Beginning in February, Google and Yahoo are implementing new requirements for bulk email senders to reduce spam for Gmail users. Other email service providers, such as Microsoft, may soon follow suit.
If you or your team use an ‘@mcmaster.ca’ email address to send mass email to EXTERNAL non-McMaster email accounts (ex. Gmail or Yahoo) via a third-party service (ex. Mail Chimp, Constant Contact), those emails sent to recipients with Gmail and Yahoo accounts may be blocked starting in February 2024.
To avoid potential impact, it is recommended that you follow these steps:
- Test delivery to Gmail and Yahoo – add a ‘test’ Gmail and Yahoo account in your mass mailing distribution list so you can check if your emails are being delivered to these accounts.
- List hygiene – Clean up your mass mailing list by removing any inactive Gmail accounts that should no longer be there. This may resolve the issue.
- Easy unsubscribe – Ensure that users can unsubscribe from commercial or promotional emails in one click and process requests within two days. Most third-party bulk senders should already have this measure in place. For further guidance, review CASL guidance on email consent
- Reduce spam reporting – If more than 0.3% of Gmail recipients mark your emails as spam, your emails will be blocked by Google accounts. Follow email best practices, such as having a clear subject line, to avoid being marked as spam.
- Authenticate the account/service you use to send bulk email – This adds a layer of security and verifies your identity as a ‘legitimate sender.’ Learn how to authenticate your account below.
You are only required to take action at this time if you send bulk email using an ‘@mcmaster.ca’ account via third party services (ex. Mail Chimp) to external, non-McMaster recipients. Otherwise, NO ACTION is required.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UTS service desk.
Email Authentication: What, Why, and How
Email authentication is a way of verifying that an email sender is who they claim to be. It helps prevent spam, phishing, and spoofing, which are common techniques used by cybercriminals to trick recipients into opening malicious emails or revealing sensitive information.
Email authentication is especially important for bulk email senders, who send large volumes of emails to internal or external recipients via a third-party service such as Mail Chimp or Constant Contact.
At McMaster University, there are two main methods to authenticate a third-party bulk mailing account:
DKIM is a technical standard that authenticates you as a legitimate McMaster sender. This option will allow you to use your @mcmaster.ca email address as the sender of your bulk emails.
To do this, you will need to follow these steps:
- Generate your DKIM record from your email account or service. Your third-party service provider (ex. Mailchimp) should have instructions on how to do this or be able to help you.
- Fill out the DKIM request form.
- Wait for UTS to review and approve your request. This may take up to four business days and not all requests are guaranteed to be approved.
- If approved, you can start sending your bulk emails from your @mcmaster.ca email address. Make sure to follow the best practices for bulk email senders, such as providing easy unsubscribe options and keeping spam reports low.
This option will allow you to send your bulk emails without authenticating your account with UTS, but you will not be able to use your @mcmaster.ca email address as the ‘From’ address in the email. Instead, you will have to use an email address that matches the domain of your service provider, such as yourname@constantcontact.com. To do this, you will need to work directly with your email account or service provider.