Gmail and Yahoo upcoming requirements enforced for bulk email senders

[Neil]

I received an email from Twilio today informing me that both Google and Yahoo have made announcements that they are going to start enforcing certain requirements for bulk email senders, so decided to have a quick look into it.

Key points from what I can gather:

• The new requirements will take effect on February 1, 2024 and affect both free and paid accounts of Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL.
• All bulk email senders, regardless of the volume, must:
  • Authenticate their sending domain using SPF or DKIM
  • Have valid forward and reverse DNS records for their sending domain and IP
  • Keep their spam rate reported in Google Postmaster Tools below 0.3%
  • Format their messages according to the Internet Message Format standard (RFC 5322)
  • Avoid impersonating Gmail From: headers
  • Add ARC headers to outgoing email if they forward email regularly
• Bulk email senders who send more than 5,000 emails per day to Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL must also:
  • Authenticate their sending domain using SPF and DKIM
  • Authenticate their sending domain using DMARC and pass DMARC alignment
  • Enable one-click unsubscribe with a clearly visible unsubscribe link

These new requirements are intended to improve the security and deliverability of bulk