Google & Yahoo Email Deliverability Changes - February 2024

Technical Q&A

Topic summary

Upcoming enforcement by Google and Yahoo in February 2024 prompts clarification on new email deliverability requirements and Shopify implementation details. Urgency is emphasized due to the near-term deadline.

Key requirements cited:

  • DKIM, SPF, and DMARC (email authentication protocols) must be configured.
  • Branded sending domain (domain-aligned “from” domain).
  • One‑click unsubscribe.
  • Spam complaint rate below 0.3% (3 per 1,000 emails).

Open issues/risks:

  • Uncertainty over 1024‑ vs 2048‑bit DKIM keys; belief that Shopify currently only supports 1024‑bit, which may be problematic with the February changes.

Implementation questions:

  • If Shopify hosts the domain, can DKIM/SPF/DMARC be added/updated directly in Shopify admin (Settings > Domains > Add record)?
  • When using a third‑party ESP (e.g., Klaviyo) with a branded sending domain, what is the impact on Shopify transactional emails (order confirmations, receipts)?
  • Is additional Shopify backend configuration needed for a branded sending domain, or is adding DKIM/SPF/DMARC for the sending domain in Shopify sufficient?

Status: No resolutions yet; guidance requested and time‑sensitive.

Summarized with AI on January 9. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hello!

I’m sure most of you are aware. Google and Yahoo are both adding requirements for successful email deliverability very soon in February 2024.

These four main changes are:

-Required DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records

-Branded Sending Domain

-One-Click unsubscribe link

-Keep spam complaints under 0.3% (literally 3 complaints every thousand emails…)

Lots of questions here:

-Has the 1024 vs 2048 DKIM debacle been solved yet? Currently, I believe Shopify will only accept 1024 bit DKIM records which is a huge problem as February 2024 is coming very soon.
-If Shopify is hosting our domain, we update/add our DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records right in the back of Shopify, correct? (admin profile > settings > domains > add record)

-If we’re using a third-party email service (e.g. Klaviyo) and we update create our branded sending domain in the third-party service, does this affect Shopify transactional emails? (Order confirmations, receipts, etc) Do we need to do something else in the Shopify backend to create a branded sending domain? Would this just entail adding DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records for our sending domain in the back end of shopify???

Thank you for your time!