What is the timeline and impact of Google's new email sending requirements starting February 2024?

Summary

In February 2024, Google and Yahoo are implementing new email sending requirements for bulk senders (5,000+ emails/day) aimed at reducing spam and improving user experience. Key mandates include strict email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), easy one-click unsubscription (RFC 8058), and maintaining a low spam rate (below 0.3%). While enforcement begins in February with Google deferring deliveries, outright rejections start in April. Smaller businesses and those with poor email practices face a greater risk of deliverability issues, including emails being marked as spam or blocked. Proactive steps include auditing authentication setups, improving list hygiene, monitoring spam rates, and prioritizing compliance to avoid penalties.

Key findings

  • Enforcement Timeline: Enforcement starts in February 2024 with deferrals, stricter enforcement in April 2024.
  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication is mandatory.
  • Unsubscription: One-click unsubscription (RFC 8058) is required.
  • Spam Rate: Spam rate must be below 0.3%.
  • Bulk Sender Definition: Applies to senders sending 5,000+ emails/day to Gmail accounts.
  • Differential Impact: Smaller senders and those with poor email practices will be disproportionately affected.
  • Existing Practices: Major mailbox providers are already filtering non-compliant mail.
  • Google's Prioritization: Google will prioritize helping compliant senders.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Implementation: Implement and verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
  • List Hygiene: Clean email lists regularly and remove unengaged subscribers.
  • Spam Monitoring: Monitor and reduce spam complaint rates.
  • Compliance Timeline: Prepare for both the February and April enforcement dates.
  • Resource Allocation: Allocate resources for technical and procedural changes.
  • Infrastructure Review: Review and update email sending infrastructure for compliance.
  • Proactive Measures: Take proactive steps now to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

In February 2024, Google and Yahoo are enforcing stricter email sending requirements for bulk senders (5,000+ emails/day). These mandates necessitate proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), easy one-click unsubscription options, and maintaining low spam rates (below 0.3%). Compliance is crucial for maintaining deliverability; failure to adhere to these guidelines can lead to emails being deferred, marked as spam, or blocked entirely. Smaller businesses and those with poor email practices are particularly vulnerable. Google will prioritize helping compliant senders. Proactive steps include auditing current authentication setups, improving list hygiene, and closely monitoring spam complaint rates. These changes are designed to reduce spam and improve the overall email ecosystem.

Key opinions

  • Enforcement Timeline: Enforcement begins in February 2024, with Google deferring deliveries. Outright rejection of emails will begin in April 2024.
  • Authentication Required: Strict authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is mandatory for senders.
  • Easy Unsubscription: Senders must provide an easy one-click unsubscription mechanism.
  • Spam Rate Threshold: Senders must maintain low spam rates (below 0.3%).
  • Impact on Deliverability: Failure to comply can lead to deliverability issues, impacting sender reputation and inbox placement. Smaller businesses may be hit the hardest.
  • Prioritization by Google: Google will prioritize helping senders who meet the requirements.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Audit current email authentication setups and ensure proper implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
  • List Hygiene: Improve list hygiene practices by removing unengaged subscribers and managing bounce rates.
  • Spam Monitoring: Monitor spam complaint rates and take proactive measures to reduce them.
  • Proactive Compliance: Prioritize compliance to avoid deliverability issues and potential blocks. Start making changes now.
  • Review Sending Infrastructure: Developers should ensure email sending infrastructure properly implements SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, correctly configuring DNS records and handling email signing.
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog explains that Gmail and Yahoo's 2024 requirements necessitate strict authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), easy one-click unsubscription, and low spam rates. Failure to comply will result in deliverability issues, impacting sender reputation and inbox placement.

June 2024 - SparkPost Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Validity Blog shares that to prepare for Gmail and Yahoo's new requirements, senders should audit their current email authentication setup, improve list hygiene practices, and monitor spam complaint rates. The impact of not doing so could be significant, including decreased deliverability and damage to sender reputation.

November 2022 - Validity Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit says the main impact is that smaller businesses and those with poor email practices will likely see a drop in deliverability to Gmail accounts if they don't implement the required changes. This will push more senders to adopt best practices, leading to a better email ecosystem overall.

October 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass Blog mentions that Gmail's new requirements from February 2024 will significantly affect bulk email senders, mandating proper authentication, simple unsubscription processes, and minimal spam rates. Those who ignore these changes are likely to face deliverability problems.

August 2022 - GMass Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that Google will prioritize helping those who meet the requirements and that procrastinators will not be prioritized. She says Feb 1 - April 1 is a "fuck around" period, and after that, it's the "find out" period, warning that it is hard to get back on Google's good side once they have identified bad behavior, implying they will show less mercy for senders who are willfully ignorant of the requirements.

October 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow notes that a key impact for developers is ensuring their email sending infrastructure properly implements SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. This includes correctly configuring DNS records and handling email signing to meet the new authentication standards.

December 2021 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Google has already said they will be deferring deliveries between February and April, and outright rejection of a percentage of emails will begin in April.

October 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid Blog shares that Gmail and Yahoo! are making changes in 2024 that will mean stricter authentication practices like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, as well as easy unsubscription mechanisms and low spam rates. The impact for those who aren't prepared will be lower deliverability and potential blocks.

December 2021 - SendGrid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerLite Blog shares that in February 2024, Google and Yahoo will enforce stricter email authentication, list-unsubscribe, and spam rate thresholds for bulk senders. This will impact deliverability for those who don't comply, potentially leading to emails being blocked or sent to spam folders.

January 2024 - MailerLite Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that Gmail's new rules, coming into effect in February 2024, target bulk senders, requiring them to authenticate their emails, offer easy unsubscription options, and keep their spam rates low. Failure to comply could lead to deliverability issues and emails being marked as spam.

May 2024 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus says that the Google and Yahoo mail changes in 2024 mean list hygiene is now more important than ever. If you dont clean your list the changes will affect your deliverability, especially if you have high bounce or spam complaint rates, you will face increased risk of emails going to spam or being blocked

January 2022 - Litmus

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

Experts agree that Google and Yahoo's new email sending requirements, starting February 2024, necessitate implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, and these changes are not entirely new, as mailbox providers are already taking action against non-compliant mail. The policies will disproportionately affect smaller senders lacking resources, making compliance a priority. Poor list hygiene will further impact inbox delivery, emphasizing the importance of maintaining clean and engaged subscriber lists to avoid spam classification.

Key opinions

  • Existing Deprioritization: Large mailbox providers have already begun deferring and spamfoldering non-compliant mail.
  • Disproportionate Impact: Smaller senders with limited resources will be disproportionately affected by the changes.
  • List Hygiene Critical: Poor list hygiene will significantly impact inbox delivery.
  • Authentication Required: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols are mandatory for email senders.
  • Goal is Reduced Spam: The goal of the new requirements is to reduce spam and improve email for users.

Key considerations

  • Prioritize Compliance: Implement the required authentication and unsubscription mechanisms promptly.
  • Maintain Clean Lists: Focus on maintaining clean and engaged subscriber lists to avoid spam classification.
  • Resource Allocation: Allocate resources for implementing the necessary technical and procedural changes.
  • Address Poor Practices: Take immediate action to address and improve any poor email practices.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that the upcoming changes by Gmail and Yahoo will start being enforced in February 2024, requiring email senders to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols. They state that the goal is to reduce spam and improve the overall email experience for users. If not followed the negative impact will affect smaller businesses and those with poor email practices with a possible drop in deliverability to Gmail and Yahoo accounts.

February 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes that the impact of Google and Yahoo's 2024 policy changes will disproportionately affect smaller senders who may lack the resources or expertise to implement the required authentication and unsubscription mechanisms. They recommend prioritizing compliance to avoid deliverability issues.

September 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that large mailbox providers have already been deferring, deprioritizing, and spamfoldering mail that doesn’t comply with these requirements, emphasizing that it's not something that starts only in February or April.

January 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise notes that Google and Yahoo's update in 2024 will significantly impact inbox delivery, especially for senders with poor list hygiene. They highlight that maintaining clean lists and engaging subscribers is crucial to avoid being marked as spam and to ensure emails reach the intended recipients.

April 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Google and Yahoo are implementing new requirements for bulk email senders (5,000+ messages/day) starting in February 2024. These requirements include authenticating email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; enabling easy one-click unsubscription (as defined in RFC 8058); and maintaining a spam rate below 0.3%. Non-compliance may result in messages being rejected or sent to spam, with stricter enforcement beginning in April 2024.

Key findings

  • Authentication: Senders must authenticate email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
  • Unsubscription: Easy unsubscription with a one-click option is required, adhering to RFC 8058.
  • Spam Rate: The spam rate must be kept below 0.3%.
  • Enforcement Timeline: Enforcement begins in February 2024, with stricter enforcement in April 2024.
  • Scope: These requirements apply to senders sending 5,000 or more messages a day.

Key considerations

  • Technical Implementation: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols.
  • Unsubscribe Mechanism: Ensure a one-click unsubscribe option is easily accessible in every email.
  • Spam Monitoring and Control: Implement strategies to keep spam rates below the threshold.
  • Preparation for Enforcement: Prepare for the initial enforcement in February and stricter enforcement in April.
  • Bulk Sender Evaluation: If you send more than 5000 emails daily to Gmail accounts, then ensure you meet the set requirements.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor clarifies that RFC 8058 describes a method for email senders to signal one-click unsubscribe functionality, which is now a requirement by Gmail and Yahoo! for bulk senders. This standard ensures a user can easily unsubscribe from mailing lists with a single click.

February 2023 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Google Help outlines requirements for bulk senders, including authenticating email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; ensuring easy unsubscription with a one-click unsubscribe option and a visible unsubscribe link in the message body; and keeping spam rates below 0.3%. It notes that enforcement starts in February 2024, with stricter enforcement in April 2024.

June 2022 - Google Help
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Updates explains that beginning in February 2024, Google will require senders who send 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts to authenticate their email, enable easy unsubscription, and stay below a reported spam rate threshold. Senders who don’t meet these requirements may have their messages rejected or sent to spam.

September 2021 - Google Workspace Updates
Technical article

Documentation from Yahoo Help details that starting in early 2024, senders must authenticate their email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They must also implement one-click unsubscription and maintain a low spam complaint rate. Non-compliance may lead to delivery issues and potential blocking.

April 2024 - Yahoo Help