How to improve email deliverability - Updates in Gmail Policies
Table of contents
This document encompasses guidelines applicable to all email senders, as well as those specifically targeting "bulk senders" as identified by Google. A "bulk sender" is defined as an entity that dispatches more than 5000 emails daily to recipients with Gmail email addresses across all emailing platforms utilized by the organization. It's important to note that even if your organization sends fewer than 5000 emails through Zoho Forms, it may still be categorized as a bulk sender due to emails dispatched from other emailing platforms. Consequently, Zoho Forms strongly recommends that all email senders adhere to the guidelines established for bulk senders.Changes to Gmail policies
Gmail has updated its DMARC policy which quarantines emails sent with gmail.com or googlemail.com in the sender (From) address. The recipient's email service may flag such emails as spam or junk. Such quarantined emails may not be visible in the customer's inbox, spam, or junk folders. Additionally, starting from February, 2024, Gmail has introduced new guidelines applicable to senders of 5000 or more emails daily to recipients with Gmail accounts. These guidelines mandate domain authentication, prevention of sending unwarranted or unsolicited emails, and ensuring recipients have easy access to unsubscribe options.
Gmail currently mandates authentication of your email-sending domains through one or more authentication methods, depending on your daily email volume. Failure to authenticate domains may result in bounced emails with a 5.7.26 error for Google, or they may be flagged as spam. Review Gmail's full email sender guidelines.
In order to enhance email deliverability via Zoho Forms, we actively encourage customers utilizing their own domains to authenticate all domains through DKIM authentication methods. It's essential to acknowledge that what were previously recommendations are now mandatory requirements imposed by these providers to improve email delivery. Each aspect is briefly discussed below for better comprehension. We urge compliance with these guidelines to optimize email delivery for your organization and safeguard your email-sending practices against potential risks. Your cooperation will contribute to maintaining a robust email infrastructure shared among all Zoho Forms users.
These suggestions are recommended to all public domains such as yahoo.com and outlook.com to ensure consistent email deliverability for our users.Action to be taken by all email senders
- Using public domains
If you do not have a custom domain and are using gmail as your domain for the From address, it is recommended that you change the From address in your Zoho Forms' email settings to the following based on your DC:Data Center
Zoho Forms' Default Email Address
US
EU
IN
JP
CN
AU
CA
SA
- Authenticate your custom domain via DKIM
- All email senders are required to ensure authentication of their email-sending domains with DKIM. This is a mandatory step to use your organization's custom domains to send emails.
- DKIM is now enabled in Zoho Forms' Free plan. Users with their own custom domains are required to configure DKIM to prevent their emails from being flagged as spam. Learn about DKIM configuration in Zoho Forms.
- Set DMARC policy and alignment for your custom domainWhat is DMARC?
DMARC (domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conforming) is a security measure to protect against phishing attacks in emails. It sets a standard for how email systems verify the authenticity of messages and gives senders feedback. Following the recommended DMARC policy helps maintain a positive reputation for the sender's domain and adds an extra layer of protection against malicious emails. Learn more about DMARC.
Gmail requires the DMARC record to be published for domains which send more than 5,000 emails per day to gmail.com or googlemail.com email addresses.If the email domain used for sending email notifications to form respondents (who use Gmail) is not aligned with DKIM or SPF requirements, then Gmail will treat your emails as spam. - Please refrain from using gmail.com or googlemail.com in the From address in your notification settings. Use your own domain with DKIM authentication.
- If you are using your own domain, kindly add a DMARC record in your DNS settings and configure DKIM in Zoho Forms. Learn about adding a DMARC record.
In simple terms,
- Due to Gmail policy update by Google, it is not recommended to set a Gmail email address as a From address for your email notifications.
- If you have your own custom domain set as a From address, configure DKIM in Zoho Forms and DMARC in your DNS settings (Domain Name provider) to avoid the emails from being marked as spam/ junk/ blocked when sending to gmail recipients.
- We may be required to block emails triggering from 'gmail.com' on our end to maintain IP reputation, as emails failing the DMARC policy are typically quarantined.
Ensure sending only relevant emails
Email providers mandate that all senders maintain a spam rate below 0.1%, with no circumstances allowing it to exceed 0.3%. Failure to adhere to these thresholds poses the risk of complete email blocking for your organization.
The perception of your emails by recipients hinges significantly on the content you send. Improperly formatted or composed emails are more susceptible to being labeled as spam by email providers. It's crucial to refrain from using open-ended tags and exercise caution with potentially malicious or overly brief URLs, as these can trigger spam filters. Additionally, avoid employing urgent or spam-like language in email content, even when striving for conversions. Upholding high standards for email content is paramount to enhancing deliverability rates and refining the mailing list to engage with interested recipients.
Although following all of the above guidelines seems challenging, we are here to help and guide you through the entire process. Please reach us at support@zohoforms.com if you would like to get assistance, or need your questions answered.
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