What are the Google and Yahoo sender requirements?

Google and Yahoo implemented strict email authentication requirements in February 2024 for bulk senders.

Who is affected:

• Anyone sending 5,000+ emails/day to Gmail or Yahoo addresses
• Both marketing AND transactional email count toward the threshold
• The threshold is per sending domain

Required for ALL senders:

1. SPF or DKIM authentication (at least one must pass)
2. Valid forward and reverse DNS (PTR) records
3. TLS connection for email transmission
4. Spam complaint rate below 0.3%

Additional requirements for bulk senders (5,000+/day):

1. SPF AND DKIM — both must be configured
2. DMARC — at least p=none with reporting
3. DKIM alignment — From domain must match DKIM domain
4. One-click unsubscribe — List-Unsubscribe header required
5. RFC 5322 compliance — properly formatted email headers

What happens if you don't comply:

• Emails rejected with 550 5.7.26 error
• Emails routed to spam folder
• Temporary deferrals (421 errors) during transition period

How to check compliance: Scan your domain at https://intodns.ai — the scan automatically checks all Google/Yahoo sender requirements and flags non-compliance.

Detailed guide: https://intodns.ai/learn/google-yahoo-requirements