Email Marketing Compliance Guidelines

Possibly the most valuable ~5 min of your entire year. You know, if you use email to make money. Google + Yahoo are dropping the most sweeping email compliance updates ever required. They hit next month. Here’s the four things to do right now. Not from me. From Stephanie Griffith — who spoke at length about the (very) real threat of losing your entire email program if you don’t comply. 1️⃣ Set up DMARC authentication for your sending domain. Previously, you only needed SPF and DKIM to authenticate your email messages — now, you must implement a DMARC policy of p=none on your sending domain in addition to existing SPF and DKIM requirements. Good news, though: DMARC validation is the first step in qualifying for BIMI, which unlocks more sender benefits. Namely … - Verified checkmarks - Brand logo displays 2️⃣ Send emails from your actual domain, not a shared one. If you’ve been sending via Klaviyo or Shopify on a shared sending domain, that’s no longer going to fly. This is true for both marketing and transactional messages. Set up separate subdomains to properly monitor each of these mail streams. 3️⃣ Make unsubscribing as easy as possible. In addition to including a standard unsubscribe link, typically found in the footer of your emails, you also must include a list-unsubscribe header. This allows subscribers to unsubscribe in just one click. Any reputable email service provider is going to automatically do this for you. 4️⃣ Keep your spam complaints low; really low. You have to keep your reported spam rate below 0.3%. If that sounds tiny, it’s because it is. Take that one really, really seriously. Tip: Use Google Postmaster Tools to clearly show you where you stand in this regard. —— Huge thanks to Stephanie. I’m not the expert; she is. Go follow her. Tag her in any comments or questions. Check out Klaviyo’s resources. And head over to the #EmailGeeks Slack Community.

Email marketing isn’t just about clever subject lines and beautiful designs. There are also laws you need to follow—especially if you want to build long-term trust with your audience (and stay out of trouble). Here are a few key rules every eCommerce brand should respect: ✅ Always get permission. Don’t send marketing emails to people who didn’t sign up. You need clear, opt-in consent. ✅ Make it easy to unsubscribe. Every email must include a visible unsubscribe link. It’s not just polite—it’s legally required. ✅ Include your business info. Your email footer should have your company’s name and physical address. It adds transparency and is required under most laws. ✅ Be honest with your subject lines. No tricks or clickbait. Misleading subject lines can get you flagged as spam—or fined. ✅ Respect your subscribers’ preferences. Give people control over what types of emails they receive and how often. This builds trust—and keeps your list healthy. Different countries have different rules (like GDPR in Europe, CAN-SPAM in the U.S., CASL in Canada), but these basics apply almost everywhere. And the truth is—following the rules actually helps you sell more. Why? Because it keeps your reputation clean and your emails out of the spam folder. #emailmarketing #emailtips #flowium

Google and Yahoo have rolled out new email requirements, and if you're sending email, you are quite surely sending a lot of mail their way. So, it's crucial to get yourself compliant with their rules and monitor your email performance to ensure you *stay* compliant. Here's what to focus on: 1️⃣ Bounces: Enforcement is being rolled out in a phased approach, starting with non-compliant emails facing delays in delivery. Eventually, these will result in rejections, so ensure compliance to avoid disruptions in delivery. 2️⃣ Opens: Track open rates, especially at the provider level, to gauge performance accurately. A drop post-compliance could signal reputation issues. 3️⃣ Unsubscribes: While a spike post-implementation is expected, monitor for sustained trends, indicating potential recipient fatigue or list hygiene issues. 4️⃣ Spam Complaints: Maintain spam rates below 0.1%, aiming even lower for consistent inbox placement. Monitor closely, as complaints can adversely affect deliverability. 5️⃣ Overall Reputation: Evaluate your sender reputation using metrics like StreamScore. Consistent positive engagement indicates compliance and enhances deliverability. Additional Tips: ➡️ Leverage tools like #Google Postmaster Tools and #Yahoo Sender Hub for deeper insights into sender reputation, complaint rates, etc. ➡️ Conduct seed testing to assess inbox placement, focusing on Google and Yahoo addresses. Although use this directionally, as false positives are common. ➡️ Ensure you're compliant with authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) using tools like the Google Postmaster Tools compliance dashboard and About My Email, built by Steve Atkins from Word to the Wise. Late to Comply? Well, get movin'... like, today! Then keep a close eye on delivery, bounces, and engagement metrics. Address your compliance gaps promptly — focusing on your most important mail streams like transactional mail first — to mitigate potential damage to recipient trust (and your sender reputation!) Ultimately, compliance, best practices, and performance monitoring are key to a successful email program...not only because these are required by Google and Yahoo, but also because they're the right thing to do for the sake of your email recipients! Remember they are who we are really here to please, not the mailbox providers. I'm sure I'm missing some great tips, so please back me up by adding them in the comments, you nerd. 😉 Also, reach out for support whenever needed! I've been living and breathing this topic for months, and more importantly — I'll be chatting directly with representatives from Google and Yahoo in a webinar on April 10th! I'd be happy to ask them questions on your behalf. 💌 #emailmarketing #deliverability #compliance