Guide · Email
Bulk Sender Rules: What Gmail and Yahoo Now Require
Bulk sender rules from Gmail and Yahoo start in February 2024. If you send 5,000 or more emails a day, you must set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC, offer one-click unsubscribe, and keep spam complaints under 0.3%. Smaller senders still have a short list to meet.
What the new rules are
Gmail and Yahoo both announced new rules for people who send email in bulk. Google said in October 2023 that the rules start in February 2024. Yahoo said its enforcement starts the same month and will be rolled out gradually.
Google defines a bulk sender as anyone who sends close to 5,000 messages or more to personal Gmail accounts in 24 hours. Mail with the same domain in the From line counts toward that number. A sender that has hit the line even once counts as a bulk sender. Yahoo does not give a number. It says a bulk sender is one that sends a significant volume of mail.
Both companies ask for the same three things. Prove who you are, make it easy to unsubscribe, and keep spam complaints low.
Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines; Google, The Keyword, 3 October 2023; Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, Sender Requirements and Recommendations; Yahoo Sender Hub, FAQs
Key dates
Date What happens 3 October 2023 Google announces the bulk sender rules for 2024 1 February 2024 Google starts to require the rules from anyone who sends over 5,000 daily messages to Gmail users February 2024 Yahoo starts to enforce its sender standards, with a gradual roll-out 1 June 2024 Google deadline for one-click unsubscribe in commercial mail from bulk senders June 2024 Yahoo starts to enforce its List-Unsubscribe rule Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines; Google, The Keyword, 3 October 2023; Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, FAQs
What bulk senders must set up
If you send 5,000 or more messages a day, here is the list in plain words.
Rule What it means Who asks SPF and DKIM Two checks that show your mail really comes from your domain. Bulk senders need both Gmail and Yahoo DMARC A record that tells receivers what to do if those checks fail. A policy of none is enough to start Gmail and Yahoo Aligned From domain The domain in the From line must match your SPF domain or your DKIM domain Gmail and Yahoo One-click unsubscribe Marketing mail needs a List-Unsubscribe header that works in one click, plus a visible link in the body Gmail and Yahoo Fast opt-outs Process each unsubscribe within 2 days Gmail and Yahoo Low spam rate Stay under 0.10% in Google Postmaster Tools and never reach 0.30%. Yahoo says keep it under 0.3% Gmail and Yahoo DNS and TLS Valid forward and reverse DNS records for sending IPs, and a TLS connection Gmail Google also says senders should format messages to the RFC 5322 standard and add ARC headers if they forward mail. Yahoo names the one-click method in RFC 8058 as the one it recommends.
Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines; Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, Sender Requirements and Recommendations
What smaller senders still need
Many agencies and small firms mail well under 5,000 messages daily, yet the rules still touch you. Google says that from 1 February 2024, all senders to Gmail need SPF or DKIM, valid forward and reverse DNS, a TLS connection, and a spam rate under 0.10%. Yahoo asks all senders for SPF or DKIM, a spam rate under 0.3%, and valid DNS records too.
One more catch. Mail you send for a client may share a domain with other campaigns. Google adds up every message with the same domain in the From line, so the total can reach the line faster than you expect. Know your daily total before you assume you are exempt.
Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines; Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, Sender Requirements and Recommendations
A ten minute check for any sending domain
Run this list for each domain that sends your newsletters, offers or lead follow-ups. Ask your email tool or your IT contact if you are unsure.
Check Pass if Is SPF published? A TXT record for the domain lists the services that send your mail Is DKIM turned on? Your email tool signs each message with your domain, not only its own Is there a DMARC record? A record exists, even with the policy set to none Does the From domain match? The From address uses the same domain as SPF or DKIM Can people leave in one click? Test mail shows an Unsubscribe option next to the sender name or at the top Do opt-outs work in 2 days? A test address stops getting mail within 2 days Is the spam rate low? Google Postmaster Tools shows under 0.10% Mail that is not a promotion, such as a password reset or a booking confirmation, does not need one-click unsubscribe, according to Google.
Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines; Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, Sender Requirements and Recommendations
What happens if you miss the rules
Google says mail that does not meet its rules might be rejected or land in spam. Yahoo says non-compliant mail may go to the spam folder or be rejected. If Yahoo rejects mail, it returns an error code that explains why.
Google sends a rejection code and a reason when it rejects a message, and you can see it in Postmaster Tools. So the best time to fix your set-up is before the first deadline.
Sources: Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ; Yahoo Sender Hub, FAQs
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