Summary
The Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot is designed to enhance email experiences for Gmail users, particularly during political campaigns. It focuses on verifying the identities of political senders, reducing spam and phishing attempts, and increasing sender transparency. Participating senders undergo a verification process to confirm their legitimacy and adherence to guidelines. Users see a banner in Gmail, prompting them to opt-in or unsubscribe from senders, with the option to report as spam. Domains violating program policies may face suspension, potentially affecting all domains under the same FEC Committee. The program aims to improve user trust, increase engagement rates for legitimate campaigns, and ensure recipients have more control over their inbox. The program was scheduled to continue through 2023 and emphasizes direct communication with Google for reporting potential violations.
Key findings
- Sender Verification: Political senders undergo a verification process to confirm their identity.
- Spam Reduction: The program aims to reduce spam and phishing attempts disguised as political emails.
- User Transparency: It increases sender transparency and user control over email subscriptions.
- Enforcement: Domains violating program policies face suspension, with potential impact across FEC-related entities.
- User Engagement: The program seeks to improve user trust and engagement rates for legitimate political campaigns.
- Limited term: The program was scheduled to last through 2023.
Key considerations
- Compliance is Crucial: Adhering to Google's guidelines is crucial for maintaining deliverability and a positive sender reputation.
- User Choice Matters: Recipients' choices to opt-in, unsubscribe, or report as spam significantly impact a sender's deliverability.
- Reporting Violations: Direct communication with Google is necessary for reporting potential violations of the program's terms.
- FEC Association: Campaigns should understand the potential impact on all domains linked under the same FEC Committee in case of a policy violation by one.
- Pilot Program: The program was a limited-time pilot, campaigns should check for any further changes/updates.
What email marketers say
4 marketer opinions
The Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot aims to authenticate political senders, combat spam and phishing, increase sender transparency, and give recipients more control over the emails they receive. Adhering to Google's guidelines is crucial for maintaining deliverability and a positive sender reputation. The program helps to reduce misinformation and malicious content while improving engagement rates for legitimate political campaigns by building user trust.
Key opinions
- Authentication: The program authenticates political senders to verify their identity.
- Combats Spam: It is designed to combat spam and phishing attempts.
- Sender Transparency: Increases sender transparency and trustworthiness.
- Recipient Control: Gives recipients more control over the emails they receive, including options to unsubscribe or report as spam.
- Engagement: Improves engagement rates for legitimate political campaigns due to increased trust.
Key considerations
- Adherence to Guidelines: Adhering to Google's guidelines is crucial for deliverability and maintaining a positive sender reputation.
- Program Objective: Understand that the program's main objective is to provide a safer and more transparent email experience during election periods.
- Pilot status: The program may be a pilot which is short term only.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Word to the Wise shares their insights on Google's program for election mail, highlighting that it aims to authenticate political senders and give recipients more control over the emails they receive. They emphasize the importance of adhering to Google's guidelines to ensure deliverability and maintain a positive sender reputation.
21 Sep 2022 - Word to the Wise
Marketer view
Email marketer from ISIPP shares a blog post about Gmail Verified Sender Pilot Program for Political Campaigns opens for business.
9 Mar 2024 - ISIPP
What the experts say
10 expert opinions
The Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot authenticates political senders and gives recipients more control over email. Domains violating policies face suspension, potentially affecting related domains. Google prompts users to opt-in or unsubscribe and offers a spam reporting option, which will send future emails from that sender to the spam folder. The program aims to prevent impersonation, improve sender reputation and is planned to continue through 2023. Reporting violations requires contacting Google directly.
Key opinions
- Authentication & Control: The program authenticates political senders and grants recipients control via opt-in/unsubscribe options.
- Violation Penalties: Policy violations can lead to domain suspension, impacting associated domains.
- Spam Reporting: Recipients can report emails as spam, directing future mail from the sender to the spam folder.
- Impersonation Prevention: The program helps to prevent impersonation and misrepresentation of senders.
- Limited Duration: The pilot program is expected to last through 2023.
Key considerations
- Policy Adherence: Adhering to program policies is vital for continued participation.
- Recipient Response: Recipient actions (unsubscribe/spam report) significantly impact deliverability.
- Reporting Process: Reporting potential violations requires direct communication with Google.
- FEC association: Domains associated under the same FEC ID are affected when one domain violates the program policies.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks responds that you would have to ping Google. Suggests it seems to be outside the scope of the pilot program and states Google doesn't take reports from third parties, ever, for anything.
18 Apr 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares a link to her blog post about the Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot for political campaigns: <https://wordtothewise.com/2022/09/gmail-program-for-election-mail/>
9 Apr 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
The Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot enhances the email experience by verifying political campaign senders, allowing users to easily identify legitimate communications. Verified senders undergo a process to confirm their identity and compliance with guidelines. Upon receiving a first email from a participating domain, Gmail users will see a banner prompting them to either continue receiving emails or unsubscribe, with an option to report spam. Non-compliance with the program policies can result in the suspension of all domains under the same FEC Committee.
Key findings
- User Identification: The program helps users easily identify legitimate senders, especially in political campaigns.
- Verification Process: Participating senders undergo a verification process to confirm their identity and adherence to specific guidelines.
- User Choice: Users are prompted with a banner to choose to continue receiving emails or unsubscribe, with a spam reporting option.
- Compliance Penalties: Violation of program policies results in the suspension of all domains under the same FEC Committee.
Key considerations
- Verification Importance: Political campaigns must ensure they complete the verification process to be identified as legitimate senders.
- User Engagement: Senders should be mindful of user choices to continue receiving emails, as unsubscribes and spam reports can impact deliverability.
- Compliance: Maintaining strict compliance with program policies is crucial to avoid suspension and maintain sender reputation.
- FEC association: Be aware of FEC association - all domains under the same FEC Committee are suspended.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support details that in the official Gmail app, a banner will be shown to a user on the first message they read from each pilot participant’s domain. The banner will prompt users to choose to continue receiving emails from the sender or to unsubscribe. If they choose to unsubscribe, they may also choose to report as spam.
16 Jan 2024 - Google Support
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support states if a domain participating in the Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot is found to be in violation of the Program Pilot Policies, all other domains participating in the Gmail Verified Sender Program Pilot under the same FEC Committee participant will be suspended.
6 May 2024 - Google Support
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