What causes Yahoo policy violations in transactional emails and how can they be resolved?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that aboutmy.email tool checks for email content against Google/Yahoo requirements, irrespective of whether the emails are transactional or marketing. Mentions although including one-click unsubscribe in transactional emails if they generate spam complaints is better, excluding them is standard practice.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains that policy violations can occur if transactional emails contain content that triggers spam filters. Avoiding spam trigger words and testing emails with spam checkers before sending can prevent these issues.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds by highlighting that overly aggressive or misleading subject lines can trigger policy violations. Also adds that subject lines should accurately reflect the content of the email and avoid using spam trigger words.
Email marketer from Email Sender Website shares that policy violations often stem from poor list hygiene, leading to high bounce rates and spam complaints. Recommends cleaning email lists regularly, implementing double opt-in, and monitoring sender reputation to avoid issues.
Email marketer from EmailDeliverability.com shares that low engagement rates (opens and clicks) can lead to Yahoo considering emails as unwanted, resulting in policy violations. Improving email content and segmenting lists to target interested recipients can improve engagement.
Email marketer from Email on Acid responds by suggesting using broken links or images in transactional emails can negatively impact sender reputation and lead to policy violations. Regularly checking and fixing broken links and images ensures a better user experience.
Email marketer from Quora explains that sending generic, non-personalized emails can result in low engagement and increased spam complaints, leading to policy violations. Personalizing emails with recipient-specific information can improve engagement and reduce complaints.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that one common cause is the inclusion of promotional content within transactional emails, which violates their purpose. Also shares one way to avoid this is to keep transactional emails strictly related to the transaction, like order confirmations or shipping updates.
Email marketer from Mailjet says that failing to include a physical mailing address in emails violates CAN-SPAM regulations and can lead to policy violations. Including a valid physical address builds trust and ensures compliance.
Email marketer from StackExchange responds by suggesting a lack of clear and easy unsubscribe options can lead to recipients marking emails as spam, triggering policy violations. Providing a visible and functioning unsubscribe link in every email is essential.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks identifies the PH01 error as a phishing error related to content, potentially a false positive or a sign of a website compromise hosting a phishing landing page. She recommends opening a ticket and alerting the security team.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that the Yahoo policy violation error is likely a false positive and recommends opening a ticket with Yahoo support to resolve the issue.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that improving inbox placement requires a multi-faceted approach, including proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), managing sender reputation, and ensuring email content adheres to best practices. Monitoring feedback loops and addressing complaints promptly are also essential steps.
Expert from Spamresource highlights the importance of monitoring blocklists to identify if your sending IPs or domains have been listed. Addressing the reasons for being blocklisted and requesting delisting is crucial for resolving deliverability issues and policy violations.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that a poor IP reputation, due to previous spam activities, can cause Yahoo to block emails. Monitoring and maintaining a clean IP reputation are essential to prevent deliverability issues.
Documentation from Yahoo Help Central explains that policy violations occur when emails do not comply with Yahoo's guidelines, including issues with content, authentication, or sender reputation. Resolution involves reviewing sender guidelines, improving authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and ensuring content is not flagged as spam.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools describes that a consistent sending volume is important. Also to suddenly increase sending volume without warming up the IP address, this can trigger spam filters and cause policy violations. Gradually increasing sending volume allows Yahoo to learn the sender's sending patterns.
Documentation from DMARC.org answers that a failing DMARC policy (e.g., set to 'reject') can cause Yahoo to reject emails that fail authentication checks. Implementing and correctly configuring DMARC is crucial for ensuring emails are properly authenticated.
Documentation from ietf.org specifies that adhering to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC standards is critical for avoiding policy violations related to authentication. Ensures that receiving mail servers can verify the sender's identity, reducing the likelihood of being flagged as spam or phishing.