Beginning February 1st, 2024, Google & Yahoo began enforcing new bulk email-sending requirements. These requirements apply to anyone sending email to a significant number of recipients.
Google defines a significant number to be more than 5,000 emails sent in a single day to recipients using their domains. Gmail and Yahoo! Mail will filter out or reject emails from non-compliant bulk email senders.
NationBuilder has ensured that 6 of the 8 requirements are already in place. You may need to act on requirements one and two.
Requirement One - All senders must have a DMARC record (Domain-based Message Authentication).
This requirement applies to you if you are managing your DNS for your custom domain.
How can I find out who manages my DNS?
Go to Settings > Domains. If any of your active domains have a "No" under "NB Managed" you will need to go to your Domain Registrar to add a DMARC record. Read more on how complete this.
How do I configure a DMARC record if I'm managing my own domain?
You can find DMARC record generators online, like MXToolbox, which will create a record and help you monitor the results. You can also simply look for “DMARC generator” to find a free online tool.
The way you add a DMARC record to your domain management system varies by provider. Here are the instructions for the most popular providers:
Requirement Two - Gmail and Yahoo require your "Reported Spam Score" is below 0.3%.
A good place to check what your overall reported spam score is in your control panel Communications > All Broadcasters > Email Stats
This is your overall reported Spam Score. It may be a little different than your Gmail-reported spam score. To see Gmail reported spam score specifically, you will need to use Google Postmaster Tools.
If your spam score is above 0.1% - Read this helpful article
If your spam score is above 0.2% - Your email program will be paused by NationBuilder until we can resolve your sending issues.
If your spam score is above 0.3% - Email service providers Gmail and Yahoo will not allow your email to be delivered to their inboxes.
To read about the other six requirements, please see our blog post.
If you have questions, please read All About DMARC or send an email to [email protected].
To restore email capabilities, follow these steps:
Identify the Cause:
Review the email blast that caused the pause to understand the issue (e.g., high bounce rate, spam reports).
Clean Your Email List:
Remove invalid or outdated email addresses using list-cleaning services like AccurateAppend or NeverBounce.
Mark non-opted-in contacts as "Do Not Contact" or remove them from your database.
Confirm Opt-In Status:
Ensure all recipients have explicitly opted in to receive emails.
Update DNS Settings:
If using a custom email provider, ensure the necessary DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM) are correctly configured. Contact your email provider for the required records and provide them to NationBuilder for updates.
Contact NationBuilder Support:
Confirm that you will implement a sunset policy to remove unengaged contacts. Once confirmed, NationBuilder will resume your email capabilities.
By understanding these thresholds and following the outlined steps, you can restore and maintain your email capabilities in NationBuilder. Regularly review your email practices and adhere to NationBuilder’s Email Acceptable Use Policy to ensure long-term success.