• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, February 29, 2024

The email rules put into place by Gmail and Yahoo Mail are already having an effect, with some non-authenticated emails being blocked in tests and the rest to come in April. And vendors are stepping up to help senders deal with them. 

Act-On Software claims it has fostered these practices even before Gmail and Yahoo Mail required them, and says it hopes to help brands “optimize email strategy and ensure that content is ready to avoid spam placement and blocklists.”

Act-On has provided an advisory that advises marketers on how to comply and avoid ending up in spam traps. 

To start with, bulk email senders must authenticate their emails with the following devices: 

• DMARC (domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance)
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
• SPF (sender policy framework)

Act-On says it offers a marketing automation tool that provides a side-by-side email checklist for marketers to track compliance with these standards.

There is nothing radical about these DMARC requirements — even government agencies must observe them. They are one way to ensure marketers get into the inbox. 

Next are the new unsubscribe standards, which marketers have until June to observe: They must implement one-click unsubscribe for both promotional and transactional emails, and quickly honor those requests. Act-On says it has long enabled unsubscribe mechanisms. 

Act-On says it runs its own email servers, and has rapid access to data that is needed.

Of course, Act-On isn’t the only company to highlight its capacity in this area. Valimail has articulated similar views. 

“By partnering with a trusted email service provider together with the implementation of the right DMARC solution you will be able to navigate this essential process and ensure that your legitimate emails reach their intended inboxes without interruption," says Seth Blank, CTO, Valimail.

April is just about a month away — don’t get blocked. 

This is not an endorsement, just an update on the looming changes.