Google’s latest email guidelines require domain owners sending bulk messages to Gmail addresses to authenticate their emails with DMARC starting in February 2024. This is part of their effort to further enhance email security and reduce the number of undesired emails received by users.
Gmail’s advanced AI-powered defenses are already highly effective at stopping spam, phishing, and email fraud. In fact, these systems block nearly 15 billion unwanted emails per day. Google plans to make it mandatory for senders of more than 5000 messages per day to validate their emails, enhancing email security even further.
Similarly, Yahoo is focused on providing a great email experience for its users. The company has outlined its goal of only delivering messages of interest to recipients. In line with this objective, Yahoo’s email guidelines for 2024 require bulk message senders to authenticate their emails using DMARC, implement one-click unsubscribe options, and send valuable content to Yahoo users.
Google Email Sender Requirements
Regardless of whether you send bulk emails or not, it is important to adhere to email authentication best practices for Gmail as encouraged by Google. It is recommended that even non-bulk email senders follow safe-sender practices to ensure their emails are authenticated properly.
If your daily email volume is less than 5000, there are specific requirements that must be met to comply with Gmail’s authentication standards:
- Enable SPF or DKIM for email sending
- Ensure that both SPF and DKIM domains align for compliance, as specified by Google for bulk senders
- Have valid PTR records for sending domains and IP addresses
- Keep your email’s spam rate below 0.3%
- Format your messages according to RFC 5322 specifications
- Avoid impersonating Gmail addresses in the “From:” header
- Ensure that the domain in the “From:” header matches the domain in either the return-path header or the DKIM signature header
- Sign forwarded emails with ARC For more information on these requirements, refer to Google’s documentation.
Yahoo Email Sender Requirements
In order to send emails to Yahoo addresses, senders must meet the following criteria:
- Enable SPF or DKIM email authentication
- Maintain a spam rate below 0.3%
- Ensure there is a valid forward and reverse DNS record for sending IPs
- Follow RFCs 5321 and 5322
Armor Coded Helps You Meet the New Email Requirements
Activating email authentication protocols can be a complex task that requires in-depth technical knowledge. However, with PowerDMARC, the process becomes much simpler. Our team of experts can assist you in setting up DMARC, SPF, and DKIM easily, with monitoring and reporting capabilities provided through a single cloud interface.
Our Google and Yahoo Compliance Program offers straightforward and actionable steps to ensure compliance with email authentication and DMARC policies. By setting up DMARC, SPF, and DKIM correctly and monitoring the results, you can improve your email deliverability and access a range of advanced email protection tools. Our round-the-clock support is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition to enforced policies and reducing the risk of deliverability issues.
Reach out to us today to get started!
Additionally, implementing a one-click unsubscribe header and maintaining a low spam rate are essential for adhering to Google and Yahoo’s updated requirements in 2024.