Beginning in February 2024, Google and Yahoo will mandate that high-volume (bulk) senders adhere to a set of new regulations. If you send over 5,000 emails per day, you are required to comply with Google and Yahoo’s following rules:

1. Authenticate your emails using security protocols such as DKIM, SPF, and DMARC.
2. Integrate a one-click list-unsubscribe feature and promptly respect unsubscribes within a two-day timeframe.
3. Maintain a spam complaint rate below 0.3%, translating to no more than three spam reports for every 1,000 messages.

1.  Authentication

• The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) enables you to designate the IP addresses or domains authorized to send emails on your behalf.
• DomainKeys Identified Email (DKIM) is a standard allowing you to append a digital signature to your emails. This signature enables email providers such as Yahoo and Gmail to confirm the email's authenticity, ensuring it originated from you and not an imposter.
• Domain-based messaging Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a security protocol that harmonizes your SPF and DKIM policies. It outlines how mailbox providers should manage an email that doesn't pass an authentication check.

2. One-click unsubscribe

• Email recipients should be able to unsubscribe with just one click without leaving the Yahoo Mail and Gmail user interfaces.

3. Minimize Spam Complaint Ratio

• Unengaged contacts are individuals on an email list or in a contact database who, despite having initially opted in to receive emails, show little or no interaction with the email messages. This lack of engagement is often measured by factors such as not opening or clicking on emails over an extended period of time. Spam filters notice this lack of interest and might start delivering your emails into the junk/spam folder.
• Identifying unengaged contacts is important for email marketers and organizations as it helps improve targeting, maintain a positive sender reputation, and enhance overall email deliverability.

What is the impact of unengaged contacts?

Unengaged contacts pose significant challenges for businesses, diminishing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and risking deliverability issues due to spam filters. This inefficiency in resource allocation and negative impacts on the sender's reputation can result in inaccurate data and analytics. To address these challenges, businesses often employ strategies like re-engagement campaigns and list segmentation, ensuring their communication efforts remain targeted and relevant. By proactively managing unengaged contacts, businesses can enhance campaign performance, maintain a positive sender reputation, and derive more accurate insights from their data, ultimately contributing to the overall success of their marketing endeavors.

How does Birdeye identify unengaged contacts?

Birdeye campaigns and automation automatically exclude contacts who haven't engaged with your emails. A contact is categorized as unengaged if they haven't opened the last five emails you sent them.

You will find the disclaimer regarding unengaged contacts, which are excluded from email campaigns, at the bottom of the 'Add Contacts' section.

To learn more about it, read the help center articles listed below: