The New Email Deliverability Rules: Ensuring Your Emails Reach Gmail and Yahoo Subscribers

Starting February 2024, Google and Yahoo will require bulk senders (those sending over 5,000 daily emails to their addresses*) to adhere to the following new rules:

• ‍One-click list unsubscribe: Implement this feature and process unsubscribe requests within a two-day time frame.‍
• Authentication protocols: Secure your emails by using SPF, DKIM and DMARC protocols.‍
• Spam complaint rate: Maintain a spam complaint rate below 0.3%, - no more than three spam reports per 1,000 messages.

Email authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC keeps your Gmail or Yahoo inbox safe and user-friendly. It cuts down on spam and fake emails, so your subscribers can trust what they're receiving. And with one-click unsubscribing, it's easier than ever for recipients to manage their email preferences.

This approach keeps your inbox filled with emails you want to read, reduces spam complaints, and improves your email experience.

* Even if your current daily email volume is below 5,000, your business may still be considered a "bulk sender" if you're using customized Gmail (G-Suite) or Yahoo domains within your list. As the importance of email marketing continues to grow, it's likely you'll reach that threshold, so swift authentication is highly recommended.

Let us now proceed with the step-by-step guide to the deliverability rules implementation:

 Authentication is important, and Google and Yahoo highlight its significance for a good reason. By February 2024, make sure to implement these authentication protocols:

• Sender Policy Framework (SPF): Specify IP addresses or domains allowed to send emails on your behalf.
• DomainKeys Identified Email (DKIM): Add a digital signature to verify the authenticity of your emails.
• Domain-Based Messaging Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC): Align SPF and DKIM policies and define how providers should handle failed authentication.

These common security protocols are fundamental in today's digital landscape. While your organization most likely adheres to these protocols as part of standard practices, if there's any uncertainty, you can use online tools to verify the configuration of your domain's mail servers or seek assistance from our team.

Validating Your Domain's DMARC Configuration:

Use online tools like MXToolbox to ensure that the domain’s DMARC is properly formatted and set up. The provided website allows you to enter your domain and verify if a DMARC record is present and properly configured. If it is, the record should follow a specific format and include essential tags that define its policy and reporting instructions – see a basic example below:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@example.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-failures@example.com; pct=100; sp=quarantine; aspf=r;

Verifying SPF in Eloqua and Marketo:

To verify the correct configuration of the SPF record, visit this website and look up your domain. If the provided code is present in the TXT record, then SPF has been configured successfully:

Eloqua: v=spf1 include:_netblocks.eloqua.com -all

Marketo: v=spf1 include:mktomail.com -all                  

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How to test to validate that DKIM has been configured properly?

To make sure your DKIM record setup is correct, go to this website and enter your domain. Remember to include a specific selector along with your domain key. But what is a DKIM Selector? It's a piece of text that teams up with your domain to create a unique DNS record for DKIM. For checking Eloqua domains, use this selector: dk2016._domainkey.example.com.

In Marketo, the typical selector is m1._domainkey.example.com. However, Marketo allows customization of the DKIM signature to match your chosen domain, so the selector could vary. Enter all this information into the Domain Name field and keep the Selector field blank.

If the DKIM is set up properly, the test result resemble the example below:

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Make unsubscribing as easy as signing up. Implement one-click list-unsubscribe to comply with Gmail and Yahoo requirements.

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Some Marketing Automation Platforms (MAPs) automatically incorporate list-unsubscribe in all emails sent through their services, while others may require manual activation or toggling for specific campaigns.
Marketo has this functionality enabled by default.

Please note: Marketo and Eloqua do not include list-unsubscribe in test emails; it becomes visible in the inbox only when a live email is sent.

To implement this feature in Eloqua, navigate to Email Defaults and ensure the 'List-Unsubscribe header to outbound campaign emails (default)' checkbox is enabled. This configuration ensures that the list-unsubscribe header is automatically included in each email on your campaign canvas, with the option to deselect it for individual emails if needed (not recommended, though).

Spam complaints influence your sender reputation. To maintain healthy email deliverability: 

• Never send emails without permission or buy email lists.
• Promptly remove subscribers who mark your emails as spam.
• Regularly clean your email list: Remove inactive subscribers.
• Provide clear opt-in and opt-out options: Simplify subscription management.
• Segment your audience and personalize content: Tailor emails for relevance.
• Tools for Monitoring Spam Complaint Rates: Use tools like Eloqua’s Spam Unsubscribe report to monitor your complaint rate

In addition to responsible list-building and delivering expected content, consider the following strategies to further enhance email deliverability:

• Optimize email design and structure: Craft well-designedemails with a clear layout and concise messaging.
• Regularly clean and update your email lists: Remove inactivesubscribers and bounced email addresses.
• Monitor and analyze email metrics: Track open rates,click-through rates, and bounce rates.
• Segment your email lists: Divide your email subscribers into smaller segments for more targeted content distribution.

Maintaining a good sender reputation involves a combination of responsible practices, content relevance, and continued monitoring. By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach the intended audience effectively.

FAQs

What happens if I don't follow the new deliverability rules?‍

Not following the rules can result in your emails being marked as spam or not delivered at all.

How can I tell if my emails are being marked as spam?

Monitor your email metrics and use tools to track your spam complaint rates.

What are the benefits of email authentication?

Email authentication enhances security, reduces spam, and ensures your emails reach your subscribers' inboxes.