Google and Yahoo, from rules announced for February 2024, ask bulk senders to authenticate mail with SPF and DKIM, publish a DMARC record (at least p=none) that lines up with the From domain, offer one-click unsubscribe on marketing mail, and keep spam complaints low. Google describes bulk as around 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail addresses.
Why it matters
Mailbox providers can reject or filter mail that does not meet these rules, so a newsletter or order-notification system that ignores them risks landing in spam. The requirements also help every sender: authenticated mail is harder to forge, and unsubscribe links reduce spam complaints. Because the rules are set by the providers, they can change, so check the official pages below before you rely on this summary.
How to check
- Count your volume. Look at how many messages a day you send to Gmail or Yahoo addresses, from all systems that share your domain.
- Confirm that all senders pass SPF or DKIM. Bulk senders should have both. See What is an SPF record? and What is DKIM?.
- Publish a DMARC record with at least
p=none, and make sure SPF or DKIM aligns with the From domain:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@example.com
- Add one-click unsubscribe to marketing and subscribed mail with the
List-UnsubscribeandList-Unsubscribe-Postheaders described in RFC 8058, and process requests promptly. Google's guidance says within two days. - Watch complaint rates. Google's guidance is to stay below 0.10% and avoid reaching 0.30%, measured in Postmaster Tools.
- Check the basics that apply to every sender: a valid reverse DNS (PTR) record for the sending IP, TLS for transmission, and messages formatted to RFC 5322.
Crawvix's scan checks "Meets Google and Yahoo bulk sender rules" for your domain.
Common mistakes
- Treating the rules as limited to large companies. Anyone who sends from the same domain can cross the volume line during a campaign.
- Authenticating the marketing platform but forgetting your contact form or billing system.
- Adding an unsubscribe link in the body but not the header.
- Passing SPF and DKIM for the provider's domain, not yours, so nothing aligns.
- Publishing DMARC and never reading the reports.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need p=reject?
No. The minimum asked for is a DMARC policy of p=none. Stronger policies are your choice.
Do transactional emails need an unsubscribe link?
Google's guidance applies the one-click rule to marketing and subscribed messages. Purely transactional mail, such as a password reset, is treated differently. Read the official text for exact wording.
Where are the official rules?
Google publishes its Email sender guidelines in the Gmail and Workspace help pages. Yahoo publishes its requirements on the Yahoo Sender Hub.
Related guides
- Set Up DMARC: From p=none to Quarantine and Reject
- SPF record guide
- DKIM setup guide
- Why do my website emails go to spam?
Want a check of your email setup? Try the free website sample.