How will the Google and Yahoo 2024 email sending changes impact email marketers?

Key findings

• Authentication is mandatory: Bulk senders must implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for their sending domains to ensure proper email authentication. This is no longer optional for reaching Gmail and Yahoo inboxes.
• Low spam complaint rate: A critical requirement is keeping the spam complaint rate below 0.3%. Exceeding this threshold will negatively impact email deliverability, potentially resulting in emails being blocked or marked as spam. For more on monitoring this, consider exploring our guide to Google Postmaster Tools.
• One-click unsubscribe: All marketing emails must include a prominent, easy-to-use one-click unsubscribe link in the header. This improves user experience and helps manage list hygiene. Our article on Gmail's 'Manage subscriptions' feature provides further insight.
• Impact on non-compliant senders: Emails from senders who do not meet these requirements may face increased rejections or be routed directly to the spam folder, severely impacting campaign effectiveness. This is akin to being added to an internal blocklist.
• New baseline for deliverability: These changes establish a higher baseline for what constitutes acceptable email sending practices, pushing all marketers towards better authentication and list management.

Key considerations

• Proactive compliance: Marketers should proactively review and update their email infrastructure to meet the new authentication standards before deadlines, particularly for DMARC. Further details on these updates can be found in our article on Gmail and Yahoo's new authentication requirements.
• List hygiene importance: Regular cleaning of email lists to remove inactive or problematic subscribers is crucial to maintain a low spam complaint rate. This also helps avoid landing on an email blacklist or blocklist.
• User experience focus: Providing clear and easy unsubscribe options is vital, not only for compliance but also for fostering a positive sender reputation and user trust.
• Monitoring and adaptation: Ongoing monitoring of email performance metrics, including deliverability and complaint rates, is essential for adapting strategies as needed. MAAWG has published guidance for sending bulk mail to Gmail and Yahoo.

Key opinions

• DMARC rejections are coming: Many marketers predict a surge in DMARC-related email rejections, particularly around the February 1 deadline, as senders may not be fully compliant.
• ESPs vs. client responsibility: There's a strong sentiment that while ESPs are aware, clients ultimately bear the responsibility for implementing DMARC and ensuring their domains are compliant, not mixing different email types.
• Smaller senders' vulnerability: Marketers sending less than 5,000 emails daily might find compliance easier, yet there are still several considerations for them under the new policies.
• Shifting marketing dynamics: The new rules mean email marketing is no longer about mass sending. Instead, precision and strict compliance are becoming paramount for effective campaigns. For more insights on this, read about why new email templates can affect deliverability with Gmail.
• Focus on low spam rates: Maintaining low spam complaint rates, specifically below 0.3%, is highlighted as a significant change, requiring marketers to focus intensely on list hygiene.

Key considerations

• Client education: ESPs and marketing agencies need to thoroughly educate their clients on the new DMARC authentication requirements and the implications of non-compliance. Our guide on how to comply with Gmail's new sending rules can assist.
• Platform warnings: ESPs might implement strong warnings within their platforms or even prevent sending from `gmail.com` or `yahoo.com` addresses in the `From:` field to enforce compliance.
• Adaptation for all senders: Even marketers who send less than 5,000 emails daily must adapt their strategies, as the new policies signify a universal shift in email deliverability standards. The Digital Marketing Institute also notes these standards will impact three key areas for marketers.
• Proactive list cleaning: Regular and thorough list cleaning is more critical than ever to stay below the 0.3% spam complaint threshold and maintain a good sender reputation.

Key opinions

• DMARC requirement nuance: It's not just about having a DMARC record, but critically, also about not sending mail from free email domains like `gmail.com`.
• Subdomain coverage: DMARC policies at the organizational (root) domain level typically cover subdomains, unless explicitly configured otherwise.
• Complaint rate calculation: The 0.3% spam complaint rate threshold is measured over a period longer than a day but less than a year, implying a rolling evaluation. Understanding your Google Postmaster Tools domain reputation is key.
• Industry shift: These changes, though impactful, are seen by some as long overdue steps towards a healthier, more trustworthy email ecosystem, pushing all senders toward stronger authentication.
• No Auth, No Entry: The clear message is that robust authentication is now a non-negotiable entry barrier for bulk email delivery to major mailbox providers.

Key considerations

• Review DMARC configuration: Senders should ensure their DMARC record is correctly set up at the organizational domain level, covering all subdomains. Our simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM can help.
• Cease sending from free domains: It is imperative for businesses and organizations to stop using `@gmail.com` or other free email addresses in the `From:` header for bulk sending to ensure deliverability.
• ESPs' supportive role: While ESPs cannot directly implement DMARC for clients, they can provide tools, warnings, and guidance to help clients achieve compliance. Some may even move `From:` addresses to a `Sender:` field. Understanding why Yahoo and AOL delivery rates drop offers context.
• Continuous monitoring: Given the dynamic nature of complaint rate measurements, continuous monitoring via tools like Postmaster Tools is crucial. Email expert John Levine from Word to the Wise details how ignoring DMARC alignment leads to severe deliverability problems.

Key findings

• Mandatory authentication: Documentation confirms that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are non-negotiable for bulk senders, with a No Auth, No Entry rule being implemented.
• Spam rate threshold enforcement: Both Google and Yahoo are strictly enforcing a 0.3% spam complaint rate threshold to reduce spam in user inboxes. More about Gmail deliverability changes regarding spam filtering can be found here.
• Easy unsubscribes: A one-click unsubscribe option is required for all marketing messages, emphasizing user control over their inbox. This is also covered in what Gmail and Yahoo require for authentication and unsubscribe.
• Phased implementation: Google indicated a progressive increase in email rejections for non-compliance, with stricter enforcement by June 2024.
• Focus on security and trust: The updates are driven by a desire to create a safer, less spammy inbox environment, enhancing user experience and trust.

Key considerations

• Review authentication: Senders must ensure their domains have correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, with DMARC being particularly critical. See our article: DMARC record and policy examples.
• Implement one-click unsubscribe: Marketing platforms should be configured to include the List-Unsubscribe header, enabling easy one-click unsubscribes.
• Monitor spam rates: Utilize Postmaster Tools or similar analytics to constantly monitor spam complaint rates and adjust sending practices if approaching the 0.3% threshold. BuzzStream also highlights how Google will progressively increase email rejections.
• Avoid free email domains in 'from': For bulk sending, avoid using `gmail.com` or `yahoo.com` addresses in the `From:` header, as these will likely fail DMARC checks once those providers enforce their own DMARC policies.