Avoid Spam! Get In Line With The New Gmail Rules.

Don't risk all the hard work you put into email marketing. Make sure your emails hit inboxes with the new Gmail requirements.

There are 5 tasks to complete to meet the new rules. We've got you covered with our guide.

Ready to go? Let's dive in so you get it done.

Developer Squad Peace of Mind Email Quality Check

Get Started:

Ready to tackle your email deliverability? Our high level guide will point you in the direction of what to check where. You're on the path to making sure your emails are good to go with new Gmail/Yahoo email sending requirments!

This guide is recommended for those with a general familarity with their email service provider. If you require further assistance as you dive in please check to see if your provider will provide support for changing these settings for you.

Would you rather have us do it for you? We got you covered with our Peace of Mind service.

Do You Know What You're Sending From Where?

Before diving into checking your email deliverability, make sure you know where all your emails are coming from. You may be sending from or through multiple platforms and more than one domain or subdomain. Some common things to check:

Direct Email – This is you or anyone in your business or organization sending emails to others. Almost everyone has and uses this kind of email.
Website – Are you sending emails from your website? Some examples of things that could trigger emails from your website include store orders, forgotten passwords, confirmations (like filling in a contact form or leaving a comment), and so forth.
Email Marketing – Using email marketing programs such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Constant Contact, and others is popular and another way you could be sending emails.
Third-Party Apps and Services – Do you use third-party services that send emails on your behalf using your domain? Examples could be CRM or Sales Lead tools.

The Following Items Are Mandatory Now:

Your “From” email should be your domain - not gmail, yahoo, or other generic email providers. Sending from [email protected] won’t fly anymore. You’ll need to send from an email such as "[email protected]" instead. If you don’t have a domain, you can get one cheap from Namecheap or a similar registrar. If you have a domain (you do if you have a website) but haven’t setup your email yet, there are several options available. We highly recommend Proton Mail as that is what we use; a privacy first encrypted email provider that is affordable. You can also look at business emails from Google or Microsoft, or other 3rd parties such as the aformentioned Namecheap. If all else fails, check with your current host/provider for more potential options.
Proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for all sending domains. Don't worry if these acronyms seem scary and unfamiliar at first. All you have to know is that they basically are the tech behind email and how email is verified to be legitimate or not.

A few more important notes to help your test run smooth:
This tool shows warnings and errors. Make sure to click “Show All Tests” link to see all results.
Items in red are errors and issues that should be investigated further.
Items in yellow might be something to address.
If you're checking a subdomain like email.mycompany.com, this tool will default to the main domain of mycompany.com. Click the “Click Here” to see the subdomain results at top where it says “These results are for mycompany.com. Did you really mean to run email.mycompany.com? Click Here”.
Valid Forward and Reverse DNS pointer (PTR) records for all sending domains. More on this here.
Ability to unsubscribe and bulk senders must have one-click unsubscribe in email header. If you use an email marketing program to send bulk emails, chances are they provide a way to add this to the email header automatically. Learn more here.

Service provider isn't providing assistance? Not confident your email is good to go?

Have our Squad get it done for you today for only $199.

Not Mandatory But Good Practice

Use a sending domain that is a subdomain of your main domain, like emails.mydomain.com. It is a key to domain reputation. You'll appear more trustworthy and credible to spam filters.

Assumptions to Avoid

We know what ASS-U-ME means, so don’t assume you’re okay because you:

Don’t send a lot of emails.
Use an email marketing service.
Retain the services of a marketing agency.
Use G-Suite, Exchange, or any other email service or product.

The above does not negate the need to make sure you have all the necessary things in place.

How Do I Maintain Going Forward?

Once these are setup, going forward:

Make sure you’re sending from a secure connection (TLS).
Keep spam rates below 0.1%. Learn how to create content that avoids spam filters.
Maintain good email list hygiene. Here are some best practices to build your list.

Keep in mind: If you need to change your sending domain or haven't used your sending domain in awhile, make sure to “warm up” the domain. By "warm up," we mean start your campaigns at a slow, spaced out rate before picking up frequency.

Would you rather have us take this work off your plate? We got your covered with our Peace Of Mind Email Service. Book it here today.