Starting in February 2024, Google and Yahoo are implementing new policies that may impact how you send your MailerLite newsletters. To prepare for how these changes can affect your sending, we've compiled a comprehensive checklist with simple steps you can take to align with these new requirements.
Remove Gmail or other public domains from your “from” address.
To meet the new sender requirements, we strongly recommend using an email address linked to your own domain rather than relying on public domains, such as Gmail when sending your MailerLite newsletters. This approach ensures compliance and email deliverability.
For example, rather than using name@gmail.com to send your newsletters, the sender address should instead be in the format name@yourdomain.com to ensure better deliverability.
Important: Sender address is different from the username email address that you would use to log into your account. It is still possible to create a user login with a Gmail address or other public domain.
Why is using a public email address not recommended to send newsletters?
Free domains often require additional verification steps and are more likely to be flagged as spam or junk by recipient email services due to strict DMARC policies. Because of this, purchasing a domain and using an email address linked to it will improve chances of emails landing in recipients' main inboxes.
For a more detailed understanding of these recommendations and the impact of DMARC policies, refer to The limitations of using a free domain.
Authenticate your sending domain
Email verification and authentication is crucial for ensuring the proper deliverability of campaigns.
Since MailerLite does not provide a service to host your domain, it needs to be hosted outside of MailerLite by a third-party domain hosting provider. While we offer a general guide for authenticating your domain (How to verify, authenticate and align your domain), we have created the following help articles to assist with authenticating your domain in various domain hosts:
You can also follow our helpful video tutorial on Email domain authentication.
Setup DMARC policy
For larger email senders, especially those dispatching around 5,000 or more emails at a time, implementing a DMARC policy is a must. This advanced level of authentication is essential for enhancing email security and protecting your domain from unauthorized use.
Setting up DMARC incorrectly can lead to legitimate emails being blocked or sent to spam. Therefore, it's highly recommended to enlist a DMARC consultant or service that specializes in email security. They can help you understand your email sources, configure your SPF and DKIM, and set up the DMARC policy correctly.
For more information, check our guide The basics of DMARC.
Make it easy to unsubscribe
An unsubscribed recipient refers to an individual who has opted out or removed themselves from an email list. Typically, this is done through an unsubscribe link that is required in all MailerLite emails.
Making it easy for people to unsubscribe is crucial. When recipients find it difficult to unsubscribe, they are more likely to mark emails as spam. There are several ways to make it easy for a subscriber to opt out of an email list.
To learn how to edit your unsubscribe page in MailerLite, check our guide on the Unsubscribe page builder.
One-click list-unsubscribe
A list-unsubscribe header is a field in the header of an email, which adds an "Unsubscribe" link or button in the email client's interface. With the policy changes from Google and Yahoo, this feature will need to be enabled for large senders. In MailerLite emails, the one-click list-unsubscribe mechanism is included by default and requires no further configuration within your account. This ensures campaigns sent with MailerLite are already compliant with the new requirements from Google and Yahoo.
For more information on one-click list-unsubscribe, check A simple guide: One-click list-unsubscribe header.
Visible unsubscribe link
Laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, the GDPR in the European Union require that the option to unsubscribe from marketing emails must be clearly visible in your newsletter.
It’s recommended to audit all of your campaign templates and workflow emails to ensure that you have a clear unsubscribe link somewhere in the body of your email. MailerLite automatically adds an unsubscribe link to the footer of your newsletter. However, you can also add an additional unsubscribe link anywhere in your newsletter.
Best practices for low spam complaints
Permission-based email lists: Only send emails to recipients who have explicitly signed up and given their consent to receive them. Unsolicited emails are more likely to be marked as spam. Check our guide on Why you should never use a purchased email list for a more in-depth explanation on purchased email lists.
Be clear about your offer, and be consistent: Ensure that your sign-up process is clear about what the subscriber is opting into. Make sure to remain consistent and only send subscribers the type of content they signed up to receive. Irrelevant content can frustrate subscribers, leading to higher spam complaints.
Recognizable sender address: Use a sender name and email address with your own domain that recipients will recognize. This helps to build trust and reduce the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.
Avoid spammy content: Steer clear of language and formatting that can trigger spam filters, such as excessive use of caps, exclamation marks, and spammy phrases like “Buy now” or “Free offer”. Check our guide on How to avoid spam filters and reach the inbox to see what spam filters will look for in your newsletter.
Segment your lists: Segment your email list based on subscriber behavior and preferences. This way subscribers receive content that is more relevant to their interests, reducing the likelihood of spam complaints.
Regular list cleaning: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers who haven't engaged with your emails over a certain period. For a reliable and easy to use email validation and cleaning tool, check out MailerCheck.