Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo Email Authentication Requirements
Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo require that all email sent to recipients using their email services — anyone using Google Workspace, Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, or Yahoo Mail — passes standard email authentication. If your email does not pass authentication checks, your email will not reach its destination.
- Google's announcement and details can be found here: New Gmail protections for a safer, less spammy inbox
- Our friends at dmarcian have an excellent explanation of the details here: Understanding Gmail and Yahoo DMARC Requirements
- Microsoft's announcement that they will reject email that does not pass authentication from high volume senders: Outlook’s New Requirements for High‐Volume Senders
This could affect email you send from Help Scout to Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo customers, depending on your Inbox address, outgoing email settings, and domain records.
This article will help you determine if you are affected, and explain what steps you need to take to make sure your email authenticates to meet these new requirements.
Determine If and How Your Inbox is Affected
Check the scenarios below for the one that matches your Help Scout Inbox (or Inboxes).
Your Inbox uses the Help Scout assigned @yourcompany.helpscoutapp.com address
You are not affected by these changes, as email you send from Help Scout will be authenticated for the helpscoutapp.com domain.
Your Inbox sends using your email provider via SMTP
Sending email from Help Scout specifically should not be affected by these changes. If you are having issues with email deliverability, you might need to check with your email provider for more help.
Your Inbox uses a free email address, such as @gmail.com or @outlook.com and you send using Help Scout servers
We do not allow those addresses to be connected to an Inbox in Help Scout due to these changes.
Your Inbox uses a custom email address from a domain you or your organization owns, e.g. support@yourdomain.com and you send using Help Scout servers
You may need to create DNS records to ensure your email from Help Scout servers will authenticate. Keep reading below for more help.
Alternately, you may wish to use SMTP to send rather than sending via Help Scout servers. Check out Outgoing Email Settings: Send via Your Email Provider (Use Custom SMTP) for more help in setting that up.
Inboxes With a Custom Email Address at Your Domain
You will need to make sure that you have set up the required CNAME records at your DNS provider so that when the recipient servers check for DKIM, they will be able to authenticate that.
If you have an IT team or a person or team that manages your website, you'll want to reach out to them for help getting these records created.
We have a guide with all of the details of what your team needs to do here: Use DKIM to Help With Email Deliverability
We would highly recommend your team consider setting up a DMARC record while working in the DNS records. DMARC is not something required for Help Scout use, however, Google and Yahoo may require DMARC from your domain if you send bulk email, like newsletters, marketing emails, or other a large number of emails overall.
You can read more about DMARC here, where you'll also find links to learn more: DMARC and Help Scout