New Bulk Email Rules from Gmail and Yahoo

Two key email providers, Google and Yahoo, have announced new rules for companies that send out bulk emails. The changes will come into effect in February 2024 and will be mandatory. We’ll tell you what it’s all about and how to comply with the new requirements.

Informal mailing etiquette has become the norm

According to the service company AAG , about 3.4 billion spam messages are sent every day worldwide, and more than 48% of emails sent in 2022 were spam. This is a big problem. That’s why Google and Yahoo officially approved new requirements for bulk email senders in the fall of 2023.

The changes include stricter authentication Honduras Phone Number List requirements, anti-spam , and unsubscribe processes. Google clarified that this applies to companies sending more than 5,000 messages a day in Gmail accounts. Yahoo did not provide such clarification.

Considering that the reform was introduced by some of the largest providers, we can talk about a new industry standard for the security of electronic mailings, which sooner or later others will begin to meet. Here are the requirements:

1. Sender domain authentication.
2. Recipients should be able to unsubscribe with one click.
3. Spam must remain below the threshold level.

Senders sending more than 5,000 messages per day are required to additionally configure the DMARC authentication protocol.

Obviously, these practices are not new: providers have voiced similar recommendations more than once. What has changed is that from February 2024, the “unofficial rules of etiquette” will become mandatory.

Detailed overview of requirements

The providers haven’t introduced anything new: most responsible senders already follow these rules. But just in case, let’s take a closer look at the changes.

Sender Domain Authentication

Obviously, sending mass mailings from a free domain is not a good idea. Companies need to set up sending emails from a domain they control.

Sender authentication (DomainKeys Identified Mail, DKIM ) is a technology that allows the sender to prove that he is the owner of the domain from which the letter is sent, namely.

DKIM works by adding a digital signature to the email header. When the recipient receives the email, they can optionally check the signature to make sure it is not a fake.

DKIM helps the provider filter spam and protect users from unwanted emails. To use the technology, the sender needs to create a DKIM key using a generator and add it to their domain.

Here are some of the benefits of using DKIM:

• Increases trust in the sender’s email.
• Improves spam filtering efficiency.
• Protects users from phishing attacks.

Among the features for users of email newsletters in SendPulse is integrated SMTP , which allows using your own servers for mass email newsletters. This helps to increase the reliability of delivery. In addition to sending, the service allows you to track results, analyze statistics on opening letters, clicks on links and other metrics.

Unsubscribe in one click

Google and Yahoo are requiring all senders to provide a one-step unsubscribe option. The providers believe that users should not have to fill out forms, log in to websites, or do anything else if they simply don’t want to receive emails. Under the new rules, senders have a limited time to process unsubscribe requests: just two days.

This should put an end to manipulations such as adjusting the unsubscribe link to the background color of the sheet or requiring you to take a large survey to unsubscribe. Some senders do not allow you to unsubscribe from automated messages directly in the email: you need to change the mailing settings in the app or on the website. From February 2024, this will be considered a violation of the rules.

All emails created with the SendPulse constructor contain by default links for easy unsubscription, highlighted in a contrasting color. The text and design of the link can be changed, but we recommend that you always leave it visible.

Spam level must be below acceptable level

The planned changes include recommendations on the spam level for mass senders. Google names a specific indicator: no more than 0.3%. Google Postmaster Tools can be used for measuring. Yahoo did not specify the exact limit.

If there are more spam complaints, this indicates several problems:

• letters come too often;
• readers receive irrelevant information;
• the quality of content in letters is low;
• The reader did not provide his address for such mailing.

Each problem has its own solution, but in general, only two rules save the situation:

1. Initiate a mailing only when you have something to tell your audience.
2. The message should be clear, concise and interesting.

Setting up a DMARC record

As mentioned, companies sending more than 5,000 emails latvia phone number library per day are required to set up the Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) protocol. It allows domain owners to specify which mechanisms they use to verify the authenticity of their emails.

DMARC helps reduce spam and phishing attacks. As more and more recipients begin to support DMARC, email senders who don’t use the protocol risk having their messages sent to spam.

How to Prepare for New Rules from Google and Yahoo

The providers’ requirements are obvious and clear, and not news for most companies involved in email marketing. But for the sake of objectivity, we will explain how to achieve maximum efficiency and comply with Google and Yahoo’s rules.

Change your mailing strategy

Users complain about spam even when they receive emails from official senders. To avoid this:

1. Activate a two-step subscription : this will help filter out inactive subscribers and bots.
2. Check your mailing list . Remove invalid email addresses that got into the list due to errors or fraud. SendPulse has a validator – a tool that helps confirm the activity and cleanliness of addresses, maintaining high quality mailing lists.
3. Remove inactive subscribers’ data because it negatively impacts your delivery rates .
4. Re-create your mailing list if you haven’t used the old bmb directory one for over a year.
5. Update your welcome email . This is your chance to make the right first impression on your subscribers. Make sure the message clearly explains what to expect from your emails.
6. Optimize your content . To avoid spam filters, remove red text, all caps, excessive exclamation marks, and large amounts of text.

Send only those emails that will be interesting and useful to your subscribers. Do this regularly, but not too often. Give users the opportunity to unsubscribe without additional artificial interference.

Inform your team of the new changes

Inform employees or contractors who form the subscription base, create content for emails, and set up mailings about the planned changes. Note several points:

• Mailings – only from your own verified domain.
• The quality of content is more important than the quantity of messages.
• No manipulation of the right to unsubscribe.