Why am I not receiving Yahoo FBL reports since December 2024?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 4 Jul 2025
Updated 18 Aug 2025
7 min read
Many email senders have noticed a significant drop in, or complete absence of, Yahoo FBL (Feedback Loop) reports since December 2024. This sudden change can be alarming, as FBLs are crucial for monitoring spam complaints and maintaining good sender reputation. If you've been seeing blank spots in your FBL data, rest assured that you are not alone.
The primary reason for this disruption stems from Yahoo's significant updates to their feedback loop program. In an effort to streamline their system and enhance security, Yahoo transitioned from an older FBL setup to a new Complaint Feedback Loop (CFL) management system within their Sender Hub. This transition required all senders to re-register their sending domains.
The Yahoo CFL (Complaint Feedback Loop) migration
The Yahoo CFL migration
One of the most critical changes Yahoo implemented was the shift from IP-based FBL registration to DKIM domain-based registration. Previously, some senders might have relied on registering specific IP addresses to receive FBLs. However, the new system exclusively requires DKIM domains to be registered for CFL participation. This ensures that the complaints are tied directly to the authenticated domain that signed the email, providing a more accurate representation of sender reputation.
If you missed the re-registration window, which was widely communicated in the fall leading up to December 2024, your previous FBL setup would have ceased to function. Many email service providers (ESPs) and bulk senders would have received reminders to re-enroll their domains. Failure to do so means you are no longer receiving spam complaint data directly from Yahoo.
This means that even if your emails are still being delivered, you are operating without crucial feedback on how your recipients perceive your mail. This can lead to a gradual degradation of your sender reputation, potentially resulting in more emails landing in the spam folder or being rejected outright. It is essential to address this issue promptly to maintain good deliverability.
Old FBL system
Registration: Primarily IP-based registration.
Data format: Included full message content.
Compliance: Less stringent requirements on authentication alignment.
New CFL system
Registration: Requires DKIM domain registration through Sender Hub.
Data format: No longer includes full message content. ARF messages are now all lowercase.
Beyond the registration changes, Yahoo also modified the format of the FBL reports themselves. Two key alterations are worth noting:
No full message content: The new reports no longer include the full body of the reported email. This is a privacy enhancement, but it means your parsing system needs to adapt.
Lowercase ARF messages: The Abuse Reporting Format (ARF) messages are now entirely in lowercase. If your FBL parser was case-sensitive, this seemingly small change could cause it to fail to process incoming reports, making it appear as though no reports are being received, even if they are.
These technical adjustments highlight the importance of regularly reviewing and updating your FBL processing infrastructure. An outdated parser can lead to blind spots in your email deliverability monitoring, hindering your ability to respond to spam complaints and proactively manage your sender reputation.
It is crucial to ensure that your system can handle these updated formats. If you are uncertain about your current setup, it is advisable to consult documentation or reach out for assistance. Understanding these changes is key to resolving why your Yahoo feedback loop messages are not being received.
Practical steps to verify and troubleshoot
Practical steps to verify and troubleshoot
If you are not receiving Yahoo FBL reports, here are practical steps to diagnose and resolve the issue:
Verify registration: Log into your Yahoo Sender Hub and confirm that all your active sending DKIM domains are properly registered for the CFL. If not, register them immediately. You can find more information about setting up a Yahoo FBL on our site.
Check parser compatibility: Review your FBL parser to ensure it can correctly interpret the new, all-lowercase ARF messages and handle reports without full message content. Adjust your parsing logic if necessary. This could be why your CFL reports are not being received.
Examine logs: Check your Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) logs (e.g., PMTA logs) and firewall logs for any incoming connections from Yahoo’s FBL servers. If you see connections but no processed reports, the issue is likely with your parser or internal processing.
Contact Yahoo Postmaster: If you've confirmed your registration and parser issues, but still face problems, reaching out to Yahoo's Postmaster team can provide further insight. They can confirm FBL sending IPs and help troubleshoot deeper issues. More details on contacting them are available on this page.
Important notice
While you might have previously seen Yahoo FBL reports being sent from specific IP addresses, the new system primarily relies on DKIM domain registration. Ensure your domains are correctly set up in the Yahoo Sender Hub to receive CFL data.
The prompt action is essential to avoid negative impacts on your email deliverability. A continuous flow of FBL data is vital for maintaining a healthy sender reputation and ensuring your messages reach the inbox, not the spam folder.
Importance of feedback loops (CFLs) and ongoing monitoring
Importance of feedback loops (CFLs) and ongoing monitoring
Feedback loops, including Yahoo's CFL, are critical tools for email senders. They provide direct insight into recipient complaints, allowing you to identify problematic campaigns, segments, or content. Without this data, you are essentially flying blind, unable to react to negative recipient feedback which can quickly harm your sender reputation.
A sudden dip in FBL (or CFL) complaints might seem like good news initially. However, as noted in our article on what a sudden dip in Yahoo FBL complaints indicates, it often signals an issue with receiving the reports themselves, rather than a genuine improvement in your sending practices. If you are not receiving reports, it is a warning sign that your emails might be hitting a blocklist (or blacklist) without your knowledge.
Regularly monitoring your FBL data, alongside other email deliverability metrics, is a cornerstone of effective email marketing. It helps you stay off blocklists, improve inbox placement, and foster a healthy relationship with your subscribers.
Update your parser: Ensure your system can correctly process the new FBL format, specifically the all-lowercase ARF messages.
Proactive monitoring: Continuously monitor your deliverability metrics and FBL data to quickly identify and address issues.
Restoring your Yahoo FBL reports
The changes to Yahoo's FBL reporting since December 2024 are a direct consequence of their updated sender requirements. While these changes might have caused a temporary disruption in your FBL data, understanding the migration to the new CFL system and adjusting your processes are straightforward. Prioritizing correct domain registration and ensuring your parsing system can handle the new report format will restore your visibility into critical spam complaint data, thereby safeguarding your email deliverability and sender reputation.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always re-register your domains when an ISP announces a system migration for feedback loops.
Regularly test your FBL parser with sample reports to ensure it can handle format changes.
Continuously monitor your domain reputation and deliverability metrics across all major ISPs.
Common pitfalls
Failing to re-register DKIM domains in the Yahoo Sender Hub after the FBL migration.
Using an outdated FBL parser that cannot process the new lowercase ARF messages.
Mistaking a drop in FBL reports for improved deliverability, when it's actually a data reception issue.
Expert tips
Keep an eye on postmaster blogs from major email providers for early announcements on changes.
Automate FBL processing and alerts so you're immediately notified of any issues or sudden changes.
Maintain a clear record of all registered domains and their associated FBL configurations.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says to confirm that you migrated to the new CBL system Yahoo rolled out last year, as many users missed this important transition.
December 15, 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says it was discussed quite a bit over the fall to re-enroll for their CFL management system, so many senders should have been aware.
Yahoo FBL (Feedback Loop) reports since December 2024. This sudden change can be alarming, as FBLs are crucial for monitoring spam complaints and maintaining good sender reputation. If you've been seeing blank spots in your FBL data, rest assured that you are not alone.
