Google & Yahoo Are Changing Email Requirements
According to Google, by February 2024, Gmail will start to require that bulk senders—or those who send more than 5,000 messages to Gmail addresses in one day—comply with three email requirements to limit spam and keep inboxes safe. However, Google is not the only company taking steps to keep inboxes safe. Yahoo has also reported that they will enforce these requirements as well.
Do you send out email campaigns from a Gmail or Yahoo email address? Here’s an outline of the new requirements that went into effect as of February 2024.
Authenticate Your Email Domain
The new guidelines require the implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on your domain for bulk email senders. These protocols are designed to strengthen proven ownership of email domains and establish you as an authorized sender. Below are the protocols in more detail:
- SPF: This protocol validates emails by verifying that they are sent from authorized domains
- DKIM: This adds a digital signature to each email, ensuring its authenticity and that it hasn’t been tampered with during transmission.
- DMARC: This policy framework utilizes SPF and DKIM to provide a comprehensive email authentication approach, reporting discrepancies and non-compliance.
Enable One-Click Unsubscribe
Google and Yahoo are requiring that large senders give recipients the ability to unsubscribe from commercial email in one click and that they process unsubscribe requests within two days. Most email platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, etc. have this ability built in, but be sure to check with your provider if you are unsure or need guidance.
Stay Under the Spam Rate Threshold
The Spam Rate refers to how often your emails are marked as spam by recipients. Maintaining a spam complaint rate below 0.1% and avoiding the high-risk threshold of 0.3% is key for deliverability. This change aims to reduce the volume of unwanted or irrelevant emails reaching users and enhance the overall quality of email communication.
How to Ensure You Meet the Bulk Email Requirements
Our “experts in awesome” at Tayloe/Gray have put together some best practices to ensure your emails are safe and are delivered to the user’s inbox rather than to spam.
Follow these tips and you’ll have your email campaigns set up for success!
- Monitor spam complaint rates to ensure they stay below the 0.1% threshold set by Google and Yahoo.
- Implement a single-click unsubscribe.
- Update your email authentication settings: Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols.
- Set up Google Postmaster Tools: Utilize Google Postmaster Tools to gain insights into email performance and address any deliverability issues.
- Provide valuable and relevant content: Focus on delivering high-quality content that resonates with your audience to reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Have no fear — Tayloe/Gray is here to help you make sense of all the technical mumbo-jumbo and alphabet soup, so that you can confidently and securely deploy your email campaigns. Schedule a meeting or send us a message to discuss how we ensure your email marketing arrives in the right inbox with the right message at the right time.