Spectora now gives you better control over your email compliance with two email types: Transactional and Marketing. This helps ensure your critical emails—like inspection confirmations and report notifications—always reach your clients' inboxes, while your promotional emails get the proper formatting they need to stay out of spam folders. The result? More reliable communication with your clients and better email performance overall.
What are Email Types?
When creating or editing automated emails in Spectora, you can choose between two email types:
Transactional: Emails related to inspection confirmations, report delivery, appointment reminders, and payment notifications
Marketing: Emails containing newsletters, promotions, tips, or service upsells
🔴 By default, all automation emails are set to Transactional.
Why does this matter?
Email service providers monitor spam reports, and excessive reports can impact your ability to send emails. The CAN-SPAM Act legally requires different handling for transactional versus marketing emails, and Spectora provides the tools to meet these requirements.
Most inspection-related emails are transactional by nature, which is why all automations default to Transactional. However, if you have automations that promote additional services (like radon or mold testing upsells), share newsletters, or request reviews, you should update those to Marketing type. When you classify an email as Marketing, Spectora automatically adds the required unsubscribe options, sender address, and compliance disclosures.
When to use each type
Transactional emails work exactly as they always have - no changes needed.
Use Transactional for:
Inspection confirmations
Report delivery notifications
Appointment reminders
Payment reminders
Agreement notifications
Cancellation/rescheduling confirmations
Marketing emails automatically include:
A message at the top: "This message is a commercial advertisement and solicitation. If you'd like to unsubscribe and stop receiving these emails Click here."
Your business address at the bottom of the email
An unsubscribe link in the footer
Use Marketing for:
Service upsells (radon, mold testing, etc.)
Educational content about home maintenance
Seasonal tips and advice
Promotional offers
Newsletters
Review requests
💡 Pro-tip: If an email is directly related to an inspection the client already scheduled, it's typically transactional. If it's promoting additional services or providing general information, it's marketing.
How to set Email Type
In Base Automations
In Base Automations
Click on the Automations tab from your Dashboard
Select the automation you want to edit
Look for the Email Type dropdown near the top of the email settings
Select either Transactional or Marketing
Save your changes
In Advanced Automations
In Advanced Automations
Navigate to Automations (Adv) from your navigation bar
Create a new automation or edit an existing one
In the Email Settings section, find the Email Type dropdown
Select either Transactional or Marketing
Save your automation
When Creating Manual Emails
When Creating Manual Emails
When using the Share Details button (base) or creating manual emails (Advanced), you'll see the Email Type dropdown at the top of the compose window.
Managing unsubscribes
How unsubscribes work
When a recipient unsubscribes from your marketing emails, they will only be unsubscribed from future marketing emails from your company. They will continue to receive:
Transactional emails from your company (inspection confirmations, report delivery, etc.)
Marketing emails from other inspection companies they've worked with
When recipients click the unsubscribe link in a marketing email, they'll see a page like this where they can manage their email preferences:
Viewing unsubscribe status
You can check if a recipient has unsubscribed by viewing the email log towards the bottom of the Inspection Details page on the related inspection. The log will show that future marketing emails will not be sent to that recipient.
Resubscribing
If a recipient wants to start receiving your marketing emails again, they have two options:
Click any "click here" link in any past marketing email from your company
Recipients can find the unsubscribe/resubscribe link at the top and bottom of any marketing email they've received from you:
This will take them to the Email Preferences page where they can resubscribe:
Or they can contact our support team, and we can send them a resubscribe link
How unsubscribes affect email delivery
Multiple recipients in "To" field: If an automation has multiple recipients in the "To" section and one has unsubscribed, the email will still be sent to the other recipients who haven't unsubscribed.
Recipients in the "CC" field: If a recipient is in the "cc" section but the "To" recipient has unsubscribed, the entire email will not be sent - even to the cc'd recipient.
Updating your business address
Marketing emails automatically include your public business address for compliance. You can update your public business address in your Profile. The updated address will automatically appear in all future marketing emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you add CAN-SPAM features?
We added this feature to make it easier for you to send compliant marketing emails. When you mark an email as "Marketing," Spectora automatically adds the required unsubscribe options and compliance elements.
Do I need to update my existing automations?
All existing automations default to Transactional, which is correct for inspection confirmations, reminders, and report delivery. However, you should review your automations and change any upsell emails, newsletters, or promotional content to Marketing type. Common examples include ancillary service upsells, review requests, or service promotions.
What if I'm not sure which type to use?
When in doubt, ask yourself: "Is this email directly related to an inspection they already booked?" If yes, it's transactional. If it promotes additional services or shares general information, it’s considered marketing.
For more detailed guidance on the difference between transactional and marketing content—including emails that contain both types of content—check out the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide. If you're still unsure after reviewing the FTC guidance, you can classify the email as Marketing to ensure compliance.
Will this affect my current scheduled inspections?
Changes to email types only affect future emails. Emails already queued or sent are not impacted.
Can clients unsubscribe from transactional emails?
No. Transactional emails are necessary for the inspection process, so clients cannot opt out of them. They can only unsubscribe from marketing emails.
If you have any questions or feedback, write into our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
