By now, you've probably heard: Microsoft has officially joined the club. Following in the footsteps of Google and Yahoo, Microsoft has announced new requirements for high-volume and bulk email senders targeting their consumer domains (the biggest ones being Outlook.com, Hotmail, MSN, and Live.com).
I first broke the news in April here at Spam Resource, highlighting that this means all four major B2C mailbox providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Apple, and now Microsoft, aka MAGY) are raising the bar on email authentication and best practices.
My Explainers and Guide
If you're looking for help navigating the new rules, I've also put together a practical guide to get you compliant: 2025 Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo (MAGY) Sender Compliance Guide.
You can also catch a couple videos I recorded to help explain everything:
Strengthening the email ecosystem: Outlook's new requirements for high-volume senders
You can also catch a couple videos I recorded to help explain everything:
- Microsoft's New Sender Requirements Explained
- MAGY (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo) Sender Requirements In Detail
Strengthening the email ecosystem: Outlook's new requirements for high-volume senders
More Industry Coverage
Plenty of other smart folks in the email world have weighed in as well. Here's a roundup of great articles and blog posts digging into the details:- Valimail: Microsoft Announces Email Sender Requirements. A solid overview of what's changing and why it matters.
- Mailgun: Microsoft Sender Requirements: What They Are and How to Prepare. Good breakdown of technical and policy updates.
- Moosend: Microsoft's New Requirements for High-Volume Senders. Quick, digestible guide focused on marketing teams.
- The SSL Store: Microsoft Bulk Sender Authentication Requirements Explained. They go deep into DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- EasyDMARC: Outlook's New Email Sender Policy Update. Helpful if you need to brush up on authentication protocols.
- Kickbox: Microsoft Outlook Rolls Out New Rules for High-Volume Senders. Includes key timelines and action steps.
- GetResponse: Microsoft Authentication Requirements for Email Senders. Especially useful for marketing platforms and ESPs.
- Braze: 2025 Microsoft Outlook Email Updates: What Marketers Need to Know. Good advice for brand-side email marketers.
What This Means
If you're a bulk sender and you haven't already buttoned up your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and easy unsub practices, now's the time. Between Google, Yahoo, Apple, and Microsoft, the days of "maybe it's fine if we don't have DMARC" are officially over.
Need help? Again, I recommend starting with my compliance guide— it walks you through everything you need to know to stay out of the spam folder in 2025 and beyond.
Need help? Again, I recommend starting with my compliance guide— it walks you through everything you need to know to stay out of the spam folder in 2025 and beyond.