In 2024, we're looking at a big shift with Google and Yahoo. The email authentication practices that have long been considered 'good to do' are now being upgraded to 'must-dos.'
Senders not keeping up with these new requirements could mean your emails won’t reach your destination.
While Google has moved its enforcement dates for sender requirements from February to April, and one-click unsubscribes to June, it's crucial to emphasize that here at Bird, we’re already aligned with these standards.
In the sections below, we will break down the Google/Yahoo requirements that Bird has already met and outline the steps our customers need to take to ensure they’re fully compliant.
We’re confident that these changes will improve the email experience for our customers, ensuring our communication strategies are consistent with the top practices recommended by major mailbox providers.
We're here to help you navigate these new requirements. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to your account manager or our customer support team.
Bird's Compliance with Email Requirements
As a Bird user, you have one less thing to worry about – we've already handled the new requirements for you.
Requirement 1: Set up SPF and DKIM email authentication for your domain.
Bird ensures that all messages meet the requirement by mandating a valid DKIM key and an SPF record.
Requirement 2: Ensure that sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records (PTR records).
All Bird IPs, including those in our BYOIP program, contain PTR records. These records confirm that the sending hostname is associated with the sending IP address, and all our hostnames have forward DNS entries that correctly point to the respective sending IP addresses.
Requirement 3: Use a TLS connection for transmitting email.
To ensure optimal security and stability for our customers, Bird supports TLSv1.1 or higher.
Requirement 4: Format messages according to the Internet Message Format standard (RFC 5322).
Bird is fully aligned with RFC 5322.
Requirement 5: If you regularly forward email, including using mailing lists or inbound gateways, add ARC headers to outgoing email.
Since Bird does not operate as a relay, this requirement is not applicable.
Requirement 6: Marketing messages and subscribed messages must support one-click unsubscribe, and include a clearly visible unsubscribe link in the message body.
Bird adheres to this requirement by employing the 'mailto' in the List-Unsubscribe header, considered a one-click solution. We will be adding an HTTPS URL alongside the 'mailto' in our unsubscribe header by February 1st along with the List-Unsubscribe-Post header.
It's important to note that the responsibility for the unsubscribe link in the message body lies with our customers (see below).
Our Customer's Responsibilities
Manage Spam Rates: Keep spam rates below 0.10% and avoid reaching 0.30% or higher.
Avoid deliverability issues caused by spam traps with our comprehensive guide, which covers the different types and sources of traps and provides recommendations for resolving them.
Include Unsubscribe Link: Ensure each message has a visible unsubscribe link in the body to improve recipient engagement and efficiency.
DMARC Email Authentication: According to Google's guidelines, if your daily email volume exceeds 5,000 messages, it is recommended to establish a DMARC record for your sending domain. However, it is considered a best practice to implement a DMARC record for all sending domains, regardless of email volume. A recommended initial configuration is to set the policy to "none”. In addition, ensure there is alignment of the sender's From: header with either the SPF domain or the DKIM domain.
📚 Understand all you need to know about leveraging DMARC to protect your email reputation and get pointers on how to set it up for your domains with our DMARC: How to guide.
For more detailed information, check out: