As of February 2024, Google and Yahoo will enforce additional requirements to provide email receipts with a safer experience. These measures prevent spam and improve email security, requiring senders to prove they own the domain from which notifications are sent.
This article provides instructions for confirming your email settings match the deliverability standards set by Google and Yahoo.
Before you start, see Google's blog post New Gmail protections or Yahoo's blog post Enforcing Email Standards for additional information on these standards.
What you need to know: Gmail’s Authentication Mandate
Transition from @gmail to your own domain
To align with upcoming email authentication and spam prevention changes, it’s vital to discontinue the use of @gmail.com addresses in the sender’s email. Transitioning to a domain you own is strongly advised for seamlessly setting up authentication and complying with evolving standards. For customers without a current domain, acquiring one promptly is recommended.
Enable email authentication
One key aspect of Google’s requirements is the necessity for senders to set up DKIM email authentication. In addition to DKIM, a basic DMARC record will now also be required. While it’s highly encouraged that all senders set up DKIM and DMARC, there are greater implications on deliverability for bulk senders. Note, these changes do not impact customers who already have DKIM and DMARC set up.
Valid DNS Records
Ensure that sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records, also referred to as PTR records.
All emails must be authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC:
SPF is your email guardian, stopping email spoofing—the go-to move in phishing and spam. It ensures that incoming emails are legit by letting the server check if they're from an IP okayed by the domain's admin.
DKIM, on the other hand, lets organizations vouch for their messages. By signing them in a way providers can verify, it adds an extra layer of trust. This is done through cryptographic authentication, making sure your emails are the real deal.
DMARC, your shield against email fraud. While SPF and DKIM lay the groundwork, DMARC takes it a step further. It fine-tunes email authentication, allowing organizations to set policies for email validation. With DMARC, you not only prevent spoofing, but also gain control over how your domain handles unauthenticated emails. It's the defender of your email integrity, ensuring only legitimate messages get through.
Please double-check this setup with your IT department to ensure these changes are made or verified.
📚 We have made a dedicated article to help configure your SPF, DKIM and DMARC: https://help.upfluence.co/en/articles/8866873-gmail-how-to-set-up-your-dkim-spf-and-dmarc
Take proactive measures to decrease your spam rates now
Ensuring low spam rates is crucial to adhering to Gmail and Yahoo’s new requirements:
Monitor your performance. Keep a close eye on your email delivery rates, open rates, and spam complaint rates. If you notice any sudden changes, investigate immediately to prevent further issues.
Mind your frequency. While keeping your audience informed is important, try not to overwhelm them with too many emails. Balance is key.
Keep your IP and domain reputation high. A low reputation often results in your emails getting filtered into the spam folder.
Maintain a healthy email list: Higher engagement rates will reduce the likelihood of spam complaints.
Send relevant content: Always strive to send targeted, personalized, and interesting content to your audience to improve engagement.