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 All About Google and Yahoo Email Authentication Requirements
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All About Google and Yahoo Email Authentication Requirements

Is your email getting lost in the spam folder? New Google and Yahoo email authentication requirements aim to improve email security and deliverability. Understanding these protocols, like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, can ensure your emails reach inboxes and avoid spam filters. This guide provides an overview of these requirements for individual and bulk senders, helping you navigate the new email authentication Protocols and maintain smooth email communication.

In this article, we will discuss:

Google and Yahoo Email Authentication Requirements

Due to the rise of email threats in recent years, Google and Yahoo implemented email authentication protocols to prevent scams, improve email deliverability, and enhance the overall security of their email system.

Starting February 1, 2024, Google will require all senders from all email platforms to comply with new email authentication requirements to ensure that emails are sent and received without any issues.

Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders

Regardless of the volume of emails your organization sends, the following measures will help to improve email security by mitigating the risks associated with malicious, unwanted, or spam messages. Here are the guidelines that all users should adhere to improve email security:

All Users

  1. SPF and DKIM Setup – Implement SPF or DKIM for your domain to combat email spoofing and enhance security. See instructions in the What Actions Do I Need to Take? section.
  2. DNS Records Validation – Ensure that your forward and reverse DNS records are valid by checking your DNS settings and making sure that your hostname and IP address are correctly mapped. You can check your DNS settings using any DNS lookup tool, such as MxToolbox.

    If you find that your DNS records are incorrect or missing, you have to contact your domain registrar or hosting provider and may need to update your DNS settings. Please see the How to Manage DNS and Advanced DNS Records article.
     
  3. TLS Encryption – Utilize Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections for transmitting emails, enhancing privacy and security. This encryption protocol helps protect your emails' contents from any unwanted interception or tampering. Google Workspace makes TLS activation and configuration easier. We only support TLS version 1.2 since it provides a more secure connection. For more information about TLS version 1.2, please refer to the Ending Support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 article.
  4. Spam Minimization – To ensure that your emails are delivered to your subscribers' inboxes and not marked as spam, it is important to keep your reported spam rates low. By building a high-quality email list, segmenting your email list, using a consistent "from" name and address, including an unsubscribe link, using a clear subject line, testing your emails, and monitoring your spam complaints, you can improve your email strategy and minimize your spam rates.
  5. Message Formatting – Follow the Internet Message Format Standard whenever you're composing and formatting email messages. This standard provides a set of guidelines for the basic structure of email messages, including the use of headers, message body, and attachments.
  6. ARC Headers for Forwarded Emails – If you frequently forward emails, consider adding Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) headers to the forwarded messages to maintain SPF and DKIM authentication. Some email providers have already included ARC headers in their email platforms. To determine if your email already has an ARC header, you will need to view the message details and check for the following:
    • ARC-Seal: This uses cryptographic signatures to verify if an email message has been tampered with during transit.
    • ARC-Message-Signature: This is used to verify the message signature of all email messages in the ARC chain.
    • ARC-Authentication-Results: This is used to provide feedback to the sender about the authentication status of an email message. It is an extension of DKIM and SPF, and it allows email servers to report the results of DKIM, SPF, and ARC checks to the sender.
      ARC email header

Bulk Senders

If your organization sends more than 5,000 messages per day, you must adhere to the guidelines outlined for All Users and the additional requirements below.

  1. Set up Email Authentication Protocols – To ensure the security and authenticity of emails sent through Google, it is necessary to adopt all three protocols - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
    • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) - This protocol works by verifying that the email is coming from an authorized server. When an email is sent, the receiving server checks the SPF record of the sender's domain to make sure that the email is coming from an authorized server.
    • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) - This protocol works by adding a digital signature to the email message. This signature is then verified by the receiving server to ensure that the email is coming from a legitimate source.
    • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) - This protocol combines SPF and DKIM to enhance security by establishing protocols for handling emails that fail authentication checks.

      When adding a DMARC record, it is recommended that DMARC policies be introduced gradually. Start with a setting of None, progress to Quarantine, and eventually to Reject. Monitor DMARC reports at each stage to ensure messages are signed and not spoofed.
       
      • None: No action is needed; it is useful for monitoring.
      • Quarantine: Messages should be set aside.
      • Reject: Messages should be rejected.

        To create a DMARC record, please follow the standard format: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[user email]. Replace the "user email" field with the email address to which you want to receive DMARC reports. The email address must be under the domain you are managing.
         
  2. Ensure Users can Unsubscribe – Marketing emails must include an unsubscribe link in all their emails. The unsubscribe link must be prominently displayed and easy to locate in the email. Additionally, the opt-out process should be as simple as possible, requiring only a single click to unsubscribe from future messages. Some email providers have the unsubscribe feature built-in, so you don't need to worry about creating the link yourself. However, if you're using a custom email solution, you'll need to create an unsubscribe page and link it manually in your email.

Note: Only send emails to people who have expressed a desire to receive messages from you to minimize the probability of your emails being categorized as spam. Frequent reports of messages from your domain as spam can negatively impact your domain's reputation over time.

What Actions Do I Need to Take?

No matter what email platform you are using to send emails, you must follow the Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders discussed above to successfully deliver emails to Google and Yahoo. However, you still need to determine the email platform you are currently using to learn your DNS Settings.

Select an email platform:

Business and Hosting Email

  1. Review and comply with the guidelines outlined in the Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders section.
  2. Double-check if you have set up an SPF record before. If yes, no actions need to be taken on your account. If not, you will need to log in to your Account Manager and add the SPF record.
  3. Determine what email platform you are using to get the correct SPF record.
    1. If you have Cloud Email or Cloud Mail, please refer to the Cloud Mail DNS Settings article.

      Important: Cloud Email or Cloud Mail users do not need to set up DKIM in their accounts since this email authentication protocol is already included in the platform. Skip to step 5.

    2. If your webmail looks different, please click the Webmail version 7.1.2 DNS Settings button in the What Are My Email DNS Settings? and proceed to steps 4-5.

      When setting up the SPF record, please refer to the Text (TXT) Records or Sender Policy Framework (SPF) Records section of the How to Manage DNS and Advanced DNS Records article if your Account Manager looks like the image below.
       
  4. Set up DKIM for your domain if you are using Webmail v.7.10.2. Instructions can be found in the Domain Keys Identified Email (DKIM) section of the How Do I Manage DNS and Advanced DNS Records? article.
  5. Add a DMARC record by utilizing the TXT DNS record. Please see the Bulk Senders section under Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders for the format of the DMARC record you will be adding. For instructions on how to add the DMARC record, please refer to the Text (TXT) Records or Sender Policy Framework (SPF) Records section of the linked articles in step 4.

Google Workspace

  1. Review and comply with the guidelines outlined in the Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders section.
  2. Double-check if you have set up an SPF record before. If yes, no actions need to be taken on your account. If not, proceed to step 3.
  3. Enter v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all using the instructions outlined in the Text (TXT) Records or Sender Policy Framework (SPF) Records section of the How to Manage DNS and Advanced DNS Records article.
  4. Set up DKIM for your domain. Instructions can be found in the Domain Keys Identified Email (DKIM) section of the How Do I Manage DNS and Advanced DNS Records? article.
  5. Add a DMARC record by utilizing the TXT DNS record. Please see the Bulk Senders section under Best Practices for All Senders and Bulk Senders for the format of the DMARC record you will be adding. For instructions on how to add the DMARC record, please refer to the Text (TXT) Records or Sender Policy Framework (SPF) Records section of the linked articles in step 3.

Note: If you're having trouble with your DNS, visit Troubleshooting DNS Issues.

Review

Remember, email security and user experience are important. To ensure your emails reach the right people in Google and Yahoo Mail, you should use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols. It's also crucial to follow best practices, keep your spam rate low, and make it easy for people to unsubscribe. You can build trust as a reliable sender in the digital age by staying updated and following new Google and Yahoo email authentication requirements.

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