New inbox protection rules from Gmail and Yahoo
The goal is to reduce inbox spam
Google and Yahoo have announced new rules for bulk email senders effective February 2024. The goal is to reduce inbox spam and they are focusing on authentication and the unsubscribe processes in particular.
In February of 2024, Google and Yahoo will permanently block any domain not following these guidelines.
The good news? While it may seem scary, there is no cause for alarm. These new rules are good email practices now being enforced. And, if you’re already following email best practices, there’s not much to worry about.
The biggest impact of these rules is cold email outreach platforms.
DailyStory already enforces all of these guidelines with our customers.
We’ve documented many of these recommendations by Google and Yahoo in our recommendations for email compliance, too.
What is a bulk emailer sender?
Google and Yahoo define bulk emailers as anyone sending more than 5,000 messages per-day to any Google or Yahoo inbox.
Previously it was unclear if this also included Google Workspace domain(s), it does not.
Yahoo has not specifically stated the 5,000 number. Only Google has.
Authenticated sending domain
Bulk emailers are required to implement authentication protocols (DKIM and SPF) for their sending domain.
Google’s Postmaster Tools
If you want to learn more about your sending reputation and spam rate, use Google Postmaster Tools. It’s a free set of tools from Google that can help you send better emails.
Google Postmaster Tools determines the Google SPAM rate measurement.
It’s worth noting that these are SPAM reports, not undeliverable bounced emails.
DMARC required for bulk senders
Bulk senders, those sending more than 5,000 emails to a Google or Yahoo inbox per day, must additionally support DMARC.
DMARC is complicated and mistakes can be disastrous. If you need assistance configuring DMARC we can help.
ARC required for email forwarding
Google states that “senders use ARC authentication, especially if they forward email regularly.” We are not covering ARC in this article as it typically does not apply to our customers.
Looking ahead: DKIM2
The Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender rules raised the bar on authentication, and the next major change is already in motion. DKIM2 is the IETF’s successor to DKIM, with working code and major mailbox provider involvement. It introduces a cryptographic chain of custody across forwarding hops, envelope binding to defeat replay attacks, and secure delayed bounces that let mailbox providers report retroactive spam decisions back to senders. DKIM2 reuses your existing DKIM keys, but it will give Gmail, Yahoo, and other receivers a much sharper instrument to enforce the patterns those bulk sender rules already reward. Expect testing-mode deployments at major providers by the end of 2026.