Mail to Gmail is rejected or lands in spam since February 2024
Since February 2024 Google and Yahoo require bulk senders (5000+ per day) to have SPF, DKIM and DMARC aligned-pass, plus one-click unsubscribe (RFC 8058) on marketing and spam rate below 0.3 percent measured in Postmaster Tools. Under 5000 per day the rules apply less strictly but Google already logs them.
Try this first
- 1Confirm both SPF and DKIM aligned-pass on your from-domain. Not just 'pass' but 'aligned pass'. Test with mail-tester.com and check authentication-results inside a Gmail message.
- 2Publish DMARC with at least p=none plus rua=. For bulk senders p=quarantine or reject is required.
- 3Add List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click headers (RFC 8058) on marketing. Most ESPs handle this with a checkbox.
- 4Enable Google Postmaster Tools (postmaster.google.com) and watch daily spam rate. Keep under 0.3 percent. Tackle high-scoring campaigns separately.
- 5Register at Yahoo Sender Hub for visibility. Yahoo uses similar rules.
When to bring us in
If you send marketing from an M365 mailbox instead of an ESP, you won't meet the rules. Migrate marketing to a dedicated ESP like Postmark, SendGrid or Brevo.
See also
- Our emails land in spam for some recipientsAlmost always an SPF, DKIM, or DMARC setting that is wrong or missing, or a sender name that mimics a well-known brand.
- Someone reports receiving phishing emails "from us"Read: spoofing. Someone is abusing your sender name, not necessarily your actual mailbox.
- An email bounces (NDR): delivery failedThe NDR text usually states the exact reason. Reading it is step one.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.