Google and Yahoo Email Requirements in 2024: Here’s How It Affects You
Bird Deliverability Team
9 Jan 2024
1 min read
Key Takeaways
Google and Yahoo are enforcing stricter email authentication and compliance requirements in 2024 to improve inbox safety and reduce spam.
Bird has already implemented all required technical standards, including SPF, DKIM, TLS, PTR records, and RFC 5322 formatting.
One-click unsubscribe functionality is now mandatory for marketing and subscription messages—Bird supports this through List-Unsubscribe headers.
Customers must maintain spam complaint rates below 0.10% and include clear unsubscribe links in all outgoing marketing emails.
Implementing a DMARC record is strongly recommended for domains sending over 5,000 emails daily, with alignment to SPF or DKIM domains.
These updates strengthen sender reputation, improve deliverability, and ensure alignment with major mailbox providers’ trust signals.
Bird customers are already compliant—only minimal configuration and hygiene practices are needed on the sender side.
Q&A Highlights
What are Google and Yahoo changing in 2024?
They’re enforcing long-standing best practices like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as mandatory for senders, along with stricter spam thresholds and one-click unsubscribes.
Is Bird already compliant with these requirements?
Yes. Bird’s infrastructure already supports all six key requirements outlined by Google and Yahoo, including proper DNS records, TLS, and unsubscribe functionality.
What do Bird customers need to do?
Ensure every marketing message includes a visible unsubscribe link, manage spam rates below 0.10%, and implement a DMARC record—even if you send low volumes.
Why are these changes important?
They protect email users from phishing, spoofing, and spam while ensuring legitimate senders maintain strong deliverability and brand trust.
What happens if I don’t comply?
Non-compliance could cause your emails to be rejected, throttled, or marked as spam, severely impacting customer communication and engagement.
When do these rules take effect?
Google will enforce sender authentication and compliance from April 2024, and one-click unsubscribe requirements from June 2024.
We break down the Google/Yahoo requirements that MessageBird has already met and outline the steps our customers need to take to ensure they’re fully compliant.
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).
