Email Marketing Policy Shifts 2024: Here’s What You Need to Know

Email marketing is evolving, with Gmail and Yahoo leading the way by rolling out big changes in 2024 to make emails more user-friendly, reduce spam, and increase privacy.

Later in the year, Google also started flagging emails with open trackers, giving users a heads-up if emails contain tracking pixels. These changes are part of a joint effort across email providers to ensure users get the messages they want while reducing unwanted emails.

For email marketers and platforms like Yesware, this shift offers both challenges and opportunities. Let’s explore what’s changed and how you can stay effective and compliant.

February 2024: New Email Rules

Starting February 1, 2024, new email rules came into effect with specific guidelines for all senders, especially bulk senders (those sending over 5,000 emails per day). Here’s what’s new:

1. Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): Email domains must use these verification records. Missing or incorrect records can lead to emails being marked as spam. This is especially important for high-volume senders as enforcement ramps up in April 2024.
2. One-Click Unsubscribe Links: Gmail and Yahoo now require that all marketing emails have a simple, one-click unsubscribe link, which makes opting out from a list quick and easy.
3. Spam Rate Limits: Senders must keep spam complaints below 0.3%. To achieve this, it’s essential to use opt-in lists to reduce complaints and keep inboxes clean.
4. Custom Domains for Bulk Sending: Bulk senders can no longer use free domains like Gmail or Yahoo for mass emails. Custom domains are now required.
5. CAN-SPAM Act Compliance: There’s a stronger push for CAN-SPAM compliance, including having a physical address, unsubscribe options, and accurate sender information in email footers.

Gmail’s Targeted Blocking of Tracking Pixels

Since August 2024, Gmail has started showing a warning banner for tracking pixels in emails that appear to be spam or unsolicited. Tracking pixels are small, invisible images embedded in emails, often used by email tracking tools to detect when an email has been opened.

Now, Gmail is flagging emails with images—whether they’re regular photos or tracking pixels—with a warning in suspicious emails. 

Here’s an example of an unsolicited email that contains an image, Gmail displayed a prominent warning saying, “Images in this message are hidden. This message might be suspicious or spam.” This shows that the image can be blocked when emails are classified as suspicious emails. 

The good news is that if you’ve been following Yesware’s best practices for email delivery, your prospects are unlikely to see this type of warning message:

• Email Authentication Guide
• Email Deliverability Guide
• Why Your Emails Are Going to Spam
• Email Outreach Guide

How Yesware Supports You Through These Changes

Yesware has built features that not only help you adapt to new requirements but also optimize your email outreach strategy for privacy-focused standards. 

Here’s what Yesware provides to help you navigate these updates:

• List Hygiene: Yesware’s engagement tracking tools help you maintain a clean list by identifying who’s interacting with your emails. This allows you to focus on interested recipients and regularly update your list by removing unengaged contacts.
• Multichannel Engagement: Yesware’s LinkedIn integration complements your email outreach, reducing reliance on cold email alone and offering multiple ways to connect with prospects.
• Compliant Email Templates: Yesware’s templates make it easy to incorporate unsubscribe links, physical addresses, and compliance essentials into each email, helping you meet CAN-SPAM and other regulatory standards.
• Disable Open Tracking for Cold Outbound Email: If you are currently using Yesware primarily to establish cold outbound connections, it’s a good idea to turn off the open tracking in Yesware, as it will reduce the chances of your emails being flagged. 
• Alternative Tracking Metrics: With Gmail flagging tracking pixels in some cases, Yesware offers reliable alternatives to track email engagement in more meaningful ways, such as reply and click tracking, allowing you to measure engagement effectively without relying only on open rates.

The changing email landscape provides an opportunity to refine your outreach approach, build stronger connections with recipients, and ensure lasting deliverability.

With Yesware’s support, you’re well-equipped to embrace these changes, stay compliant, and set a new standard for user-centered, effective email engagement in 2024 and beyond.