What new features will Gmail and Yahoo Mail have in 2024?

What new features will Gmail and Yahoo Mail have in 2024?
What new features will Gmail and Yahoo Mail have in 2024? Both Gmail and Yahoo have announced that they will begin enforcing new protection rules for bulk email senders as part of an ongoing effort to secure inboxes. 

New upgrades to Gmail and Yahoo will improve the inbox experience for users and have a significant effect on senders as the two companies keep cutting down on unwanted email. New mailbox standards are on the horizon, and they call for improved authentication and email relevancy from all senders.

As senders, we should prioritize sending contact-relevant emails first. The success of email as a means of communication relies on the quality of our readers' inboxes. More unsolicited emails mean more competition and a lower chance of our messages being open and read.

But that doesn't mean we aren't concerned about developments like Gmail and Yahoo's new spam policies, which were unveiled this month.

And most importantly, what steps must you take to ensure that your email communications are compliant with the law? On this page, you'll find the solutions you're looking for as well as some suggestions. What new features will Yahoo and Gmail have in 2024? 

How will these changes impact your email marketing strategy?

New protection criteria for bulk email senders have been announced by both Gmail and Yahoo as part of an ongoing effort to secure inboxes. Gmail Security & Trust Group Product Manager, Neil Kumaran says "Many bulk senders don’t appropriately secure and configure their systems, allowing attackers to easily hide in their midst." 

In a statement, Gmail said that starting in February 2024, they will strictly enforce their policy of deleting dormant accounts and closely monitor senders who send more than 5000 messages each day. Yahoo made a very similar statement, saying that they too plan to launch in the first quarter of 2024.

 These standards will help filter out spam and ensure that only legitimate emails reach users' inboxes. Additionally, Gmail and Yahoo are also working on implementing stronger encryption protocols to safeguard sensitive information exchanged through their platforms, further enhancing user privacy and data protection.

The good news is that both providers have highlighted similar modifications in their statements, with an emphasis on keeping a better standard of authentication, making it easier to opt out of commercial communications, and imposing stricter penalties on spammers.

Gmail and Yahoo have recently announced their plans for 2024, focusing on enhancing the user experience and introducing innovative features. Both companies aim to prioritize privacy and security measures while also incorporating advanced artificial intelligence technologies to streamline email management and improve overall efficiency.

These forthcoming guidelines are not brand new, but they are the most comprehensive we've seen a mailbox provider establish in recent years. In reality, authentication, simple opt-out, and spam monitoring have long been at the top of the list of best practices for improving email delivery.

It's no wonder that this has raised some eyebrows among senders, but here at Zharik, we anticipate that such standards will quickly become the norm.

How should senders react to these modifications?

The simplest solution is that you need to start taking email deliverability best practices seriously if you haven't previously. In order to be recognized as a legitimate sender in 2024, Gmail and Yahoo have each identified three modifications that senders should prioritize.

  • Verify the sender of the email: Senders will have to use industry-standard protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to confirm their sender identities.
  • Allow for simple unsubscription: If senders haven't already done so, they should include a single-click unsubscribe link in their emails to allow recipients to simply opt out.
  • Never send unsolicited messages: Gmail and Yahoo are taking spam monitoring seriously, and senders must guarantee they stay below a defined spam rate level.

These regulations only apply to bulk senders, defined by Google as those who send 5000 or more Gmail messages every day. The announcements don't say senders must transmit 5000 messages every day or within a specified timeframe. 

When determining whether or not these restrictions will apply to you, it is essential to take into consideration your peak holiday sending patterns as well as significant campaigns. Even if you might not consider yourself to be someone who sends a lot of email, certain mailbox providers could disagree with that assessment.

As we've already shown, these aren't radically new rules for sending email, but many people still don't follow them. For instance, the use of email authentication has been highly recommended for quite some time. Despite this, around 40% of senders have either not adopted SPF or DKIM, and 40% of those using DMARC have no idea what their policy is.

 

How should you prepare for these changes?


Therefore, it is now up to the email sender to prepare before 2024. What tweaks must you make to guarantee your emails find their way to the inbox? And how do you bring them to life?

Here's the whole nine yards:


Take email authentication seriously.

Email authentication involves using certificates and encryption to verify your identity as the sender of an email. The latest versions of Gmail and Yahoo are focused on verifying your identity as a sender. There was a 75% decrease in the number of unauthenticated messages sent by Gmail users when the requirement went into effect in 2022.

But equally complicated solutions are needed for issues like spammers, phishers, and viruses. First and foremost, Gmail requires that mass email senders verify the legitimacy of their messages by adhering to these standards. To comply, you must activate "either SPF or DKIM for your domain." While Yahoo is less precise, they do suggest DMARC be used.

To safeguard your sender identity and ensure your emails are delivered, you need at least implement SPF and DKIM and work towards DMARC authentication. Here's the method you should use.

Allow your subscribers to opting out easily

Sending unwanted messages to users can have a detrimental effect on your engagement metrics and spam rates, which can ultimately harm your overall reputation. 

A clickable option to unsubscribe is now more crucial than ever. From 2024, both Gmail and Yahoo will require senders to provide a single-click unsubscribe option for users, rather than verifying your email or altering your subscription choices and sending feedback. Unsubscribe requests will be implemented by senders within two days. 


Keep a close eye on spam rates


If you want to keep your spam rate low, it's important to keep an eye on it, remove inactive members from your mailing list before they get the urge to report you as spam, and act quickly when you see an uptick in spam complaints by analyzing your sending procedures and cleaning your list.

Remember that, unlike Yahoo, Gmail does not give typical feedback loops, therefore you'll need to sign up for Google Postmasters Tools to check your spam rates.

Zharik © {2023} Zharik. All Right Reserved
Please fill the required field.

Connecting You to Excellence in Email Marketing
2003 The exchange tower, Business bay, Dubai