February 2024 Gmail Guidelines: Hexospark has you covered

The world of email marketing is getting a major shake-up in 2024, and every business owner and marketer using bulk emails needs to take notice of it. 

Every day, our inboxes are flooded with countless emails, making it a real challenge for businesses to stand out and ensure their messages are both seen and welcomed. 

Google introduced the updates that promise to change the game for bulk email senders. These changes are all about ensuring emails are more secure, less annoying, and more engaging for everyone involved. These changes are designed to combat spam, enhance security, and improve user experience!

So, let’s get into what’s changing and how the new version of Hexospark can help you avoid violating the new email bulk-sending rules with its new updates.

Email authentication requirement

All bulk email senders are now required to authenticate their emails using SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance).

This move forces senders to tighten up their email security practices. If you’re sending bulk emails, you’ll need to ensure that your emails are correctly authenticated to avoid them being flagged as spam or, worse, not delivered at all. This might mean some technical setup on your end, but it will enhance your reputation among recipients and email service providers.

Discover more about email authentication- The SPF, DKIM & DMARC Setup Guide

Strict spam rate control

Google is setting a clear threshold for spam complaints. Bulk senders must keep their spam rate below 0.3% to stay in good standing.

This update puts pressure on marketers to ensure their content is relevant and welcomed by their audience. It encourages a shift towards more personalized, value-driven email content to minimize the risk of recipients hitting that dreaded “Report Spam” button. Regular monitoring and adjustment of your campaigns will be necessary to stay below this threshold.

One-click unsubscription

A simple, one-click unsubscribe option is now mandatory for all bulk emails, with a requirement to process these unsubscription requests within two days.

The goal here is to enhance user experience by making it easier for recipients to opt out of unwanted communications. This could lead to higher unsubscribe rates initially, but it also means your engagement metrics will be more accurate, reflecting a truly interested audience. 

ARC protocol for forwarded emails (Recommended)

The Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) protocol will be used to verify email authentication for forwarded messages.

Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) is an email authentication system designed to help improve the handling of email messages that are forwarded through intermediaries. When an email is forwarded, traditional authentication methods like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) can fail because the email’s journey from sender to recipient doesn’t match the original authentication records. 

ARC addresses this gap by providing a way to preserve email authentication results across these indirect email flows.

If your emails are often forwarded, this update ensures that these forwards don’t lose their authentication along the way, preventing them from being flagged as unauthenticated. It’s an added layer of security that helps maintain your email’s integrity, making sure your messages reach their intended recipients without being intercepted by spam filters.

DNS validation

Sending domains are required to have valid forward and reverse DNS records, ensuring that the sender’s IP address matches their domain.

This technical requirement aims to further authenticate the origin of emails, reducing the chance of spoofing. For you, this means ensuring your technical setup is in order, which might require collaboration with your IT department or hosting provider. It’s a crucial step in proving your emails are coming from a legitimate source.

Mandatory TLS encryption

Transport Layer Security (TLS) must be used for transmitting emails to protect the privacy and security of the messages in transit.

This encryption requirement ensures that your emails are secure from the moment they leave your outbox until they reach your recipient’s inbox. For senders, it means you’ll need to ensure your email service provider supports TLS encryption. It’s a critical measure for protecting sensitive information and maintaining trust with your audience.

Compliance with Internet Message Format

All emails must be formatted according to the Internet Message Format standard (RFC 5322), covering the structure and content of email messages.

This standardization ensures that your emails are technically compliant, reducing the chance of delivery issues. For marketers, it means paying closer attention to how your emails are constructed, from the headers down to the body and attachments. It’s about ensuring your emails are not just readable but also formatted in a way that’s universally accepted by email systems.

Implications of ignoring the new rules

Non-compliance could lead to serious consequences, including temporary errors and eventual rejection of non-compliant email traffic. Starting in April 2024, Google plans to increase the rejection rate gradually, which will impact the sender’s reputation and email deliverability.

This means you should do your best to stay compliant and follow the new updates in order to get your bulk emails delivered.

Stay compliant with Hexospark 2.0: New updates have you covered

Our latest update brings many UI improvements and email account health checks to ensure your emails reach the inbox.

This includes:

SPF checks to prevent spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain.

DKIM validation to ensure emails cannot be tampered with during transit.

DMARC validation to check if domain policies are set up in your DNS records defining email authentication practices.

Together with 1-click unsubscribe, Hexospark makes it easy to comply with the new regulations around email sending so you can send personalized email campaigns at scale.

Our latest update also improves our UI, in particular:

Our enhanced template editor and hyper-personalization options make crafting authentic and engaging emails easier than ever.

Scheduling your campaigns also just got more flexible. Our new version allows you to plan your email campaigns over a 24-hour period, giving you the freedom to reach your audience at the most impactful times. This feature is crucial for avoiding bans and ensuring your emails achieve maximum engagement.

!Find more leads, get better replies, and grow your revenue on autopilot with Hexospark 2.0.

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