New Email Authentication Requirements from Gmail and Yahoo! What You Need to Know to ensure your emails are still delivered

As we step into 2024, significant changes in email authentication practices are on the horizon, especially for those using Gmail and Yahoo!

Understanding these changes is crucial for businesses and email marketers aiming to maintain high deliverability and a strong sender reputation. Let's dive into what these changes entail and how you can prepare for them.

Google and Yahoo! recently announced they're implementing new email authentication requirements for all email senders, effective February 2024, to improve deliverability and prevent spam

1. Tightening of Bulk Sender Policies:

Recently, both Yahoo and Google announced a tightening of their bulk sender policies. The intention is to restrict unauthenticated mail, thereby reducing spam from bulk senders. This move underscores the increasing importance of authenticating your emails to ensure they reach your audience.

2. The Role of Email Authentication:

Email Authentication ensures a message comes from the sender it claims to be from, and not from an imposter. If you want to stay in compliance with the latest Email Authentication best practices you will need to take note of the following:

DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail):

• This is the current best practice for email authentication.

• It uses cryptographic signatures to confirm the authenticity of emails.

• When emails are sent, they are signed with these special signatures.

Public Key and DNS:

• The domain owner (like a company) puts a public key in their DNS (Domain Name System).

• This public key is used by the email-receiving services to check the email's signature.

Role of V5 Digital:

• V5 Digital has the experience to assist you in authenticating your business domain.

• We are dedicated to ensuring that your email campaigns follow the highest standards in sending and deliverability practices, setting you up for success.

Evolving Email Security:

• Earlier, just using DKIM was sufficient.

• Now, email providers are also checking the domain in the email's "From:" address.

• This "From:" address is what the recipients see when they open an email.

These practices help ensure that the emails you receive are legitimate and not spam or phishing attempts. 📧

In the example above, the sender’s email address is attached to their business web domain. Authentication provides a behind-the-scenes-way to prove this address is legitimate.

3. Self-Authentication and Brand Reputation:

Using your own domain for sending emails and signing them with DKIM authentication helps in building your brand's email reputation. This is vital as it can lead to improved email deliverability, and for businesses with their own domains, it’s an opportunity to enhance trustworthiness in the eyes of their recipients.

Let’s face it, sending mail from <name@company.com> looks way more professional than <company@gmail.com>.

Data shows a 10-20% increase in opens and clicks after turning on self-authentication

4. Steps to Implement DKIM/CNAME Authentication:

To comply with the new standards, businesses should start self-authenticating their emails. This involves a few steps:

• Determine where your domain is hosted.

• Log in to your DNS host and add new CNAME records to your domain.

• Verify the setup in your email service provider's settings.

• If your provider is Constant Contact you can use this guide: HERE

5. The Benefits of Compliance:

By adhering to these new requirements, your business can stand out for its professionalism and reliability. Many companies have reported a significant increase in open and click rates post-implementation of self-authentication.

6. Preparing for these changes:

To ease the transition, email marketing experts like V5 Digital can guide you on setting up self-authentication and understanding the nuances of these changes.

Grabbing attention in crowded inboxes is tough enough, but imagine if your emails never even show up!

Conclusion:

The landscape of email marketing continues to evolve, with a strong emphasis on authentication and sender reputation. By proactively adapting to these changes from Gmail and Yahoo!, your business can ensure its emails not only reach the inbox but also resonate with credibility and professionalism. It's time to embrace these new standards and leverage them for better engagement and success.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Interested in email marketing? Contact us today to discover how V5 Digital can empower your email campaigns! 

Reach Out