Why You Need to Update Email Settings
Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft have implemented new email authentication requirements affecting all email senders, including those using WordPress for transactional emails such as order confirmations, password resets, and notifications. These changes aim to enhance email security and reduce spam but have also caused significant deliverability issues for many users.
Key Changes and Their Impacts
Email Authentication:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) are required to authenticate emails. These protocols ensure that emails are sent from legitimate sources and prevent spoofing.
- Implementing DMARC alongside SPF and DKIM is necessary for senders dispatching over 5,000 emails daily to effectively manage email authentication and deliverability.
Easy Unsubscribe:
- To reduce spam complaints and improve deliverability, all bulk senders must include a one-click unsubscribe link in email headers and honour these requests within two days.
Spam Complaints:
- Monitoring and managing spam complaint rates is crucial. Maintaining a low spam complaint rate (below 0.1%) is essential to avoid deliverability issues if it exceeds 0.3%.
Other Services Impacted
In addition to Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, other email services and platforms have also been impacted by these changes. These include (among a fair few more not mentioned below):
- MailerLite: Email marketing service requiring domain authentication.
- Postmark: Transactional email service emphasizing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Dubsado: Business management suite needing email domain authentication.
- GoDaddy: Domain and hosting provider supporting Microsoft email services.
- Cloudflare: Provides DNS services and support for email authentication.
- Wix: Website builder requiring email authentication setup.
- Squarespace: Website builder and hosting service with email deliverability guidelines.
- IONOS by 1&1: Hosting provider with email authentication requirements.
- Bluehost: Hosting service with guidelines for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- SendGrid: Email API provider needing domain authentication for deliverability.
- MailGun: Email service requiring updated SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
- Amazon SES: Amazon’s email service enforcing new email authentication protocols.
- ConvertKit: Email marketing platform with specific authentication setups.
- ThriveCart: Shopping cart platform sending transactional emails requiring authentication.
- MooSend: Email marketing service requiring domain authentication.
- Mimecast: Provides email security and requires proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings.
General Hosting Providers:
Hosting providers such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Wix, and Squarespace have also provided guidelines to help users authenticate their domains with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These steps are necessary to ensure that transactional emails sent from websites hosted on these platforms are delivered properly.
Steps to Mitigate Issues
Authenticate Your Domain:
- Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up for your domain. This typically involves updating DNS records through your hosting provider.
Use Professional Email Services:
- Avoid sending emails using public domains like @gmail.com. Instead, use custom domain emails (e.g., [email protected]) to comply with the new guidelines and improve deliverability.
Monitor and Adjust:
- Check your domain’s email authentication status regularly and adjust configurations as needed. Tools like MXToolbox and EasyDMARC can assist in monitoring these settings.
Ensure Easy Unsubscribe:
- Implement one-click unsubscribe links in your email headers. This mandatory compliance helps reduce spam complaints by making it easier for users to opt out of emails they no longer wish to receive.
We can help
If you are experiencing issues sending or receiving email from your WordPress based website, get in touch. We can help (here).
