Common Myths surrounding the new Email Sending Requirements

With all of the news coming out from Yahoo, Google and Microsoft about their free email hosting and the new DMARC requirements that must be met to send to them, there has been a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about what these mean for any given organization.

This has led to all sorts of myths being cooked up about what does or does not apply. We’re here to help clear that up!

Read on to get a better understanding of which of these rules applies to your organization.

Myth: Only large organizations are affected

All senders, regardless of organization size, are affected. 

Bulk senders will be a particular focus at first, but eventually all senders will experience penalties if they do not comply with the new guidelines.

ALL organizations should make it a priority to adjust their email sending framework to stay in line with requirements. 

Myth: Compliance is a one-time task

Though it will require an initial lift, maintaining compliance will be an ongoing process.

To maintain deliverability, organizations must regularly monitor email metrics, update authentication protocols, and adapt to new guidelines. 

As the email ecosystem continues to grow and evolve, it’s critical that organizations stay vigilant.

Myth: This isn’t a big deal, non-compliance will only lead to minor penalties. 

The consequences of non-compliance can be significant and far-reaching–after all, communication is critical!

Marketing and communications campaigns will be limited by reduced sending rates, rejected messages, and emails flagged as spam. 

Myth: We’ll avoid restrictions by grouping emails under separate subdomains 

Domain reputation travels across your brand network. Large providers like Google and Yahoo can link your sender reputation across all domains related to your organization.

While it may seem like a workaround, subdomains won’t shield your brand from the repercussions of non-compliance. 

Myth: We can leave our DMARC policy at P=none to stay protected

A DMARC policy at P=none is only a starting point to monitor mail flow and does not enforce DMARC policies.

Organizations should aim for DMARC policies of P=quarantine or P=reject to actually benefit from implementation, especially as the Email Providers begin requiring these higher level policies.

Myth: These changes are only to prevent spam 

While spam prevention is a key objective, these new guidelines also combat phishing, spoofing, and other fraudulent activities.

Altogether, they help create a safer email experience for senders and recipients alike. 

Myth: These changes will not affect transactional emails

Transactional emails, such as order confirmations and password reset emails, are not exempt from these new guidelines.

Organizations must properly authenticate these emails to guarantee they reach their intended recipient’s inbox, rather than the spam folder. 

Myth: We’re a small business and can’t handle a complex project like this

Many third-party vendors and ESPs (Email Service Providers) offer tools and expertise to help implement requirements quickly.

For small organizations with limited resources, this can dramatically simplify the compliance process. 

Myth: As long as our spam rate is below 0.3%, we are meeting best practices

Maintaining a spam rate at or below 0.3% is the listed guideline, but not necessarily best practice. While a 0.3% spam rate will bypass immediate penalties, any rate above 0.1% can impact deliverability. 

It’s recommended that domains aim for a sub-0.1% spam rate to avoid impact. Prioritize best practices like regularly cleaning email lists, avoid spam trigger words, and provide double opt-in to new subscribers. 

Myth: Using a TLS connection is optional

As of December 2023, a TLS (Transport Layer Security) connection is mandatory for all senders to ensure secure email transmission.

This protects emails from being intercepted or modified during transit. 

Myth: Implementing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM will be too complex

Setting up a secure DMARC system does require technical expertise.

Thankfully, many specialized vendors can simplify the process. Even if technical “know how” is limited, organizations of all sizes can quickly implement a comprehensive DMARC system. 

Myth: We already have a strong sender reputation. We’d like to continue our current process and see how other organizations are affected before we make changes. 

A strong sender reputation today doesn’t guarantee that you won’t feel the impacts of new sender guidelines tomorrow.

New protocols and evolving algorithms can stain even the strongest email reputation. 

A proactive, informed approach is best here– stay ahead of the curve to make sure that your organization maintains deliverability into the future. Waiting to see how others are affects could lead to missed opportunities and wasted time playing “catch up”. 

Myth: We already list an unsubscribe link in all our marketing emails– no additional action is required

Under the new guidelines, simply having an unsubscribe link present is not enough.

The new guidelines specify that the unsubscribe link must: 

  • Be prominently displayed.

  • Allow for a “one-click unsubscribe” without any further steps being required.