Google and Yahoo have announced the adoption of updated email authentication requirements for all bulk email senders, set to take effect in the early weeks of February 2024. These changes apply to all email marketing companies and not just Mailmunch.
These changes are being adopted to protect their users against fraudulent messages, such as scams and phishing attempts, and will help prevent their users from receiving any such emails.
The latest change has a significant effect on two categories of email senders:
Large senders or bulk email senders, encompassing anyone sending emails to over 5,000 recipients using Gmail or Yahoo in a single day.
Individuals who use a Gmail or a Yahoo-based email address to send bulk emails through any email marketing company such as Mailmunch irrespective of the email volume.
Quick Summary of the updates:
Use a custom domain email address as the Sender’s email address
Senders will need to authenticate their domain.
Setup SPF records
Setup DKIM records
Senders must include a one-click unsubscribe link in their email.
Senders’ spam rates will need to fall below a certain threshold.
Set up DMARC policy
What Mailmunch users need to do:
Set up a custom domain email address: If you do have an email address set up for your custom domain, please have one set up and verified with Mailmunch to be used as the sender’s email address.
Authenticate your domain: Once the custom domain email address has been verified, authenticate your domain.
SPF records: Mailmunch already has you covered and SPF is already set up on all of our sending IP domain names, so there’s nothing you’ll need to do to set that up
DKIM records: DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Email) is a standard that facilitates the attachment of a digital signature to your outgoing emails. This ensures email providers like Yahoo and Gmail can validate the sender's authenticity and distinguish it from potential impersonation. Please take a look at our Support article for verifying your DKIM records.
One Click Unsubscribe: You do not need to worry about this. The Unsubscribe link is added by default to all emails from the Mailmunch platform.
Spam Rate: It's imperative to maintain good email list hygiene as Google and Yahoo will begin enforcing a spam rate threshold that senders must stay under to ensure inbox placement for their emails. Please find out more on how to maintain good list hygiene in our Support article
DMARC Policy: The most significant update comes in the form of DMARC policy. All Mailmunch customers need to set up DMARC authentication for your sending domain with your DNS provider.
It's important to note that having a DMARC policy type of "none" or "p=none" is acceptable, representing the minimum level of domain owner enforcement for a policy or relaxed alignment.
More details about setting up a DMARC policy can be found in our Support article.
You can also visit DMARC.org to learn more about the DMARC policy framework.
It is important to reiterate that these changes impact all email marketing companies and not just Mailmunch. We strongly encourage you to follow these guidelines for optimal email deliverability