Since 2024, Google and Yahoo have asked everyone who sends a lot of email to their users to meet a few clear rules. They are not complicated, and they are the same things that make email land well anyway. Here is what they mean, without the jargon.
Who the rules apply to
Some rules apply to everyone who sends to a Gmail or Yahoo address. The stricter ones apply to bulk senders — Google uses about 5,000 messages a day to its users as the line. If you send newsletters or campaigns, it is simplest to follow all of them from day one.
Prove the email is really from you
Mailbox providers check three DNS records on your domain before they trust a message:
- SPF lists the servers allowed to send for your domain.
- DKIM signs each message, so nobody can change it on the way.
- DMARC tells providers what to do when a message fails the first two — and is required for bulk senders.
Devlo reads all three from your DNS before a campaign starts. If one is broken, the campaign waits and shows you the exact record to fix.
Make leaving easy
Every marketing email needs a visible unsubscribe link, and bulk senders must also support one-click unsubscribe: a hidden header that lets Gmail and Yahoo show their own “Unsubscribe” button. The request has to be honoured within two days.
It feels backwards, but an easy exit protects you: someone who cannot find the unsubscribe link presses “Report spam” instead, and that hurts far more.
Keep complaints low
Google asks bulk senders to keep the spam complaint rate below 0.3%, and recommends staying under 0.1%. That is one complaint per thousand emails. The only reliable way to get there is to email people who asked to hear from you, about what they asked for.
The checklist
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up and passing.
- A “From” address on your own domain, not a free Gmail address, for bulk sends.
- One-click unsubscribe and a visible link in every email.
- A list built from real sign-ups — never bought or scraped.
- Complaints under 0.1%, bounces kept low by removing dead addresses.
Get those right and you are doing what the providers ask. Everything else — subject lines, timing, design — builds on top.
Put it into practice
Devlo has these checks built in. Start free — no card needed.
