Before we dive into this week’s insight, let’s talk about the Yahoo Inbox Dumpster Fire™ from last week.
Good news: the skies are clearing.
I’m seeing solid signs of recovery across the board. Shared IPs (like Amazon SES)? Bouncing back like champs (pun intended).
Dedicated IPs? They're coming around—just taking the scenic route.
It’s not exactly a sprint (more like a slow jog uphill in flip-flops), but hey—the path forward is working, and deliverability is on the mend.
Yahoo Deliverability In the Tank
Implemented my strategy and now have more opens and clicks at a fraction of the volume with no deliverability issues.
Yahoo Deliverability with Great Engagement
Time to scale back up to full volume.
If you missed the full breakdown of Yahoo's deliverability detour, check out last week’s hot take:
Now for This Week’s Inbox Plot Twist...
Microsoft has officially joined the club (Gmail and Yahoo are already on the guest list)
Microsoft is rolling out its own version of the 2024 sender requirements.
Starting May 5, 2025, if you’re sending over 5,000 emails per day, you better have your authentication game on lock:
✅ SPF
✅ DKIM
✅ DMARC
These three protocols act like a digital passport that proves your emails are legit—and if they don’t check out? Straight to junk mail jail or blocked entirely.
Microsoft isn’t playing. This isn’t a soft nudge; it’s more like a "comply or say goodbye" situation.
Need the full details? You can read Microsoft’s updated sender requirements here.
So if you haven’t tightened up your email authentication yet, now’s the time to get your DNS ducks in a row.
Because come May, Outlook’s not gonna care how pretty your email looks—it’s all about whether it can trust you.
Luckily, if you’ve been following along, this should all have been taken care of because Gmail and Yahoo already required them.
Patience won the battle with Yahoo. Preparation will win the war with Microsoft. 😎
BEFORE YOU GO
Don’t Let Bad Deliverability Tank Your Email Results
If your emails aren’t landing in the inbox, they’re not doing their job. I’ve seen too many brands struggle with deliverability issues without knowing why.
The truth is, a few key optimizations can make all the difference in getting your emails seen, opened, and clicked.
Tighten up,
Chris Miquel
PS: Need help battling with Yahoo? Hit reply and let’s talk!
