In an effort to protect the users’ inboxes, both Gmail and Yahoo! have introduced a new set of requirements senders must meet by February 2024 for mail to be delivered as expected to their subscribers. Consequently, Google and Yahoo will implement new prerequisites for those sending bulk emails. These guidelines primarily focus on three main areas: ensuring the authenticity of outgoing emails, keeping track of reported spam levels, and simplifying the process of unsubscribing from email lists.

Why the new requirements are recommended by Gmail & Yahoo?

Email misuse is a big problem in the email world. Even though email services try hard to protect users, it's now important for the people sending emails to take some responsibility. This is because it's challenging to recognize and reward good senders while keeping spam and phishing emails away from users' inboxes.

Whom will these new requirements impact?

The people who send broadcasts with a bulk number of emails as of now. Even if you do not send bulk emails we still strongly recommend making these changes and being future-ready.

Also, we strongly recommend sending emails ONLY from your email domain in all cases and not using Gmail or other public email providers as your 'from:' address while sending emails.

At what time will these requirements take effect?

The implementation of these requirements is set to commence in February 2024.

New recommendations are as follows:

Email Domain Authentication needs to setup (Action needed):
SPF, DKIM & PTR records:
When you set up Sending email domain authentication, Zenler already takes care of this SPF, DKIM & PTR records.

TODO: If you have not completed Email Domain Authentication on Zenler you would need to complete that.
Please refer to: http://support.newzenler.com/en/articles/4786697-authenticating-email-domain

If you have already completed the Email Domain Authentication on Zenler, then NO action is needed for setting up SPF, DKIM & PTR records.

DMARC records: Helps domain owners specify which actions to take when an email fails authentication. It also enables reporting on email authentication results.

TODO: You would need to add a DMARC record - see below for instructions.
Simplify the process of unsubscribing - This will be taken care of by Zenler.
In order to offer a seamless user experience, senders should enable one-click unsubscribe via the List-Unsubscribe header in their emails. This change does not impact the visible Unsubscribe link within the email body. This will be taken care of by Zenler by February 2024 - NO action is needed from you for this.
Send emails that your subscribers want to receive
Yahoo and Gmail will implement a 0.3% spam complaint threshold to decrease spam in their users' email inboxes. Exceeding this threshold will likely increase the number of blocked emails or emails being directed to the bulk folder.

What TODO on your side?

1. Set up your Email Domain Authentication

To set up your email Domain Authentication, go through the page http://support.newzenler.com/en/articles/4786697-authenticating-email-domain

Exclude any widely used public domains like 'Gmail' from your "from" address.

To follow the new rules for sending emails, it's best to use an email address connected to your own website instead of using common ones like Gmail. This helps make sure your emails are sent properly and reach their destination.

For instance, instead of using name@gmail.com for sending newsletters, use an address like name@yourdomain.com. This improves the chances of your emails being delivered successfully.

Important: The "from" address is that you set up on Site > Integration > Email Domain section.

Why is it, not a good idea to use a common email address for sending newsletters?

Domains that are free usually involve extra verification steps and have a higher chance of being marked as spam or junk by email services due to strict DMARC policies. To enhance the likelihood of your emails reaching recipients' primary inboxes, it's advisable to buy a domain and use an associated email address.

If you've already finished the Email Domain Authentication but haven't done Step 2, please go ahead and complete it.

2. Set a DMARC record on your DNS Provider:

Unless you have an existing DMARC record, the following will need to be added to your DNS on your email domain provider:

Type:TXT

Name:_dmarc

Content (or Value): "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com; pct=100; rf=afrf"

Note: Ensure that you incorporate all special characters, such as quotations, apostrophes, and spaces. It is advisable to copy and paste the precise value into the designated Value field.

TTL: You can keep the default value

Eg:

Note: mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com replace with your preferred email address to receive DMARC reports.

You can verify the DMARC records using the following tools.
https://powerdmarc.com/power-dmarc-toolbox/

https://mxtoolbox.com/dmarc.aspx

GoDaddy

To configure the DMARC record on GoDaddy, you can add it as a TXT record:

Go to GoDaddy DNS Records, click Add, and then select TXT from the Type dropdown.
Enter the Name _dmarc into the Name field
Add the Value "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com; pct=100; rf=afrf"

Note: mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com replace with your preferred email address to receive DMARC reports. Also, ensure that you incorporate all special characters, such as quotations, apostrophes, and spaces. It is advisable to copy and paste the precise value into the designated Value field.
Keep the default value in the TTL field.
Click Add record.

CloudFlare

To configure the DMARC record on CloudFlare, you can add it as a TXT record:

Log into your CloudFlare dashboard and click on your Active domain.
Select the DNS tab.
Click +Add Record and select TXT from the Type dropdown.
Enter the Name _dmarc into the Name field.
Keep the default value in the TTL field.
Then, enter "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com; pct=100; rf=afrf" the Content field.

Note: mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com replace with your preferred email address to receive DMARC reports. Also, ensure that you incorporate all special characters, such as quotations, apostrophes, and spaces. It is advisable to copy and paste the precise value into the designated Value field.
Click Save to add your record.

Namecheap

To configure the DMARC record on Namecheap, you can add it as a TXT record:

Log into your Namecheap and go to Advanced DNS settings, locate your Host Records.
Click + Add New Record and select TXT Record from the dropdown menu.
Enter the Name _dmarc into the Host field.
Then, enter the value "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com; pct=100; rf=afrf" into the Value field.

Note: mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com replace with your preferred email address to receive DMARC reports. Also, ensure that you incorporate all special characters, such as quotations, apostrophes, and spaces. It is advisable to copy and paste the precise value into the designated Value field.
Keep the default value (Automatic) in the TTL field.
Then, click Save All Changes.