Why Business Owners Need to Be Prepared for the New Gmail and Yahoo Requirements Starting on February 1st, 2024
If you are a business owner who emails your customers, prospects, or partners, you need to be aware of the new requirements that Gmail and Yahoo are implementing starting on February 1st, 2024. These requirements affect all email senders who send bulk emails (more than 5,000 messages per day) to recipients with Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL email addresses. Failing to comply with these requirements could result in your emails being rejected, marked as spam, or losing the trust of your recipients.
What are the new requirements, and why are they important?
The new requirements are part of Gmail and Yahoo’s efforts to improve email security and deliverability and to protect their users from spam, phishing, and other malicious email practices. They aim to:
Tighten security measures by enforcing stricter email authentication protocols
Ensure email source authenticity by preventing email spoofing and impersonation
Protect email recipients from unwanted or irrelevant content by lowering the spam complaint rate threshold
The new requirements include the following:
Configure email authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols validate that your emails are sent from authorized domains, add a digital signature to your emails, and report any discrepancies or non-compliance. They help you establish yourself as a legitimate and trustworthy sender and make it harder for spammers or hackers to use your domain or email address to send fraudulent emails. Watch a step-by-step video about how to set up these protocols for your domain.
Do not impersonate Gmail “From:” headers. This means that you cannot use a Gmail address as the sender of your emails unless you own that address and have verified it with Gmail. This prevents you from misleading your recipients or pretending to be someone else.
Maintain a spam rate below 0.3% and send relevant emails. This means that you should only send emails to recipients who have given you permission, who are interested in your content, and who are unlikely to mark your emails as spam. This improves the quality of your email communication and the user experience for your recipients. Read this detailed article about how to reduce your spam rate and send relevant emails.
Provide an easy one-click unsubscribe system and process unsubscribes within 2 days. This means that you should include a clear and visible unsubscribe link in every email you send, and honor the requests of your recipients who want to opt out of your email list. This respects the preferences of your recipients and avoids annoying them with unwanted emails. Learn more about how to provide an easy unsubscribe system and process unsubscribes.
How to prepare for February 2024:
The good news is that most of these requirements are already considered best practices for email marketing and communication, and reflect the current standards for email delivery. They will help you optimize your deliverability rate, strengthen user trust in your brand, avoid delivery issues, and keep your emails out of the “spam” folder. If you’re already doing this, you have nothing to worry about.
However, if you are not sure whether you are compliant with these requirements or if you need some guidance on how to implement them, here are some steps you can take before February 2024:
Check your email authentication settings and ensure you have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured for your domain. You can use tools like [Mail Tester] or [Mailtrap] to test your email authentication and deliverability.
Review your email sender information and ensure you are not using a Gmail address as the sender of your emails unless you own and verify that address with Gmail. You can use your domain or a custom domain as your sender address, as long as you authenticate it with SPF and DKIM.
Monitor your email performance and ensure you have a low spam rate and a high engagement rate. You can use tools like [Google Postmaster Tools] or [Yahoo Postmaster] to track your email reputation and deliverability metrics. You can also use tools like [Cyberimpact] or [Postmark] to measure your email engagement and feedback.
Update your email content and make sure you are sending relevant and valuable emails to your recipients. You can use tools like “Mailchimp” or “ConvertKit” to segment your email list, personalize your email content, and optimize your email design and layout.
Improve your email subscription and unsubscription processes and ensure you respect your recipients’ preferences. You can use tools like “OptinMonster” or “Sumo” to create attractive and compliant opt-in forms, and tools like “Unroll.me” or “Unlistr” to manage your email subscriptions and unsubscribes.
CONCLUSION
The new Gmail and Yahoo requirements can be intimidating and even annoying, but it’s not something to be afraid of but rather something to embrace as an opportunity to improve your email communication and marketing. By following these requirements, you will not only avoid potential delivery issues but also enhance your email reputation, trust, and engagement with your recipients. So, don’t wait until February 1, 2024 to take action. Start preparing now and get ready to reap the benefits of a more secure, effective, and successful email strategy.
Watch how to set this up yourself here, or ask your webmaster to do this for you. If you are still using Gmail and Yahoo as your personal email to send emails to customers, it’s time to get a professional email. You can easily do so by first purchasing a domain name here. After purchasing a domain name, click the email drop-down arrow on the site and purchase a business email for a nominal monthly price.