Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo have enforced sender requirements. Mail that doesn't meet them is more likely to be rejected or sent to spam. The rules were written with big senders in mind, but small newsletters are affected too: your readers use Gmail and Yahoo, and both providers judge your mail the same way.

This article lists what each provider actually requires, in plain English, and what to do about it.

Requirements for every sender

Both Google and Yahoo apply a baseline to anyone who sends to their users.

  • Authenticate your domain. Set up SPF or DKIM at a minimum. These DNS records prove that a message claiming to be from your domain really came from a server you allow.
  • Keep your spam rate below 0.3%. That is fewer than 3 spam reports per 1,000 messages. Google's guidance also suggests aiming for below 0.1%.
  • Valid DNS and TLS. Your sending servers need forward and reverse DNS (PTR) records and should use a TLS connection. If you send through an email service provider, it usually handles this.
  • Don't pretend to be Gmail. Don't put a gmail.com address in the From: header of mail you send through another service.

Extra requirements for bulk senders

Google applies stricter rules to senders who send more than 5,000 messages per day to personal Gmail accounts. Yahoo has similar rules for bulk senders but does not publish a number.

  • Both SPF and DKIM, not just one.
  • A DMARC record, at least p=none. For Gmail, the domain in your From: address must align with the SPF or DKIM domain.
  • One-click unsubscribe. Marketing and subscribed messages must carry the List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click headers. This makes Gmail and Yahoo show an "Unsubscribe" button next to your sender name.
  • A visible unsubscribe link in the body, in addition to the headers (Google).
  • Honor unsubscribes within 2 days (Yahoo).

"I send far less than 5,000 a day. Does this apply to me?"

Strictly speaking, the bulk rules are thresholds. In practice, it's worth meeting them anyway:

  • Gmail and Yahoo filter on reputation. A sender with SPF, DKIM and DMARC in place, and a low spam rate, simply looks more trustworthy.
  • An unsubscribe button in the inbox is your friend. A reader who wants to stop will press either "Unsubscribe" or "Report spam". You want them to press the first one.
  • If your list grows, you won't have to fix everything later under pressure.

The legal side is separate. In the US, CAN-SPAM requires a working opt-out in every commercial email and processing opt-outs within 10 business days. See our CAN-SPAM checklist.

Checklist

You can check the DNS part of this list in seconds with our free SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.

  • SPF and DKIM records exist for the domain you send from
  • A DMARC record is published (p=none is enough to start)
  • The From: domain matches your authenticated domain
  • Every issue has a visible unsubscribe link
  • One-click unsubscribe headers are present
  • Unsubscribes take effect immediately, or at least within 2 days
  • Bounced addresses and spam complaints are removed from your list automatically
  • You only send to people who asked for your newsletter

How Newsletter Ready handles this

Newsletter Ready sends from its own authenticated domain, with DKIM signing, SPF and a DMARC record. Every issue includes a visible unsubscribe link and the one-click unsubscribe headers, and unsubscribes take effect immediately. Addresses that bounce or report spam are suppressed automatically, so you don't keep mailing them.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal advice.