Google and Yahoo are implementing new guidelines for bulk email senders in early 2024 to protect against spam, fraud and phishing, and improve deliverability.
We hosted a webinar covering all the changes surrounding these guidelines and talked about how they can impact the delivery of your emails, what the change means for you, and the actions you can take to become self-authenticated.
You can view the webinar directly through Wistia or right here on the Blog!
Have a question left over from the webinar? Leave us a comment below. We had over 1,000 attendees who asked a lot of great questions! We'll update the post over the next few days with answers to those questions.
I use GoDaddy/Squarespace/etc. Where do I find steps regarding how to find or create a CNAME or TXT record?
Our Knowledge Base has an article that lists all major hosting providers and includes direct links to their support articles on creating CNAME/TXT records. Please note that due to the complexity of different DNS providers, we are unable to assist with the implementation of the DKIM key within your account.
Our website domain is different from the email domain that we use for Constant Contact. What do I need to change and how?
You will need to set up authentication with the domain you intend to send email from. You are still able to use different website domains in your emails as the From address.
I'm a Partner with child accounts. What steps should I be taking?
Please reach out to your Account Manager or contact Partner support for additional assistance.
Should we be adding a message, as I see in other e-news sometimes, like "Please add this address to your contacts so that our messages come to your inbox..."?
The Google/Yahoo changes should not have much impact on your contacts. If your sending "From" address will be changed, you could give your contacts a heads up ahead of time but this is not a requirement and we are not able to say if it would have a benefit.
Can you check to see if our domain has already been authenticated?
In the My Account tab you can click on the Advanced Settings tab and see if you are self-authenticated. We will also provide pop-ups when you log in over the next few days that will let you know what steps need to be taken on your end, if any.
My emails aren't sending. When I look at my settings, the message I see is "could not verify authenticated sender address." I updated my DKIM key. Does it take time for this to take effect?
Yes, it can take up to 24 hours to provision your account with authentication. See this article for more information on error messages regarding authentication.
My CNAME record is pending. How do I complete authentication?
Once you add the CNAME and DMARC records to your DNS settings, it can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. You'll still be able to send emails while you wait for your DNS records to update.
My account has legacy authentication already set up. Do I need to do anything?
When you log in after the feature is enabled in your account you will need to re-enter your older legacy auth subdomain, and create a username part so it is a complete email (user@mycompany.ccsend.com)
I have legacy authentication, but when I search the DMARC tool, it says failed. Should I be concerned?
If you looked up your full subdomain (company.ccsend.com) you will not find a DMARC record, but don't be alarmed, It will not fail a lookup at receiving ISPs. There is a DMARC record present at ccsend.com. According to the specification, if a receiving mail server doesn't find a record at the subdomain, it will go to the next level up (ccsend.com in this case) and it will find a record there. This is all in accordance with the standards!
Does self-authentication expire or does it have to be renewed?
It does not expire!
If we send emails through additional platforms, will we need to repeat this process for each one?
You will need to make sure every source of your mail is getting authenticated. Setting up self-authentication at Constant Contact will only cover your mail that is sent through our platform. It will not cover corporate mail or other types of mail sent from other systems.
If I work for a corporation where I don't own my website domain, where do I go to customize the cc subdomain?
Once the feature is added to your account, you will receive a dialog flow to set up your subdomain. If you miss it or want to add additional email addresses at the subdomain, go to advanced settings and then account emails.
Is there a benefit to self-authenticating compared to the "do nothing" option you described?
While you are welcome to use the ccsend subdomain, sending from your domain and using self-authentication is an industry best practice as it provides better branding and may result in better deliverability rather than using the shared subdomain provided.
