If you use Gmail to send newsletters, updates or marketing emails, there’s a big change coming in November 2025. Gmail is tightening its rules for anyone sending messages to personal Gmail accounts, and if your emails don’t meet the new standards, they could end up in spam or not delivered at all.

What Gmail Sender Rules are Changing?

Gmail considers a “bulk sender” anyone sending around 5,000 or more emails in a day to Gmail addresses. From November, emails from bulk senders that don’t follow the rules may get rejected. Even if you don’t hit those numbers now, it’s still worth knowing so you’re ready for the future.

Here’s what Gmail now expects from businesses sending emails:

• Authentication: Your domain needs SPF and DKIM set up. Bigger senders also need DMARC. This proves your emails are genuine and not spam.
• Secure servers: Emails must be sent over TLS (a secure connection), and your domain’s DNS settings should be correct.
• Spam complaints: Keep your spam complaints low as too many and Gmail could block your emails.
• Unsubscribe links: Every marketing email needs an easy way for people to unsubscribe, and requests must be honoured quickly (within 48 hours)
• No pretending to be Gmail: Don’t send emails that look like they come from @gmail.com if they don’t, it will get blocked.

Why It Matters

Even if you’re a small business sending occasional newsletters or client updates, these changes matter. If your emails aren’t set up properly, you risk losing contact with clients or prospects. Following Gmail’s new rules helps your emails land in inboxes and keeps your brand looking professional.

What You Can Do Now

1. Check your domains – make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up correctly.
2. Check your email servers – ensure they’re secure and DNS is correct.
3. Review your lists and unsubscribes – keep your contacts clean and make opting out simple.
4. Monitor spam complaints – use Google Postmaster Tools to see if any emails are getting flagged.
5. Plan ahead – if your email volume grows, make sure your setup can handle it without issues. 5000 emails in a  day is the number which classes a sender as high volume.

Gmail’s November 2025 sender rules are about keeping emails safe and secure. A few small changes now can save headaches later and ensure your messages hit inboxes reliably. With Black Friday and the holiday season approaching, now is the time to get sender requirements in order before you miss out on a new client or lose one due to lack of communication.

Need help with sender rules? Get in touch! At Three Cherries we can migrate you from Gmail to Outlook and correctly set up the policies you need to ensure your emails land this winter. We take the gamble out of business technology.