optional link to a booking page or a profile you keep current
Business signature example
[Your name]
[Job title], [Company name]
[Phone number] | [website]
Company disclaimers
Some organisations add a confidentiality or legal notice under every message. Whether you need one depends on your industry and your lawyers, and long disclaimers add little weight in practice. If you must have one, keep it as short as your legal advisers permit and put it below the signature. A long block at the bottom of every reply makes threads heavy to read.
Design rules for a readable footer
- Keep the text readable. Very small, pale text is hard to read and looks like an attempt to hide the unsubscribe link. Use enough contrast.
- Use text for the important parts. The address and the unsubscribe link must work when images are blocked. Do not put them only inside an image.
- Test on a phone. Links need space around them so that a thumb can tap the right one.
- Check dark mode. Logos with a white background can look broken on a dark theme. Use a transparent logo.
- Avoid a heavy image signature. Large images slow the message down, and some mail apps show them as attachments. Keep the file size low and add alt text. See email size limits for why weight matters.
- Message clipping. Some mail apps cut off long HTML, and the footer, with the unsubscribe link, is at the end. Keep the whole message light so that the footer is not clipped.
- Include a plain-text version with the same footer content.
Mistakes that cause complaints and filtering
- Hiding or removing the unsubscribe link. Readers who cannot unsubscribe press the spam button, and complaints harm your reputation.
- A broken or slow unsubscribe. Honour requests quickly, and check that the link works every time you change the template.
- A false or missing sender identity. The company name and the From line should match.
- Using a purchased list. Even a perfect footer cannot fix a lack of consent.
- An address that does not receive replies, with no other contact route.
- A footer that never changes, although your address, name or policy has.
Putting the footer in your sending setup
If you send campaigns through a platform, the footer is usually a locked block of the template, so every message includes the unsubscribe link and address. If you send through code or an SMTP relay, add the footer in your template and add the List-Unsubscribe header at the same time. Our email templates let you keep the footer in one place so that every message uses the current version, and the marketing solution page shows how campaign sending fits together. Remember that footers help trust but do not replace good practice: authenticate your domain and keep your list clean.
Why the footer is worth the effort
Readers rarely praise a footer, yet they judge a sender by it. A clear identity, an honest reason for the message and an unsubscribe link that works make a person more willing to stay on your list, and a person who can leave easily is less likely to report you. Review the footer whenever your company address, name or privacy policy changes, and again each time you edit the template.
Footer checklist
- Company name that matches the From line
- A reason for the message
- A visible unsubscribe link that works
- A valid postal address
- Preferences and privacy links
- A contact route that a person reads
- A plain-text copy and a phone and dark mode test
Keep every footer current Edit your footer once in a template and use it in every message you send.
References and further reading
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a marketing email footer?
Your company name, why the person is receiving the email, a working unsubscribe link, a valid postal address, preference and privacy links and a contact route that a person reads.
Do I need a physical address in my email footer?
Laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States expect a valid postal address in commercial email. Other countries have their own rules, so check the ones that apply to you.
What is the difference between a footer and a signature?
A footer sits under a campaign and carries trust and compliance details. A signature sits under an individual message and carries a person's name, role and contact details.
Should the unsubscribe link be small and grey?
No. Hiding it drives spam complaints. Keep it readable with enough contrast, as text and not only as an image.
How long should an email signature be?
Four to six lines are enough: name, role and company, one phone number and a website. Avoid long disclaimers and heavy images.