Gmail and Yahoo Mail rolled out policies to improve email security and the user experience. They specifically target bulk senders —those who send more than 5,000 emails per day. To keep good deliverability and avoid being blocked, you need to comply.
Who this affects
Mainly email marketing platforms, notification and transactional email systems, and any app that sends high-volume automated email.
Mandatory requirements
1
Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Configure and enable these DNS records: SPF (authorizes which servers can send for your domain), DKIM (adds a cryptographic signature that verifies integrity) and DMARC (tells receivers how to handle messages that fail SPF/DKIM). If you're not ready for strict enforcement, start with a
p=none DMARC policy.2
One-click unsubscribe
Include a one-click unsubscribe link (
List-Unsubscribe) in your email headers, and honor unsubscribe requests within 2 days. Gmail now shows an automatic "Unsubscribe" button when this header is set correctly.3
Keep the spam complaint rate low
Gmail and Yahoo require a spam complaint rate below 0.3%. Going over can send your email to spam or get it blocked. Monitor it with Google Postmaster Tools.
Recommended best practices
- Clean your list regularly: remove inactive or bouncing addresses.
- Validate emails before sending: invalid addresses hurt your sender reputation.
- Test before big campaigns: especially when changing IPs or providers.
- Segment and personalize: avoid generic mass blasts.
- Include your contact info and remind recipients why they're getting your email.
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