How will your email strategy be affected if you fail to comply with the new requirements from Google and Yahoo?

Last year, email giants Google and Yahoo announced stricter requirements for senders of bulk emails. The purpose is to reduce the amount of spam reaching users’ inboxes. This change is a welcome step in the fight against spam and phishing, but it also puts many companies under time pressure.

Failure to comply with the new requirements may already be, or at the latest from June 1, 2024, result in your emails being either marked as spam or blocked entirely. Ending up in customers’ spam folders or, worst-case scenario, getting completely blocked, can have significant consequences. Imagine your invoices not being delivered to customers or all customer-related inquiries not reaching their inboxes. How would that impact your business? Probably not positively.

This means it’s crucial to act quickly to adapt to the new rules. For many businesses, this may pose a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to enhance their email security and ensure messages reach their intended recipients.

Ready for the new requirements?
With our list below, you can feel confident in preparing for the new requirements from Google and Yahoo before the critical deadline approaches. We’re happy to assist you through every step of the process and ensure your emails continue to reach your customers’ inboxes.

The new requirements:

New requirements for ALL:
Things are changing for everyone sending email messages, regardless of volume.
The following changes apply to ALL senders:

• SPF or DKIM authentication.
• All domains and IP addresses that send email, must have valid forward and reverse DNS records (PTR records);
• Use a TLS connection when transmitting email.
• Reported spam rates in Google Postmaster Tools must remain below 0.10% and avoid ever reaching a spam rate of 0.30% or higher.
• Comply with RFC5322 (emails in the correct format).
• Don’t impersonate Gmail From: headers. Gmail will begin using a DMARC quarantine enforcement policy, and impersonating Gmail From: headers might impact your email delivery.
• It is strongly recommended to add ARC headers if you forward a lot or use a lot of mailing lists.
• List-ID: headers must be added to emails sent on behalf of a mailing list.

Requirements for Bulk Email Senders
In addition to the requirements mentioned above, the following additional rules will apply specifically to bulk email senders:

• You must have a valid DMARC record, with at least a none policy;
• SPF and DKIM authentication;
• Alignment of the domains on at least one of the protocols (SPF or DKIM) for a DMARC pass;
• Mandatory one-click unsubscribe option in all emails that require unsubscribe.

Contact us today for additional support and advice on how to ensure your emails reach their intended recipients without any issues. With the right preparations, you can avoid ending up on the wrong side of spam filters and continue to communicate effectively with your target audience.