Your 2024 guide to Google & Yahoo’s 2024 Requirements

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of digital communication, companies like Google and Yahoo are constantly refining their inbox practices to ensure optimal user experience and security. Recently, these tech giants have announced new sender requirements for email communication. Although these requirements were previously considered best practices, they are now shifting from recommendation to enforcement.

This article focuses on Google's requirements, as they are stricter and meeting them ensures you'll also meet Yahoo's. Google will begin enforcing the new requirements starting February 1, 2024, while Yahoo is less specific, mentioning only Q1 of 2024.

Key Changes

Authenticating emails with DKIM, and DMARC
Match "From:" Header with Your Domain
Allow easy one-click unsubscribe
Keep spam complaints below maximum of 0.3%

Official Statements

How to adapt to these changes

1. Domain Verification: Authenticate emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) is an email security protocol that verifies email senders and if emails are genuinely sent by the person or organization it claims to be from. It builds on the Domain Name System (DNS), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) protocols. Find more information about DMARC here.

Unauthenticated emails may be bounced with a 5.7.26 error or marked as spam.

Until recently Google encouraged users to set up DMARC authentication for their sending domain in their DNS provider. From February 2024 it'll be mandatory to use your own sending domain. Shared domains are no longer acceptable.

While shared domains are off the table, you don't necessarily need a dedicated IP. Using a shared IP is still acceptable. Feel free to contact Encharge support if you're interested in setting up dedicated IP.

2. Match "From:" Header with Your Domain

The domain in your friendly "From:" header (what your subscribers see in their inbox) must align with your sending domain to comply with DMARC alignment.

Note, sending from a non-verified domain will be considered a mismatch between "From:" header and domain!

3. Make Unsubscribing Easier and Clearer

Every marketing email must include an easy method to unsubscribe in just one step. There must also be an unsubscribe link in the message body. If recipients find it difficult to unsubscribe, they're more likely to mark your emails as spam, which brings us to our next point.

HubSpot's marketing email tool does currently meet one click unsubscribe through what is called "list unsubscribe header." This is a code HubSpot automatically places within the headers of the email. This enables an email client like Yahoo or Gmail to enable a 1 click unsubscribe button in their tool.

Encharge automatically inserts the one-click unsubscribe link and both List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click and List-Unsubscribe will be available starting Feb 1st. This is a code inserted between the headers of the email. It allows an email client like Yahoo or Google to enable a 1 Click Unsubscribe Button in their tools.

4. Keep Your Spam Rates Low

Striving to keep spam complaints low is crucial. With the new changes, you'll need to keep them under 0.10% and never go above 0.30%. You can use Google’s Postmaster Tools to monitor your Domain reputation and spam metrics. Note, Google does not send notifications for Spam Rates and Postmaster Tools is one of few methods you can use to gain this information.

One of the best ways to keep Spam Rates low is by performing list maintenance regularly and implementing more rigorous opt-in methods.