Why Email Deliverability Matters More Than Ever

Email marketing success depends on your emails reaching inboxes. In 2025, Gmail, Yahoo, and other email providers have tightened their spam filters and sender requirements, making it harder to maintain strong deliverability. If your emails aren’t getting opened or are being filtered into spam, you need to evaluate your email practices.

New Email Deliverability Rules in 2025

1. Authentication is Now Mandatory

Email providers now require authentication to verify that senders are legitimate. If an email is sent from an unauthenticated source, it is much more likely to be flagged as spam or rejected entirely. Without authentication, your email deliverability will suffer, even if your content is high quality. Setting up proper authentication protocols is now a non-negotiable step for all businesses using email marketing.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF verifies that emails are sent from authorised mail servers. This prevents spammers from sending emails that falsely appear to come from your domain. Without SPF, email providers may not trust that your emails are coming from a legitimate source, increasing the likelihood of them being marked as spam.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM  adds a signature to your emails, proving that the email was not altered during transmission. This ensures that emails received by your audience have not been manipulated by a third party, increasing sender credibility.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)

DMARC protects against email spoofing and phishing attacks.

Performance Indicator:Failure to authenticate your domain can lead to a 50%+ increase in emails being flagged as spam.

2. Higher Spam Complaint Thresholds

Email providers closely monitor spam complaint rates. If too many recipients mark your emails as spam, email providers may block your messages.

3. Unsubscribe Links Must Be One-Click

Gmail and Yahoo now require one-click unsubscribe links in all marketing emails.

How Poor Deliverability Hurts Your Business

Neglecting deliverability best practices can lead to:

1. Lower Open Rates

If your emails land in spam, fewer recipients see them—drastically reducing engagement.

A healthy open rate is 40%+, but if your open rate is below 20%, your emails may be landing in spam.

2. Higher Bounce Rates

Emails sent to invalid or inactive addresses "bounce" back, harming your sender reputation.

If your bounce rate exceeds 2%, your email list likely contains outdated or fake addresses.

Best Practices to Improve Your Email Deliverability

1. Set Up Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Proper authentication ensures your emails pass security checks from major providers.

2. Clean Your Email List Regularly

Inactive or fake email addresses harm deliverability. Removing them keeps your sender reputation strong.

A well-maintained list should have a bounce rate below 1%.

3. Monitor Engagement Metrics

Tracking open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints helps identify deliverability issues early.

A click-through rate below 1% signals poor engagement.

Final Thoughts: Stay Ahead of Email Deliverability Changes

With stricter email regulations in place, proactive deliverability strategies are no longer optional but are essential for email marketing success.

Next Steps to Improve Your Email Deliverability

Need  help with email deliverability? Contact us today for a free audit.