How will Google's new spam rate threshold impact email deliverability, especially for B2B senders?

Summary

Google's new spam rate threshold significantly impacts email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Non-compliance leads to emails being treated as unwanted, potentially rejected or sent to spam, with diminished chances of mitigation if blocked. Responses to spam issues are expected to be incremental, starting with rate limiting and progressing to blocking. A spam vote rate near 0.3% can already cause deliverability problems, and B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown due to limitations in Google Postmaster Tools, which doesn't fully account for Google Workspace data. Addressing B2B spam requires scrutiny of email address sources and a halt to improper acquisition practices. While the spam rate is assessed over time to minimize the impact of a single bad day, it is recommended to target a complaint rate of <0.1%, especially for high-volume senders. Adapting to new spam thresholds necessitates focusing on authentication, list hygiene, and delivering valuable, solicited content. B2B senders must prioritize list quality and opt-in practices, as complaint rates directly affect inbox placement. Proper email authentication is key to establishing credibility, while engagement metrics like opens and clicks influence deliverability. Sender reputation significantly impacts deliverability, and maintaining clean, engaged subscriber lists is essential. Personalized, targeted cold email strategies are crucial; generic mass emails are more likely to be marked as spam. Prompt and effective handling of complaints is vital, and encouraging subscriber engagement through relevant content, personalization, and A/B testing improves deliverability. Furthermore, updated deliverability changes will impact B2B senders relying on older or less compliant tactics, requiring them to authenticate correctly, manage lists effectively, and ensure their content is wanted. New authentication requirements benefit those already adhering to best practices, but cold emailers must adapt their strategies to avoid being filtered as spam.

Key findings

  • Deliverability Impact: Google's new spam rate threshold significantly affects email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders.
  • Consequences of Non-Compliance: Non-compliance results in emails being treated as unwanted, potential rejection or spam placement, and reduced chances of mitigation.
  • Incremental Responses: Responses to spam issues are expected to be incremental, from rate limiting to blocking.
  • Spam Vote Rate Threshold: A spam vote rate near 0.3% can already lead to deliverability issues.
  • B2B Data Limitations: B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown due to limitations in Google Postmaster Tools.
  • Addressing B2B Spam: Addressing B2B spam involves scrutinizing email address sources and ceasing improper acquisition practices.
  • Spam Rate Measurement: Spam rate is assessed over time, targeting <0.1% for high-volume senders.
  • Adaptation Requirements: Adapting involves authentication, list hygiene, and delivering valuable content.
  • B2B List Management: B2B senders must prioritize list quality and opt-in practices.
  • Authentication Importance: Proper email authentication is key to establishing credibility.
  • Engagement Influence: Engagement metrics (opens, clicks) influence deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation impacts deliverability, measured by Sender Score.
  • List Hygiene Benefits: Clean, engaged subscriber lists are essential for deliverability.
  • Cold Email Personalization: Personalized cold email strategies are crucial to avoid spam filters.
  • Complaint Handling: Prompt and effective handling of complaints is vital.
  • Subscriber Engagement: Encouraging subscriber engagement through relevant content improves deliverability.
  • Impact on B2B Tactics: Updated deliverability changes impact B2B senders using older tactics.
  • New Authentication Rules: New authentication rules benefit compliant businesses, requiring cold emailers to adapt.

Key considerations

  • Compliance Focus: Prioritize compliance with Google's spam rate threshold.
  • Address Acquisition: Scrutinize and improve email address acquisition practices.
  • List Management Practices: Implement and maintain effective list management strategies.
  • Authentication Implementation: Implement and maintain robust email authentication protocols.
  • Proactive Adaptation: Proactively adapt to the evolving landscape of email deliverability.
  • Feedback Loop Monitoring: Monitor feedback loops to ensure proper email delivery and address complaints promptly.
  • Engagement Optimization: Optimize email content and strategies to enhance subscriber engagement.
  • Cold Email Strategy Review: Review and adapt cold email strategies for greater personalization and relevance.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

Google's new spam rate threshold significantly impacts email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Senders must meet Google's new requirements to ensure their emails reach inboxes. Failure to meet these thresholds can result in emails being marked as spam or blocked. B2B senders need to pay close attention to list quality, engagement metrics, authentication, and cold emailing strategies. Maintaining a low spam vote rate is important for resilience against occasional spikes. Adaptations include focusing on authentication, list hygiene, and relevant, valuable content.

Key opinions

  • Deliverability Impact: A spam vote rate close to 0.3% can cause deliverability problems.
  • Meeting Requirements: Meeting Google's new requirements ensures emails reach inboxes.
  • B2B Focus: B2B senders must prioritize list quality and opt-in practices.
  • Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) establishes credibility.
  • Engagement Metrics: Engagement metrics (opens, clicks) influence deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation impacts deliverability, measured by Sender Score.
  • List Hygiene: Clean lists with engaged subscribers improve deliverability.
  • Cold Email Strategies: Personalized and targeted cold email strategies are essential.
  • Complaint Handling: Promptly handling complaints is crucial for minimizing spam flags.
  • Subscriber Engagement: Encouraging subscriber engagement improves deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Threshold Compliance: Ensure spam rates remain below the specified threshold to avoid penalties.
  • List Management: Regularly clean and maintain email lists to remove inactive or unengaged contacts.
  • Authentication Implementation: Implement proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to enhance credibility.
  • Engagement Strategies: Focus on providing valuable content and encouraging subscriber engagement to reduce complaints.
  • Cold Email Re-evaluation: Re-evaluate and personalize cold emailing strategies to avoid being marked as spam.
  • Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation and deliverability metrics to maintain good standing with mailbox providers.
  • Feedback Loops: B2B senders should monitor feedback loops to ensure their mails are being properly received.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog says that engagement metrics (opens, clicks) influence deliverability. Senders with low engagement and high complaint rates are more likely to be filtered. B2B senders should focus on providing value to recipients.

May 2021 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Validity Blog answers that list hygiene impacts deliverability. Clean lists with engaged subscribers lead to higher deliverability rates. B2B senders should regularly remove inactive or unengaged contacts.

May 2024 - Validity Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog shares that adapting to new spam thresholds involves focusing on authentication, list hygiene, and sending valuable, wanted content. Monitoring sender reputation and deliverability metrics is crucial for B2B senders.

March 2025 - SparkPost Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog shares that proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) helps establish credibility with mailbox providers. In addition, senders lacking authentication are more likely to face deliverability issues.

August 2022 - Email on Acid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that handling complaints promptly and effectively is crucial. Removing subscribers who complain minimizes future spam flags. B2B senders should monitor feedback loops.

February 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog answers that encouraging subscriber engagement improves deliverability. Strategies include sending relevant content, using personalization, and A/B testing. Engaged subscribers are less likely to mark emails as spam.

December 2024 - Sendinblue Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit r/emailmarketing responds by stating that B2B senders need to pay extra attention to list quality and opt-in practices because complaint rates directly impact inbox placement. Cold emailing strategies may need re-evaluation.

July 2023 - Reddit r/emailmarketing
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass Blog shares that cold email strategies need to be more personalized and targeted. Generic, mass emails are more likely to be marked as spam. B2B senders should segment their lists and tailor content.

June 2024 - GMass Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog shares that meeting Google's new requirements helps ensure emails reach the inbox, with authentication, list management, and relevant content becoming more important. Senders not meeting the thresholds risk emails being marked as spam or blocked.

November 2021 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SenderScore shares that sender reputation, measured by Sender Score, impacts deliverability. High scores indicate good sending practices and better inbox placement. B2B senders should monitor and maintain their Sender Score.

July 2021 - SenderScore
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks mentions that a spam vote rate close to 0.3% already causes deliverability problems and spam foldering, and sustaining such a rate will likely result in emails not being delivered.

August 2021 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
7Expert opinions

Google's new spam rate threshold will significantly impact email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Non-compliance results in unwanted email treatment, potential rejection or spam placement, and reduced mitigation chances when blocked. Responses to spam issues will likely be incremental, including rate limiting and eventual blocking. B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown as Google Postmaster Tools excludes Google Workspace data, lacking benchmarks. Addressing B2B spam involves questioning address sources and stopping improper acquisition. The spam rate is measured as a trend, targeting <0.1% for senders of 5,000+ emails daily. Updated deliverability changes impact B2B senders using older tactics, requiring proper authentication and effective list management. New authentication requirements benefit compliant businesses but necessitate cold emailers to update practices to avoid filtering.

Key opinions

  • Non-Compliance Consequences: Non-compliance with Google's spam rate threshold leads to unwanted email treatment and potential blocking.
  • Incremental Responses: Responses to spam issues are incremental, starting with rate limiting and progressing to blocking.
  • B2B Data Limitations: B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown due to Google Postmaster Tools excluding Workspace data, with no benchmarks available.
  • B2B Spam Solutions: Addressing B2B spam requires questioning address sources and stopping improper acquisition.
  • Spam Rate Measurement: The spam rate is measured as a trend over time, targeting <0.1% for high-volume senders.
  • Deliverability Changes: Updated deliverability changes require B2B senders to authenticate correctly and manage lists effectively.
  • Authentication Benefits: New authentication requirements benefit compliant businesses, but cold emailers need to update practices.

Key considerations

  • Compliance Measures: Implement measures to comply with Google's spam rate threshold to avoid deliverability penalties.
  • Address Acquisition: Review and improve address acquisition practices to ensure legitimate and opt-in sources.
  • List Management: Implement effective list management strategies to maintain a healthy and engaged subscriber base.
  • Authentication Implementation: Proper email authentication is vital for enhancing credibility and avoiding spam filters.
  • Proactive Approach: B2B senders must proactively monitor and adapt to the evolving landscape of email deliverability requirements.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks responds to the question about Google's new spam rate threshold, explaining that non-compliance will likely cause emails to be treated as unwanted, impacting deliverability. Violating some requirements may lead to outright rejection, while others might result in spam folder placement, depending on sender history and reputation. Non-compliance also diminishes chances of mitigation when blocked.

January 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the updated deliverability changes from Google and Yahoo will impact B2B senders, especially those relying on older or less compliant tactics. Senders need to authenticate correctly, manage lists effectively, and ensure their content is wanted to maintain good deliverability.

December 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks responds to the question on how to address B2B spam, suggesting that clients should be questioned about the source of their email addresses and advised to stop acquiring addresses improperly. In addition, ESPs don't make it easy to report spam, so senders seldom hear about negative feedback.

June 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares their expectations of an incremental response to spam issues, starting with rate limiting, progressing to spam folder placement, and potentially leading to blocking if the problems are not resolved.

June 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the new authentication requirements are largely beneficial, especially for businesses that already adhere to best practices. However, it also highlights the need for cold emailers to update practices or risk being filtered as spam.

January 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the spam rate is measured as a trend over time, minimizing the impact of a single bad day. It's intended for senders of 5,000+ emails per day, suggesting targeting a complaint rate of <0.1%.

June 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that Google Postmaster Tools doesn't report data from Google Workspace accounts, indicating that B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown. She also states there are no benchmark for b2b complaint rates and business domains are not included in any FBL program.

September 2021 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all emphasize the importance of maintaining low spam complaint rates and a good sender reputation for email deliverability. Low spam rates improve resilience to user feedback spikes, while high spam rates result in increased spam classification, filtering, and reduced inbox placement. Improving complaint rates takes time to reflect positively on spam classification. Recipient engagement is crucial, and spam complaints directly affect sender reputation.

Key findings

  • Resilience to Spikes: Low spam rates provide resilience against spikes in user feedback.
  • Increased Spam Classification: High spam rates lead to increased spam classification by email providers.
  • Complaint Rate Improvement: Improving spam complaint rates requires time to positively impact spam classification.
  • Importance of Engagement: Recipient engagement is crucial for maintaining email deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation: Spam complaints directly affect sender reputation and can lead to filtering or blocking.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Complaint Rates: Continuously monitor and strive to maintain low spam complaint rates.
  • Improve Engagement: Implement strategies to improve recipient engagement with email content.
  • Manage Sender Reputation: Proactively manage sender reputation through best practices and adherence to email provider guidelines.
  • Be Patient with Improvements: Understand that improvements in complaint rates may take time to reflect positively.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Sender Guidelines explains that senders who keep their spam rates low are more resilient to occasional spikes in user feedback. High spam rates will lead to increased spam classification. Improving your spam complaint rate can take some time to positively influence spam classification.

November 2023 - Google Sender Guidelines
Technical article

Documentation from Yahoo Mail Sender Best Practices explains that senders must maintain low complaint rates to ensure delivery, emphasizing the importance of recipient engagement. Senders with high complaint rates may experience filtering and reduced inbox placement.

May 2023 - Yahoo Mail Sender Best Practices
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft 365 Sender Support explains that maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for deliverability. Spam complaints directly affect sender reputation and can lead to filtering or blocking.

June 2024 - Microsoft 365 Sender Support