An AI disclosure statement for email is one short line that tells the reader an AI wrote or sent the message, and for whom. For an AI agent that emails people on its own, the European Commission's guidance on the EU AI Act says the agent should disclose two things: that it is an AI, and the person on whose behalf it acts. Its own example is an email from an AI agent with an AI label at the top. Below are 20 lines you can copy, grouped by situation, with where each one goes.
| Situation | Where the line goes | Legally needed? |
|---|---|---|
| An agent sends on your behalf, no human review | Top of the message, plus the signature | Generally yes in the EU, for the agent's provider |
| AI drafts, a person reviews and sends | Signature or footer, if anywhere | Generally no; a choice |
| AI SDR cold outreach | Top of the message, plus the signature | Generally yes in the EU; check sales and marketing rules too |
| AI support agent answering customers | First line of every reply | Generally yes in the EU; Utah safe harbor in the US |
| Internal mail between colleagues | Signature or footer | Usually a company policy question |
The examples below use fictional people and companies.
Where an AI disclosure line goes in an email
An email has three places a disclosure can sit, and each does a different job:
- A label at the top. The first line the reader sees, above the greeting. This is the European Commission's own example of disclosure "by visual means": "an email generated by an AI agent sent to a natural person that features an AI label at the top". Use it when an agent wrote and sent the message with no person in between.
- The signature. The block that says who the email comes from. The Commission's guidance says AI agents should disclose "both their artificial nature and the person on whose behalf they are acting", and the signature is where email already names the person, their role and their company. A line such as "AI assistant to Maya Okafor" carries both halves.
- The footer. The small print under the signature, set once for a whole company. It suits a standing policy line ("Some of our replies are drafted with AI") more than a per-message label.
The Commission's guidelines also recommend "persistent badges or labels" for interactions that last. In an email thread, a label on every AI-sent reply does that job, since each reply can be forwarded or read on its own.
When the law asks for a disclosure, and when it is good practice
This section is general information, not legal advice. How these rules apply to a particular email program is a question for a lawyer where you operate.
- EU AI Act, Article 50(1). Since 2 August 2026, providers of AI systems that interact directly with people must design them so people are told they are dealing with an AI, unless it is obvious. The Commission's guidelines count an agent's ability "to write and send messages to natural persons" as direct interaction, and name "managing correspondence" as an agent task in scope. They exclude AI assistance tools a person uses to write their own messages, while warning that "the mere possibility for humans to intervene or review" does not remove the duty. Our Article 50 email guide goes through who counts as a provider and what the Commission says about email.
- Utah. A business using generative AI with consumers must say it is AI if the person clearly asks, and licensed professionals must disclose up front in high-risk interactions. Utah's safe harbor protects a business whose AI discloses "at the outset" and "throughout the interaction".
- Everywhere else, and for human-reviewed mail. Most places have no general rule that an AI-drafted email must say so. A disclosure there is a trust and policy choice. The AI email disclosure guide covers the US, UK and EU side by side.
Rules that apply to every business email still apply when an AI sends it: a commercial email under CAN-SPAM needs a valid postal address and a way to opt out, and UK and EU company law asks for registered company details on business correspondence. Those usually live in the email footer, and an agent that sends through an API leaves them off unless it adds them.
AI disclosure lines when an agent sends on your behalf
For an agent that writes and sends without you reading each message: inbox assistants, scheduling agents, n8n or Zapier flows that reply on their own. Put one of these at the top of the message.
This email was written and sent by an AI assistant on behalf of [Name], [Role] at [Company].
AI assistant for [Name]: I'm an AI handling [Name]'s scheduling. Reply here and [Name] sees the thread.
Sent by [Name]'s AI assistant. [Name] reviews replies within one working day.
AI-generated: this message was sent automatically by an AI agent acting for [Company]. To reach a person, reply with 'human'.
Then make the signature carry the "on whose behalf" half:
Ava, AI assistant to Maya Okafor | Head of Operations, Northwind Supply | maya@northwind.example
AI disclaimer lines for AI-drafted, human-reviewed email
For mail an AI drafts and a person reads, edits and sends as their own. The Commission's guidelines treat AI output "properly reviewed and sent by humans as the main interlocutors" differently from an agent's own messages, so a line here is usually a choice. When you make it, a signature or footer line reads as a policy rather than a warning.
Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by me before sending.
I use AI to help draft some emails. I read and stand behind every one.
AI helped draft this email; a real person reviews all messages before they are sent.
Parts of this message were drafted with [Tool]. Questions? Reply and I'll answer myself.
AI disclosure statements for AI SDR and cold outreach
For AI sales agents that research, write and send outreach. Buyers say the problem is pretense. A Reddit post in r/b2b_sales put it as "AI SDRs aren't human and they shouldn't pretend to be", and an IT procurement buyer in r/SaaS wrote "We are now auto-blocking 'AI Sales Agents'". A plain label up front, with a named person behind it, answers both.
Quick note: I'm an AI sales assistant for [Company], writing on behalf of [Name]. If this is useful, [Name] will take it from here.
Written by [Company]'s AI assistant for [Name], [Role]. Not interested? Reply 'no' and we won't email again.
[Name]'s AI assistant here. I found you through [source] and thought [specific reason] might fit.
AI-assisted outreach from [Company]. A person reads every reply.
AI disclosure lines for customer support agents
For AI agents that answer customer email. The first line of each reply is the place, so a customer who reads only one message still knows.
You're emailing with [Company]'s AI support assistant. Reply 'agent' at any time to reach a person.
Hi, I'm [Bot name], an AI assistant on the [Company] support team. Here's what I found:
This reply was written by our AI assistant. If it didn't solve your problem, reply and a member of our team will pick it up.
Automated AI reply from [Company] Support. A person reviews this ticket if you reply.
AI disclosure lines for internal email
For agents that post summaries, reminders and reports to colleagues. Internal mail is usually covered by company policy, so these are short.
Summary generated by AI from [source]. Check the original before acting on it.
Sent by the [Team] AI assistant. Owner: [Name].
AI-drafted for [Name]. Reply to reach [Name] directly.
How to write an AI disclosure statement
Four rules cover most cases:
- Say what the AI did. "Written and sent by", "drafted with" and "summary generated by" describe different things. Pick the one that is true.
- Name the person or company behind it. A name gives the reader someone to hold to account.
- Give a way to reach a person. "Reply 'human'" or a named contact tells the reader what to do next.
- Keep it to one line. A label at the top is read; a paragraph in the footer is skimmed.
Put the AI disclosure line in your email signature with Signatoro
Signatoro gives AI agents the same signature people use, fetched when they send. An agent connects through Signatoro's MCP server or the signature API, fetches the current signature with each email, and appends it. Two parts of Signatoro carry a disclosure line:
- The agent's own signature. On a Company plan, each agent can be its own person in Signatoro, with its own name and title. A title such as "AI assistant to Maya Okafor" puts the AI half and the "on whose behalf" half in every signature the agent fetches.
- The compliance footnote. On the larger Company plans, the owner writes one footnote that is appended after every member's signature, agents and people alike, and only the owner can change it. Since it reaches everyone, it suits a company-wide line such as "Some replies from our team are drafted or sent with AI assistance."
The label at the top is part of the message body, so the agent writes it, from its instructions or a fixed template in your workflow. The agent setup guides show where the signature goes for Claude, ChatGPT, n8n, Zapier and Make.
One signature for your team and your AI agents
Give each agent its own signature with its own title, add a company footnote, and every email they send carries the current version.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good AI disclosure statement for email?
A good AI disclosure statement says what the AI did, names the person or company it acted for, and offers a way to reach a person, in one line. For example: "This email was written and sent by an AI assistant on behalf of Maya Okafor, Head of Operations at Northwind Supply." For AI-drafted mail a person reviews, "Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by me before sending" is enough.
Do I have to disclose that an email was written by AI?
It depends on who sends it and where. In the EU, the Commission's guidelines on Article 50 of the AI Act say AI agents that write and send messages to people should disclose that they are AI and on whose behalf they act, while a person using AI to help write their own email is generally outside that duty. Most other places have no general rule for AI-drafted email. See the AI email disclosure guide for the details.
Should the AI disclaimer go in the email signature?
The signature is a good home for the "on whose behalf" part: the name, role and company of the person the AI acts for. For an agent that sends on its own, the European Commission's example puts an AI label at the top of the email, so use both: a label at the top and a signature that names the person.
What is an example of an AI disclaimer for customer service email?
"This reply was written by our AI assistant. If it didn't solve your problem, reply and a member of our team will pick it up." Put it at the top of each AI-written reply, so a customer who reads only one message still knows.
Does an AI disclosure line hurt reply rates?
Published research on this for email is thin. Buyers in sales forums complain most about AI that pretends to be a person, so test a short, specific label against your current emails and measure the replies.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-07:
- European Commission: Guidelines on the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the AI Act, C(2026) 5054, 20 July 2026, paragraphs 30, 31, 36 and 37
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), Article 50
- Utah Legislature: S.B. 226 (2025), Utah Code 13-75-103 and 13-75-104
- Cornell LII: 15 U.S. Code 7704 (CAN-SPAM)
- Reddit r/b2b_sales: AI SDRs aren't human and they shouldn't pretend to be
- Reddit r/SaaS: I'm in IT Procurement. We are now auto-blocking "AI Sales Agents"