# Email marketing and newsletters: coming soon to Pilotiko

> Newsletters and marketing email in Pilotiko: consent and unsubscribe rules are built; real sending and sequences are still to come. CASL explained plainly.

Updated on October 15, 2026 · https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/email-marketing

Pilotiko's email marketing is coming soon. The safeguards exist: a marketing send is refused without consent or an unsubscribe link, and an unsubscribe takes effect at once. But no marketing email has been sent yet, there is no newsletter editor and no sequence, and none of it is included in any plan.

## In short
- Status: coming soon. Pilotiko has not sent any real marketing email.
- Built: sends refused without consent or an https unsubscribe link, one-click unsubscribe, a suppression list.
- Missing: newsletter editor, lists and segments, automated sequences, a record of consent type and date.
- CASL requires consent, sender identification and unsubscribes honoured within 10 business days.

## What does CASL require before you send a newsletter?

Three things: the recipient's consent, a message that clearly identifies the sender, and a free way to unsubscribe that is honoured quickly.

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation targets commercial electronic messages, meaning messages that encourage participation in a commercial activity, and it covers text messages too [3]. Sending one to an electronic address without the recipient's express or implied consent is prohibited (s. 6(1)) [1].

The message must identify who sent it and on whose behalf, give a way to reach them and describe an unsubscribe mechanism (s. 6(2)). That contact information must stay valid for at least 60 days after the message is sent (s. 6(3)) [1].

The unsubscribe mechanism must be free, use the same electronic means or another practical one, and give an email address or web page. The request must be honoured without delay and no later than 10 business days after it is sent (s. 11) [2].

## When is implied consent enough?

The Act recognizes implied consent when there is an existing business relationship. That covers a purchase or lease from you in the two years before the message, or an inquiry made in the six months before it (s. 10(10)) [2]. Past those windows, you need express consent.

| Situation | Type of consent | Window set by the Act |
|---|---|---|
| Person subscribed to your newsletter | Express | Until consent is withdrawn |
| Purchase or lease from you | Implied (existing business relationship) | Two years before the send date |
| Inquiry or quote request | Implied (existing business relationship) | Six months before the send date |
| Address found online, no relationship with you | None by default | Do not send commercial messages |

Simplified summary of s. 6(1) and s. 10(10); read the Act or ask an adviser for a specific case.

## What has Pilotiko already built?

The sending module applies strict rules to the marketing stream. A message is refused when consent is not confirmed or when it lacks an https unsubscribe link. It is also refused while the sending account is still in test mode. An address that unsubscribed, bounced or complained is never written to again.

Unsubscribing takes one click through a signed link and a confirmation page, and it takes effect immediately, well inside the 10-business-day maximum. The sending health score also flags a missing postal address or sender name, both required by CASL. It is a warning only: sending is not blocked.

| Piece | Status |
|---|---|
| Send refused without consent or unsubscribe link | Built, tested in simulation |
| One-click unsubscribe, immediate effect | Built, tested in simulation |
| Permanent suppression after bounce or complaint | Built, tested in simulation |
| Default cap of 500 marketing emails per 24 hours | Built, tested in simulation |
| Real sending through the provider | Not exercised yet: nothing goes out |
| Newsletter editor, lists, segments | Missing |
| Automated drip sequences | Missing |
| Record of consent type, date and expiry | Missing |

> Email marketing is not offered today and is not part of any plan. The sending provider has never been exercised with real credentials, so no marketing email has gone out. No date has been set.

## How do you send a compliant newsletter today without Pilotiko?

1. **Sort your list** — For each address, note where consent came from: sign-up, purchase (under two years) or inquiry (under six months). Remove addresses with no basis.
2. **Pick a newsletter tool** — Choose one that handles unsubscribes automatically and keeps proof of sign-up.
3. **Identify yourself in every send** — Business name, mailing address, a way to reach you and the unsubscribe link, valid for 60 days after sending.
4. **Process unsubscribes fast** — Ten business days at most; same-day processing avoids slip-ups.
5. **Draft the content in Pilotiko** — [Content drafting](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/content), which is available, prepares email copy from your verified facts; you paste it into your tool.

## How many addresses survive the clean-up?

**Example: a Kelowna aesthetics clinic with 1,200 addresses**

Hypothetical figures showing the sort before a first send.

- Addresses in the customer file : 1,200
- Newsletter subscribers (express consent) : 310
- Customers who bought in the last two years, not subscribed : 540
- Inquiries in the last six months : 45
- No consent basis : 305
- **= 895 usable addresses today; 540 of them lose their implied basis if there is no new purchase within two years.**

## What will Pilotiko build for email marketing?

Three blocks remain: connect and verify the real sending provider, keep a consent register with type and expiry, then offer a newsletter editor with human approval before every send, as with [content](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/content). No automated sequence will run without that approval.

Quebec adds its own layer: its private-sector privacy act requires consent that is clear, free and informed, for specific purposes [4]. For messages that follow a booking, see [confirmations and reminders](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/confirmations-and-reminders), which are transactional. Cold [prospecting](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/prospecting) is a separate topic, also coming soon. Everything is on the [roadmap](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/roadmap).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Pilotiko send newsletters?

Not yet. Consent and unsubscribe rules are built, but the sending provider has never been exercised with real credentials. No marketing email has gone out.

### Is email marketing included in a plan?

No. It is a coming-soon capability and is not included in any plan. You can join the waiting list by booking a demo.

### How long do I have to process an unsubscribe?

CASL sets a maximum of 10 business days after the request (s. 11). In Pilotiko, an unsubscribe takes effect immediately.

### Can a past customer receive my newsletter?

Yes, under implied consent, if the purchase or lease happened within two years before the send. After that, you need express consent.

### What must every commercial email include?

The sender's identity, a way to reach them and an unsubscribe mechanism. That contact information must remain valid for at least 60 days after sending.

### Can Pilotiko help right now?

Yes, with the copy: content drafting, which is available, prepares an email from your verified facts with your approval. You then send it from your own newsletter tool.

## Sources

1. Justice Canada, Justice Laws, « Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, section 6 (prescribed message content) », https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/page-1.html (accessed on 2026-10-15)
2. Justice Canada, Justice Laws, « Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23), sections 10 to 11 », https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/page-2.html (accessed on 2026-10-15)
3. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, « Canada's anti-spam legislation », https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canada-anti-spam-legislation/en (accessed on 2026-10-15)
4. LégisQuébec, « Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (CQLR, c. P-39.1) », https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/P-39.1 (accessed on 2026-10-15)