Google and Yahoo's new email authentication policies require senders to authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to combat spam, fraud, and abuse. Senders should own a domain for DKIM signing and use their organizational domain in the From header, aligning SPF and DKIM. ESPs are adapting their platforms, but preventing the use of freemail addresses remains a challenge. High-volume senders should avoid shared, unaligned DKIM, and those on shared IPs may face deliverability issues if others don't follow best practices. Increased scrutiny will occur for senders using shared domains or ESP authentication, and senders with poor reputations will be negatively impacted. Understanding and implementing DMARC is crucial, and those on shared hosting must ensure ESP compliance. Smaller businesses should correctly set up DKIM and DMARC and monitor deliverability. Mailbox providers prioritize customer satisfaction but will show less sympathy for those neglecting authentication. ESPs will require bulk mailers to authenticate using DMARC. Microsoft is also implementing similar requirements and providing a sender support portal. Senders not following the rules can expect blocking and spam placement, while low-volume senders with no complaints might initially be unaffected. Forward and reverse DNS records are essential, and ESPs handling client authentication will need configuration changes.
10 marketer opinions
Google and Yahoo's new email authentication policies will significantly impact senders using shared domains and ESP authentication. High-volume senders must avoid shared, unaligned DKIM, and ESPs will adapt to guide users in setting up proper authentication. Senders on shared IPs might face deliverability issues if others don't follow best practices. Increased scrutiny will occur for senders using shared domains or ESP authentication, emphasizing the importance of aligning SPF and DKIM. Senders with poor reputations will experience negative impacts, highlighting the need for good sending practices. Understanding and implementing DMARC is crucial, and those on shared hosting must ensure ESP compliance. Smaller businesses should set up DKIM and DMARC correctly and monitor deliverability, while ESPs handling client authentication need to change configurations, prompting senders to check DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
Marketer view
Email marketer from SparkPost Blog indicates senders using shared domains or ESP authentication might face increased scrutiny. Aligning SPF and DKIM records to match the sending domain becomes critical for maintaining deliverability.
31 Mar 2022 - SparkPost Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from SMTP2Go Blog discusses that senders on shared IP addresses might experience deliverability issues if other users on the same IP are not following authentication best practices. Proper authentication is crucial to avoid being flagged as spam.
9 Apr 2023 - SMTP2Go Blog
13 expert opinions
The new email authentication policies from Google and Yahoo emphasize the importance of domain ownership and proper authentication. Senders should own a domain for DKIM signing, use their organizational domain in the From header, and align SPF and DKIM. ESPs are adapting to these changes, but a key challenge is preventing users from using freemail addresses. Large mailbox providers will not abruptly penalize senders but will show less sympathy for those neglecting authentication. Mail without SPF and DKIM will be rejected, and alignment is crucial for volumes over 5000. While ESP authentication is allowed, relying on it long-term can harm deliverability, especially for high-volume senders. The industry is moving towards stricter authentication, and non-compliance will result in blocking and spam placement. Smaller senders with low volumes and no complaints may be fine, but issues can arise with increased volume, new mailstreams, or IP changes. ESPs will require bulk mailers to authenticate using DMARC, ensuring proper configuration for shared or dedicated domains.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advises using your main organizational domain or a subdomain in your From header. Aligned SPF or DKIM, ideally both, are crucial. Aligned SPF means your return path is a subdomain of your organizational domain, while aligned DKIM means using your organizational domain in the d= of one of the DKIM signatures.
4 Jul 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks confirms that it will still be allowed for mailers to sign up on an ESP, verify their domain and send using the ESPs authenticated domain without needing to place any records in their DNS.
29 Aug 2024 - Email Geeks
5 technical articles
Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are implementing stricter email authentication policies to combat spam, fraud, and abuse. These policies require senders to authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Senders also need to maintain a low spam complaint rate and provide easy unsubscribe options. DKIM verifies the source and integrity of email messages, while DMARC allows domain owners to specify how receiving servers should handle messages that fail authentication. Microsoft is also updating its sender guidelines and providing a sender support portal to check sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Updates states that to help prevent spam, fraud, and abuse, Google requires senders to authenticate their email. They must set up SPF or DKIM email authentication for their domain and ensure that sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records (PTR records).
5 Jun 2025 - Google Workspace Updates
Technical article
Documentation from RFC 4871 defines DKIM as providing a method for verifying the source and integrity of email messages. This standard ensures that the email hasn't been altered during transit and comes from a legitimate sender.
13 Sep 2022 - RFC 4871
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