--- title: "Google’s guidelines to send emails to Gmail users | DMARC Report" description: "Have you ever wondered why even legitimate emails sent by you to Gmail recipients don’t reach their inboxes?" image: "https://dmarcreport.com/og/blog/googles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users.png" canonical: "https://dmarcreport.com/blog/googles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users/" --- Quick Answer Have you ever wondered why even \[legitimate emails\](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/08/23/gmail-spam-filter-email-inbox-google/8242847002/) sent by you to Gmail recipients don’t reach their inboxes? Well, there are several guidelines that Google wants you to abide by if you don’t want to have your emails land in the \[spam folders\](https://cybernews.com/news/microsofts-breach-notification-emails-end-up-in-spam-folder/) or bounce back. Related: [Free DMARC Checker](/tools/dmarc-checker/) ·[How to Create an SPF Record](/tools/spf-record-generator/) ·[SPF Record Format](/blog/spf-format-checker-dos-and-donts-for-email-authentication/) Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fgoogles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Google%E2%80%99s%20guidelines%20to%20send%20emails%20to%20Gmail%20users&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fgoogles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fgoogles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fgoogles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users%2F&title=Google%E2%80%99s%20guidelines%20to%20send%20emails%20to%20Gmail%20users "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Google%E2%80%99s%20guidelines%20to%20send%20emails%20to%20Gmail%20users&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fgoogles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users%2F "Share via Email") ![Google’s guidelines to send emails to Gmail users](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg) Have you ever wondered why even [legitimate emails](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/08/23/gmail-spam-filter-email-inbox-google/8242847002/) sent by you to \*\*Gmail recipients don’t reach their inboxes? Well, there are several guidelines that Google wants you to abide by if you don’t want to have your emails land in the [spam folders](https://cybernews.com/news/microsofts-breach-notification-emails-end-up-in-spam-folder/) or bounce back. > Google’s February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it’s a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. If you think you can ignore these guidelines, let us remind you that Gmail and other \*\*mailbox providers don’t hesitate to blocklist your domains or give them a poor reputation score. These factors ultimately deteriorate your [sender’s reputation](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-sender-reputation-why-important-email-hippo-ltd-c8jlf?trk=organization%5Fguest%5Fmain-feed-card%5Ffeed-article-content), tossing your emails straight into the spam or junk folders. So, let’s see what these requirements and guidelines are . ## Email authentication requirements Gmail requires all senders to deploy [SPF](https://dmarcreport.com/what-is-spf/) and DKIM. If you are a bulk sender, you are also required to deploy DMARC in addition to SPF and DKIM. Together, these protocols verify that messages are sent by authorized people and that nobody has tampered with email content in transit. If you use an **email service provider**, ensure that they authenticate your domain’s email with SPF and DKIM. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. [CISA BOD 18-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01) requires p=reject for US federal domains. [PCI DSS v4.0](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/) mandates DMARC for organizations processing payment card data as of March 2025\. Google and Yahoo require DMARC for bulk senders (5,000+ messages/day) since February 2024, and [Microsoft began rejecting](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/email-authentication-dmarc-configure) non-compliant email in May 2025\. The UK [NCSC](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/email-security-and-anti-spoofing), Australia’s [ASD](https://www.cyber.gov.au/resources-business-and-government/essential-cyber-security/ism/cyber-security-guidelines/guidelines-email), and Canada’s [CCCS](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/implementation-guidance-email-domain-protection) all mandate DMARC for government domains. Cyber insurers increasingly require DMARC enforcement as an underwriting condition. If you regularly forward **emails or manage a forwarding service**, you should ensure that forwarded messages are authenticated by following [Google’s best practices](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/175365). Google also prefers the deployment of [ARC or Authenticated Received Chain](https://proton.me/blog/what-is-authenticated-received-chain-arc) over SPF, DKIM, and [DMARC](https://dmarcreport.com/). ARC is responsible for checking the previous authentication status of the emails you forward. So, if a forwarded message passes SPF or DKIM, but ARC reflects a ‘failed’ result, then Gmail will treat the email as potentially fraudulent. ![Gmail DMARC Statistics 417x1024](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2024/09/Gmail-DMARC-Statistics-417x1024.jpg) ## Infrastructure configuration requirements The public IP address of an SMTP server sending emails must be linked to a [PTR record](https://www.nslookup.io/learning/dns-record-types/ptr/) that maps back to a hostname, which is known as a reverse [DNS lookup](https://www.digicert.com/faq/dns/how-does-dns-lookup-work). _Additionally, the hostname must have an A record (for IPv4) or an AAAA record (for IPv6) that points to the same public IP address used by the sending server_. This process is referred to as a **forward DNS lookup**. If you are using shared [IP addresses](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/internet-now-officially-too-big-ip-addresses-run-out-n386081), then you must ensure they are not on any blocklist; otherwise, Gmail will \*\*mark messages sent from them as spam. ## Subscription requirements If you manage mailing and subscription lists , then Gmail encourages you to send messages only to those people who have explicitly chosen to receive them. This way, recipients are more likely to interact with your emails, reducing the \*\*block and unsubscription rate also. The more people mark your [email as spam](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2023/10/15/spam-email-unsubscribe-button-safety/71147917007/), the poorer your [domain’s reputation](https://medium.com/@nicoliawiles/what-is-domain-reputation-and-why-does-it-matter-prime-pr-ecb6ab2ecc2c) will be. Also, make it easy to subscribe and unsubscribe. To ensure recipients are engaged- - Ensure recipients have explicitly opted in to receive your emails. - Verify each recipient’s email address before adding them to your subscription list. - Regularly send emails to confirm that recipients still wish to remain subscribed. - Consider removing recipients who consistently do not open or engage with your emails.![Dmarc record](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2024/09/dmarc-record-1.jpg) It’s also a requirement that recipients have an easy, one-click option to unsubscribe from the [mailing list](https://www.one.com/en/email/what-is-a-mailing-list). Allow recipients to see all the individual mailing lists to which they are subscribed. They should have the option to choose which mailing lists they want to unsubscribe from and which ones to continue with. Also, you need to automatically unsubscribe recipients who have **multiple bounced emails**. ## Message formatting requirements Follow these formatting guidelines to ensure your messages to Gmail recipients are delivered promptly- - If using HTML, format it according to [HTML standards](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/). - The From: field should have only one email address, like [notifications@domain.com](mailto:notifications@domain.com). - Keep message headers concise and within Gmail’s limits. - Format messages according to RFC 5322 (Internet Format Standard). - Include a valid Message-ID in every message. - **Single-instance headers** (e.g., From, To, Subject, Date) should appear only once in each message. - The Subject, From, and To fields should reflect the actual sender and message content. - Don’t use Re: or Fwd: unless the message is a genuine reply or forward. - Avoid using emojis or non-standard characters to mislead recipients. - Don’t hide content with **HTML or CSS**, as this can lead to messages being [flagged as spam](https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-facebook-bug-flagging-spam.html). - Make web links clear and understandable so recipients know what to expect when clicking. - Ensure sender details are clear and visible. - Format [internationalized domain names (IDNs)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalized%5Fdomain%5Fname) according to [Unicode Standard #39](http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr39/#Restriction%5FLevel%5FDetection), including domains for authenticating, envelope from, payload, reply-to, and sender. ## Sending practices requirements - Try sending all the messages from the same IP address. If you must send emails from **multiple IP addresses**, then use a different IP address for each message type.\_ For example, use a separate one for order confirmations and newsletters\_. - Don’t indulge in [spoofing practices](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/gannett-advertisers-hit-by-domain-spoofing-spotlighting-programmatic-issue/620093/) by impersonating other domains or senders . - Don’t mark internal emails as spam, as it negatively affects the domain’s reputation. - Gradually increase the sending volume. Use [Google Postmaster Tools](https://support.google.com/a/answer/9981691?sjid=10397629946664522132-AP&visit%5Fid=638614599606827680-652169871&rd=2) to monitor email delivery. - Send emails at a steady pace and avoid sudden spikes in sending. Begin with a small volume of active users, then **gradually increase over time**. By following these guidelines, you can expect most of your emails to land in the inboxes of desired recipients. [Contact us](https://dmarcreport.com/contact/) to know more about \*\*how to get started with SPF, [DKIM](https://dmarcreport.com/what-is-dkim/), and DMARC. ## Sources - [CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01) - [Microsoft Outlook DMARC Enforcement May 2025](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/email-authentication-dmarc-configure) (2025) - [PCI DSS v4.0 - DMARC Requirement](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/) (2025) ## Topics [ dkim ](/tags/dkim/)[ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ SPF ](/tags/spf/) ![Vishal Lamba](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/vishal-lamba.jpg) [ Vishal Lamba ](/authors/vishal-lamba/) Content Specialist Content Specialist at DMARC Report. Writes vendor-specific email authentication guides and troubleshooting walkthroughs. [LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-lamba/) ## Take control of your DMARC reports Turn raw XML into actionable dashboards. Start free - no credit card required. [Start Free Trial](https://app.dmarcreport.com/) [Check Your DMARC Record](/tools/dmarc-checker/) ## Related Articles [ Foundational 8m 10 Critical Learnings From Verizon’s 2021 DBIR - A DMARCReport Perspective Nov 25, 2025 ](/blog/10-critical-learnings-from-verizons-2021-dbir-a-dmarcreport-perspective/)[ Foundational 12m 10 DNS Blacklist Insights That Improve Email Security And Deliverability Fast Nov 14, 2025 ](/blog/10-dns-blacklist-insights-to-improve-email-security-and-deliverability/)[ Foundational 12m 10 Email Spoofing Detection Tools That Dramatically Improve Brand Protection Nov 11, 2025 ](/blog/10-email-spoofing-detection-tools-that-dramatically-improve-brand-protection/)[ Foundational 12m 10 Reasons SPF Filtering Is Critical For Email Security Nov 19, 2025 ](/blog/10-reasons-spf-filtering-is-critical-for-email-security/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. 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