How will Google and Yahoo's new requirements affect email deliverability for universities using multiple email platforms?

Key findings

• Internal email: Email sent within your university domain (from @university.edu to @university.edu) is generally not subject to these new Google and Yahoo requirements. However, this may vary based on your Google Workspace configuration and any forwarding rules to external email services like Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
• External bulk email: Any emails sent to large external audiences, particularly those with Gmail.com or Yahoo.com addresses, are directly impacted. This includes communications from non-person accounts (e.g., information@university.edu) and individual person accounts if they are sending at bulk volumes.
• Authentication is key: Adherence to strong email authentication standards, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, is paramount for all bulk senders. Failure to authenticate properly can lead to emails being sent directly to spam folders or blocked entirely.
• Unsubscribe mechanism: A visible and easy-to-use one-click unsubscribe option (using the List-Unsubscribe header) is a new requirement for marketing or bulk emails. This helps manage complaint rates, which are closely monitored by mailbox providers.

Key considerations

• IT department collaboration: Your university's IT department is central to implementing the necessary technical changes, especially for DMARC, SPF, and DKIM updates. They have the best grasp of your system's complexity.
• Communication and training: Establishing a clear communication strategy and training schedule for all campus email senders is vital. This helps ensure widespread understanding and compliance across diverse departmental sending practices.
• Consolidation strategy: While challenging, the new requirements may push universities towards consolidating email platforms into enterprise-wide systems. This can streamline compliance and improve overall deliverability management.
• Monitoring and reporting: Regularly monitoring domain reputation, complaint rates, and DMARC failures is essential. This proactive approach helps identify and address issues before they significantly impact deliverability. More information on the requirements can be found on Kinsta's article on Gmail and Yahoo Mail requirements.

Key opinions

• Organizational challenge: Reining in multiple departments that send email independently is a major hurdle. Each department may feel they have unique needs that necessitate their specific platform.
• Messaging is critical: Communicating the urgency of these changes requires clear messaging about the potential loss of communication channels if compliance is not met. Phrases like "this won't work anymore" or "we won't be able to communicate with students" can be effective.
• Invisible costs: Many departments are unaware of the hidden costs associated with poor deliverability, such as damaged organizational reputation or lost opportunities due to emails landing in spam. These costs (money, deliverability, organizational reputation) have been invisible to them.
• Resistance to change: Individuals or departments accustomed to self-reliance may resist changes that centralize email sending, fearing a loss of power and autonomy or increased budget implications. A common challenge for universities is resolving email deliverability issues with university domains.

Key considerations

• Proactive training: Developing a training schedule for communications directors and those tasked with email sending across the university can proactively address concerns and reduce pushback against new policies.
• Compliance status: While a central CRM might be compliant, other university departments might not be. A full audit of all sending sources is crucial.
• Impact on campaigns: Failing to meet requirements will directly impact campaign performance, leading to emails being flagged as spam and reducing engagement. This can significantly affect outreach efforts, as discussed in Practical Ecommerce's article on new Gmail and Yahoo policies.
• Resource allocation: The need for compliance may necessitate discussions about allocating resources, financial and personnel, towards proper email infrastructure and deliverability management.

Key opinions

• Internal email review: For internal email, it's advisable to consult with Google and your IT department to understand how settings for incoming mail can be configured, potentially allowing for special casing of internal mail within your domain. This also applies to scenarios where a domain change affects email deliverability.
• External audience impact: Emails sent to external audiences using @gmail.com or @yahoo.com addresses will be subject to the new requirements, regardless of whether they originate from non-person or individual person accounts, if sent in bulk.
• Authentication is fundamental: Ensuring DKIM and DMARC are properly set up is a baseline requirement. Without these, even well-intentioned emails may fail to reach the inbox.
• Proactive monitoring: Regularly monitoring domain reputations, complaint rates, and DMARC failures is an essential starting point for any university, even if they believe their current setup is compliant. This early detection helps prevent issues like emails being sent directly to spam folders.

Key considerations

• Higher education specifics: Higher education environments are often very unique and complex regarding email infrastructure. A deep appreciation for these complexities is necessary when devising solutions.
• IT involvement: IT departments, particularly those experienced with enterprise systems, are best equipped to understand and manage the nuances of complex university email setups and ensure compliance.
• Compliance readiness: While a university's central CRM might be compliant, other departments using different tools may not be. This necessitates a comprehensive audit and uniform application of the rules across all sending entities.
• DMARC implementation: The new requirements make it imperative to implement a strong DMARC policy and monitor its reports to identify potential issues with email authentication. This is crucial for Yahoo and Gmail DMARC requirements.

Key findings

• Mandatory authentication: All bulk senders must authenticate their emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. DMARC alignment is crucial for emails to pass authentication checks.
• One-click unsubscribe: Marketing messages must include a clear, one-click unsubscribe option in the header. This improves user experience and helps prevent spam complaints.
• Low spam rates: Senders are required to keep their spam complaint rates below a very low threshold, typically 0.1% for Gmail, with 0.3% being a maximum. Exceeding this can lead to emails being sent to spam or rejected.
• DNS records: Proper configuration of DNS records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authentication. This is foundational to ensuring that authentication policies affect senders across various platforms.

Key considerations

• Audit all sending sources: Universities must conduct a thorough audit of all email sending platforms and departments to ensure each adheres to the new technical standards.
• Implement strict DMARC: While starting with a p=none policy for DMARC is a good starting point, the goal should be to safely transition to p=quarantine or p=reject to maximize protection and deliverability.
• Monitor feedback loops: Actively use Google Postmaster Tools and Yahoo's feedback loops to monitor spam rates and other metrics. This data is critical for identifying and resolving deliverability issues. MarTech's overview of the new rules offers further insights.
• Maintain low complaint rates: Beyond authentication, managing recipient engagement and keeping complaint rates minimal is paramount. High complaint rates are a strong signal of unwanted mail and will lead to blocking or blocklisting.