Scott's Musings

On Jan 30- I wrote an article about new email sending requirements for Google & Yahoo. 

I was flooded with questions asking me to explain this again- here ya go…

To my fellow email marketing fanatics… there are more and more rules and regulations coming down from the powers that be. Namely Google & Yahoo.  (Microsoft won’t be far behind). I have those new rules and regulations spelled out here.

If you’re reading this, you probably know my email marketing background. With over 15 years experience in very detailed email drip marketing techniques- I am the quintessential EMAIL GEEK.

In fact, Mader Marketing LLC was started in 2019 by using email drip marketing and nothing else. So, I understand the power of email marketing.

I’m not always a big fan of Brother Google’s rules and regulations- but this time I completely understand.

They are squashing “email blast marketing guy” like a bug. 

The days of online marketing charlatans who purchase multiple domains, scrape email addresses of honest people from various lists and blast out emails for their clients, are numbered.

Large email providers such as Google and Yahoo are building the coffin for “Email Blast Marketing Guy.”

Fortunately, I figured this out many years ago, when I knew that personal, email drip marketing was the only way to approach email.

From a common sense standpoint, it’s really simple- just send your stuff to people who want to read it. If they don’t open and read your stuff after a few emails- remove them yourself.

We all know email marketing is our secret weapon – it keeps customers engaged, builds loyalty, and (of course) boosts sales.

But guess what? The email giants, Google and Yahoo, just changed the game with new sending rules starting February 2024.

Don’t freak out! These changes are actually good news – they crack down on spam and make sure your emails reach real people, not inboxes filled with junk.

But to avoid getting lost in the shuffle, here’s what you need to know:

1. Think of your emails like VIPs: Imagine them needing special passes to enter the inbox. That’s where DKIM and SPF come in. They’re like security checks that verify you’re the real sender, not some shady impostor.
2. DMARC: Your Email Boss: This one sets the rules for unauthenticated emails (think emails missing their VIP passes). For high-volume senders (think 5,000+ emails daily), setting up a DMARC policy is mandatory. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds!
3. Unsubscribing Made Easy: Remember that annoying button hunt to unsubscribe? Yeah, those days are over. Now, you need a one-click unsubscribe link in every email. It’s the polite thing to do, and it keeps you on Google and Yahoo’s good side.
4. Play it Fair: Think of it like email etiquette. Keep your sending reputation clean, avoid spammy tricks, and follow the basic email rules (think proper formatting and sender info).

Chill, We Got This!

These changes might sound intense, but relax! Many email platforms offer tools and resources to help you comply.

Here’s the real takeaway:

• Google “New 2024 Email Regulations for Google & Yahoo Email Sending”: You’ll see the specifics of the coding needed for DMARC, DKIM & SPF.
• Become an email master: Read up on the new rules and best practices (bonus points for impressing your clients!).
• Start early, avoid the scramble: Don’t wait until the last minute to update your email game.
• Stay in the loop: Keep an eye on email marketing trends and regulations.

By adapting to these changes, you’ll ensure your emails keep reaching your target audience and building genuine connections.

So, embrace the update, keep your emails squeaky clean, and watch your small business thrive!

NEW EMAIL COMPLIANCE REGULATIONS FROM THE BIG BOYS- GOOGLE, YAHOO AND MICROSOFT- Effective date February 2024.

You may have noticed more spam in your inbox lately.

One major spam cause is senders not properly employing email authentication, leaving room for spammers to invade inboxes for phishing schemes.

So, Google and Yahoo have introduced new requirements to reduce spam and protect recipients from malicious messages.

While designed to combat spam and phishing, these standards may hurt your email outreach campaigns if you fail to comply.

Not to worry, we’ve compiled a detailed — yet simplified — guide for link builders and digital PR professionals to help navigate these new standards and make it into your prospect’s inbox.

TL:DR Summary

Don’t have time for the full article?

The quick summary is that Google and Yahoo’s new email standards will be effective starting February 2024. All email senders sending to personal Gmail accounts, especially those sending over 5,000 emails within 24 hours, must implement specific authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and user-friendly practices like one-click unsubscribe links. Also, Spam rates must be kept at 0.1% to 0.3%.

Non-compliance will lead to email rejections and damage your sender’s reputation.

Who Do The Rules Apply To?

The new set of rules applies to two types of senders, one set impacts all email senders and additional requirements for those sending more than 5,000 emails, aka “bulk senders,” to Gmail accounts within 24 hours.

The 5,000 email limit applies to messages from the same domain — not individual email addresses.

When Did The New Rules Go Into Effect?

The rules began in February 2024, but not for everyone. The requirements are broken down by bulk sender and all senders.

We’ve broken the dates down below:

Enforcements will be implemented in phases for bulk senders. (There is currently no date for non-bulk senders yet.)

February 2024 – There are no major penalties at the start. Bulk emailers will get temporary errors on a small percentage of emails they send that don’t meet the requirements.

Google will notify the sender of the error (along with an error code).

According to Google’s documentation, these messages are intended to help identify email issues “so that senders can resolve issues that result in non-compliance.”

April 2024 – Google will begin rejecting a percentage of bulk senders’ emails that don’t meet the guidelines. They’ll gradually increase the rejection rate over time.

June 1, 2024 – Bulk senders must have implemented one-click unsubscribe.

Non-Bulk Sender Effective Dates and Impact

If you’re not a bulk sender, we strongly recommend implementing the following authentication and spam monitoring as soon as possible.

Many of these changes will likely impact deliverability for all outreach email senders.

What Are the New Requirements and How to Comply?

The new requirements fall into four main categories:

1. Authentication and security
2. Minimizing spam complaints
3. Making unsubscribe easy for recipients
4. Formatting messages according to the Internet Message Format standard

Your mail provider will likely automatically cover most of the requirements, but some will not. We’ve marked down where you need to take action and where you don’t. 

Authenticating and Sending Securely According to New Protocols

You likely will need help from your IT department, DNS provider, and mail provider. Or- you can contact Mader Marketing and I will have my expert- Scott White assist you directly. Email me- scott@madermarketing.com. Or call (513) 341-1112.

You can skip these first three checks if you meet SPF, DKIM, and DMARC (for bulk senders).

1. Authenticate with SPF

Create a record that lists the IP addresses and domains that can send email on behalf of your domain. Then, publish it to your DNS record.

2. Authenticate with DKIM

Publish a DKIM record in your domain’s DNS settings.

3. Authenticate with DMARC (only required for bulk senders).

You’ll prepare your DMARC record after setting up SPF and DKIM.

4. Set up PTR records

If your company hosts email with a mail service provider, this will already be handled for you. If your company manages its email servers, you must ensure that your sending domains or IPs have PTR records.

5. Use a TLS connection for sending email

If you’re using a reputable email service provider, it’s very unlikely that you need to worry about this.

How: If you’re managing your mail servers or unsure if your mail provider does this, you should check with the IT team or the mail provider.

6. Don’t impersonate Gmail From: headers

Gmail blocks messages that contain more than one email header of the same type because some malicious senders use them to impersonate legitimate senders.

7. Add ARC headers

If you regularly use mailing lists or inbound gateways, add ARC headers to outgoing email.

(This is unlikely to impact outreach professionals, as it’s primarily focused on mailing lists.)

8. Align the domain in the sender’s From: header with the SPF or DKIM domain (only required for bulk senders).

This is required for direct mail to pass DMARC alignment.

Minimizing Spam According to the New Guidelines

If you’re following best practices, you’re unlikely to encounter spam complaint issues. If you’re not, however, you’re likely to see significant deliverability impacts when this goes into effect.

9. Strive to keep spam complaints from personal Gmail addresses below 0.1%, and never let it exceed 0.3%.

• Sign up for Google Postmaster Tools and Yahoo’s Complaint Feedback Loop to check and keep track of your rates.
• Only send to someone who wants your email when you’re sending to a personal Gmail address.
• Verify emails before sending them using digital tool for verification, called Neverbounce.
• Vet every prospect in your outreach list after you’ve found their email address to ensure they’re suited for your campaign.
• Personalize your emails; don’t just bulk-send canned templates.
• Set custom tracking domains. 
• Don’t send to people who don’t respond to your emails after multiple outreach attempts. Watch how often you’re sending to contacts.
• Warm up your email address when you get started and send emails at a steady rate (don’t blast emails at the same time).
• Don’t send to email addresses that bounce.
• Add an unsubscribe function, which is covered in the next section.

Simplifying Unsubscribe Actions For Users

Most email service providers should support this eventually, but it’s a question of when.

10. Add One-Click Unsubscribe links (only required for bulk senders)

Bulk senders must include a one-click unsubscribe link in the header of the email and a clearly visible unsubscribe link in the message body.

How: Depending on your email service provider (e.g., Gmail, Office 365), this may be something they support on their platform. We recommend asking them before April 2024. 

Formatting Messages According to the Internet Message Format Standard

Most email providers format their emails according to the correct standards.

11. 11. Format messages according to the Internet Message Format standard.

If you aren’t sure, ask your provider how they comply with the standard. If your answers aren’t satisfactory, we recommend switching providers.

Terminology to Know

We know there is a lot of fancy jargon involved with these requirements. All of the terminology used is explained simply below:

• SPF: Sender Policy Framework is an authentication protocol that prevents spam by verifying if incoming emails come from a valid server listed in the domain’s DNS records.
• DKIM: DomainKeys Identified Mail is an email authentication technique that prevents spam by adding a digital signature to outgoing messages. This allows the receiver to verify that the email is from an authorized domain (and not a phishing attempt).
• DMARC: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, & Conformance builds on top of SPF and DKIM to provide the most robust safety mechanism for the emails you send. It requires emails to pass SPF and DKIM authentication as well as SPF and DKIM “alignment” (i.e., the domain for the address in the “header-from” field has to match the “envelope from” domain listed in the SPF record and the “d=domain” field in the DKIM signature.
• TLS: Transport Layer Securityis a communication protocol that encrypts emails to ensure secure communication.
• ARC headers: Authenticated Received Chainheaders indicate the message was forwarded and identify you as the forwarder.
• DNS: The Domain Name Systemoperates as the phonebook for the Internet, and it helps get traffic to the right location. DNS is a list of domains (e.g., companyname.com) and the unique IP addresses for each domain.
• Sender Reputation: A score that each Inbox Service Provider has for your mail domains. The better the sender score, the more likely your emails will be delivered. There are several ways to check your sender score, including Sender Score.

Frequently Asked Questions from Mader Marketing Customers

How Do I Check My DNS Records to Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Are Added?

You can easily use a tool like RedSift to check if SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are added. Or contact me and I’ll set you up with my expert. (513) 341-1112.

What if I Send Less Than 5,000 Emails Per Day?

If you send less than 5,000 emails daily to personal Gmail addresses, you must only adhere to the requirements above marked “All Senders” for now.  However, the bulk sender requirements may soon be applied to all senders, so we recommend working towards implementing all of them sooner rather than later.

Do The Requirements Apply To Me If I Send 5,000 Emails Per Day Total From Different Email Addresses?

The bulk sender requirements apply to those sending 5,000 emails from the same domain. So, if you sent 2,500 emails to personal Gmail accounts from vincent@madermarketing.com and 2,500 from scott@madermarketing.com, technically, you are a bulk sender. But, if you send 2,500 emails from karen@madermarketing.com and 2,500 from a personal Yahoo address like murray@yahoo.com, technically, you aren’t a bulk sender. Either way, if you send many emails, you will want to work towards enabling the proper authentication, security, and spam requirements.

What Happens if I Fail to Comply?

In short, if you fail to comply, your emails will not get delivered, and worse, your sender reputation will be tarnished, severely impacting overall deliverability.

But, Google has set a sliding scale of repercussions for noncompliance. Starting February 2024, bulk emailers not meeting Google’s new requirements will initially face temporary errors on some emails, with Google providing error notifications for resolution. By June 2024, Google will progressively increase email rejections for non-compliance.

Do Email Sender Rates Impact SEO Rankings?

Email sender rates don’t directly affect SEO rankings. Still, non-spammy email campaigns can indirectly boost SEO by driving more traffic to your website and increasing brand awareness, potentially leading to higher search engine visibility. Effective email marketing can also enhance user engagement and content distribution, positively contributing to SEO metrics.

Have any other questions? Reach out to us in the chat or email us at scott@madermarketing.com

Still feel lost?  Call or text me- (513) 341-1112.