Email authentication in 2024: How to adapt your email marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for the digital marketing world.

Due to the rise of e-commerce, the relationship between brands and consumers found in email a direct and personalized channel.

However, this increasing number of sent emails was also accompanied by challenges such as security (phishing) and spam that threaten the effectiveness of this channel.

It is in this scenario, where security and investments are increasingly important, that email authentication becomes increasingly necessary.

Keep reading, as we will see very important information about this topic.

Vital to your email marketing campaigns.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1.- Importance of email authentication
• 2.- New measures adopted by Gmail
  • 2.1.- Important
  • 2.2.- When?
• 3.- Details of the new rules
  • 3.1.- Email authentication
  • 3.2.- It is easy to request removal from the email list
  • 3.3.- Policy to limit the number of spam reports
• 4.- Impact on email marketing campaigns
  • 4.1.- Email delivery
  • 4.2.- Engagement with recipients
• 5.- Risks of not authenticating emails
• 6.- Do you have any questions?
• 7.- Conclusion: In February 2024, Gmail will require email authentication

1.- Importance of email authentication

Email authentication is a process that allows filters to check the sender’s identity of an email.

In this way, filters can ensure that the message is legitimate and not a possible threat like phishing or scam.

It is also crucial to maintain recipients’ trust and ensure that the messages they are receiving are being sent from trusted sources.

Therefore, proper authentication also helps improve the delivery of email campaigns.

This is vital to creating campaigns that will not be considered as spam.

2.- New measures adopted by Gmail

In response to the need to improve safety and reduce spam, Gmail has announced new measures that will take effect in 2024.

? You can read more about these rules here.

These measures include:

• Senders will have to authenticate their emails
• They should offer a single opt-out process
• And reduce the number of spam complaints

Gmail, as one of the most popular email service providers, has recommended these practices for years.

However, these are no longer suggestions.

Emails that don’t meet these guidelines will not be accepted.

With these new measures, Gmail expects not only to improve the email client for their users.

But also establish a standard for the email marketing industry, encouraging other email service providers to follow the example.

So, probably, what Gmail is demanding will also be adopted by other ESPs (Hotmail), Yahoo! and others.

2.1.- Important

These changes will not only affect emails hosted in Gmail.com and similar domains.

Also for their domains with paid plans.

As you can see, it is an important change.

2.2.- When?

These measures will begin to take effect in February 2024.

3.- Details of the new rules

Before continuing, we will review the main rules set by Gmail for email authentication for this 2024.

So that you can understand what they are requesting:

3.1.- Email authentication

Gmail will require senders who send a newsletter to authenticate their emails.

Thus ensuring that recipients can rely on the source of the message.

How to add these settings?

In fact, all senders will have to configure these records in the domain’s DNS:

• SPF
• DKIM
• Dmarc

These three settings set the authenticity of emails sent by the domain in various ways.

The configuration process is very simple and you can see it in your Mailrelay account:

• In the Menu Settings- Email Authentication

And you also have extra information in this article.

3.2.- It is easy to request removal from the email list

Senders must allow recipients to be removed from the email list with a single click.

And these requests should be processed immediately or as soon as possible.

Recipients must register to receive emails voluntarily.

That’s why allowing users to request removal from the list is a critical step.

3.3.- Policy to limit the number of spam reports

Gmail will implement a low spam rate policy, which senders will have to respect.

It is an essential measure to prevent Gmail users from receiving unwanted messages.

This initiative seeks to improve the user experience, reducing the amount of spam in their inbox.

4.- Impact on email marketing campaigns

These changes, which, in principle, should prevent spam, also have positive aspects for those who send legitimate emails.

Among other advantages, we can see:

4.1.- Email delivery

Gmail new rules can positively affect emails.

By authenticating emails, the likelihood of being considered as spam will be reduced, ensuring that messages reach the recipients’ inbox.

4.2.- Engagement with recipients

If the unsubscribe process is easier and users receive less spam, they will be more interested in reading the emails they receive.

Potentially increasing engagement with subscribers.

A user who receives less spam will be more willing to interact with legitimate emails, thus improving clicks and open rates in email marketing campaigns.

For all this, email authentication offers many possibilities to improve email campaigns.

5.- Risks of not authenticating emails

Perhaps the most important risk is that emails could be returned, not delivered.

In addition, unauthenticated emails are more likely to be classified as spam.

If this situation is repeated over time.

And if the company keep sending messages without authenticating emails, the sender score reputation will be affected.

Therefore, legitimate emails could be blocked, interrupting effective contact with customers, leads, workers, etc.

Remember that internet service providers use advanced systems to filter spam and unauthenticated emails can be easily blocked or sent to spam folder.

It is useless to send an email marketing campaign that will not be received.

These emails will not be accepted and the domain reputation will be affected.

That is because email providers like Gmail will suspect the domain in question.

6.- Do you have any questions?

If you have questions about how to authenticate your domain, don’t worry, contact us:

In the help menu from your Mailrelay account.

Our support team will help you find these settings and give you more information.

Don’t leave it for later.

If you don’t add this setting until the last moment, it is possible that when you need to send a newsletter, Gmail will not accept your emails.

7.- Conclusion: In February 2024, Gmail will require email authentication

And senders who don’t add these settings will have serious problems to send messages to Gmail accounts.

Gmail’s new rules highlight the importance of adapting to email authentication best practices to ensure the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns.

The transition to a safer email ecosystem is beneficial for senders and recipients.

The adoption of recommended technologies and protocols will not only help to meet new demands, but will also contribute to building a relationship of trust with recipients .

Thus improving the engagement and success of email marketing campaigns.