What is Happening & Why?
Marketing managers and website owners need to be aware of sweeping changes to the email marketing landscape, as Google rolls out new regulations to stop spam across the internet.
Making website domain upgrades will be required to continue communicating with email subscribers using various platforms, including Gmail and Yahoo! Mail.
Starting in February 2024, Google will progressively be rolling out the changes - requiring technical upgrades to web domains, for any business sending email campaigns and communications to subscribers.
By April, Google will start rejecting a percentage of non-compliant emails sent to Gmail inboxes. The protections encompass the whole domain of any company, so experts expect most websites will be impacted.
In time, these changes will impact all email services across the internet.
Effectively, every brand or organisation communicating with subscribers or customers from a website address will need to take action to change what are known as DMARC records.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a crucial element in email authentication and plays a significant role in combating spam and phishing emails.
What Can Clue Clients Do?
Some Clue clients would likely require assistance over the coming weeks and months to mitigate the risk of disruption. Monitoring will need to take place - with reports generated by services such as Gmail essential to make sure DMARC, SPF and DKIM records are correctly applied to each web domain. The Clue team is monitoring the situation closely.
To mitigate the risk of disruption to your email marketing and website communications, Clue offers clients an audit, recommendation, and action service.
This service includes:
- Checking domains
- Updating DNS records with correct DMARC
- Reviewing reports generated by email services.
- Final review, analysis and final required recommendations.
- Any further actions to be undertaken in coordination with your team, including offering guidance on how to implement the changes.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your account manager or the Clue team directly if you have any questions or to assist you approach to navigating these changes.
More on Google's Announcement
Google's initiative underscores the importance of email validation.
Despite technological advancements, verifying an email's source remains a challenge due to outdated and inconsistent internet systems. To combat this, Google has focused on ensuring that senders are authentic.
New Requirements for Bulk Senders
By February 2024, bulk senders to Gmail and other email platforms (those sending over 5,000 messages in a day) must adhere to several new requirements:
- Authenticate Their Email: Google is mandating strong authentication for high-volume senders, following established best practices. This move aims to close loopholes exploited by attackers, enhancing email source reliability.
- Enable Easy Un-subscription: Unsubscribing from commercial emails should be straightforward. Google now requires a one-click unsubscribe option for large senders, with a processing time of two days for unsubscription requests. This requirement is built on open standards, benefiting all email users.
- Ensure Sending Wanted Email: Google will enforce a clear spam rate threshold, an industry-first move. Bulk senders must stay under this threshold to avoid their messages being classified as unwanted spam. This measure will further reduce the presence of spam in Gmail inboxes.
Collaboration with Yahoo & Industry Implications
Google is not alone in these endeavours. Yahoo, along with other industry partners, recognises the necessity of these changes. Marcel Becker, Sr. Dir. Product at Yahoo echoes the sentiment that all email users deserve a secure experience, highlighting the need for industry-wide collaboration.
For Email Marketers & Campaign Managers
These changes should be viewed as basic email hygiene. While many senders already meet most of these requirements, those who need to upgrade their systems will find clear guidance from Google before the enforcement begins. As an email marketer or campaign manager, adapting to these changes is crucial. This includes ensuring your email authentication is robust, providing easy unsubscribe options, and constantly monitoring your spam rates.
A Continuous Effort for a Safer Email World
These updates are akin to a tune-up for the email industry. They aim to refine and enhance the functionality of email communication, ensuring it remains secure, user-friendly, and free from spam. However, this is not a one-off exercise.
Maintaining a secure and spam-free email environment requires ongoing collaboration and vigilance from the entire email community.
For marketers and email campaign managers, staying ahead of these changes and working in tandem with these new standards is essential for ensuring that your emails continue to reach your audience effectively and securely.
Stay compliant and competitive with expert assistance from the Clue team — contact us today for seamless adaptation to new email rules.