Problem

How do I setup Yahoo Feedback Loop emails?
I have unsubscribe links in my mail-shots, but I'm still having trouble delivering to Yahoo. Why?

Overview

Yahoo provides the ability for email recipients to mark the email as 'Spam'. Users can (and do) report email as spam, despite signing up for - or legitimately receiving email.

Email Feedback Loops (FBLs) are a critical tool for email senders who want to maintain a positive sending reputation and improve email deliverability. A FBL alerts senders when recipients mark their emails as spam.

This knowledge base article will explain FBLs, why they're essential, and how to set them up for Yahoo. Changes brought in by Yahoo and Gmail in 2024 make the use of FBLs for your domains even more critical if you send emails to these domains.

Why Feedback Loops Matter

FBLs help maintain sender reputation by notifying senders when users mark their emails as spam. These notifications allow senders to quickly remove those recipients from their mailing lists, reduce future spam complaints, and protect domain and IP reputation. Monitoring feedback and adjusting mailing lists based on FBL reports help ensure your emails reach engaged, interested users and avoid spam filters.

Yahoo has limits on what proportion of emails are reported as spam by users before restricting your domain - this is separate from any unsubscribe mechansim (which you must also have in your emails).

Setting Up an Email Feedback Loop for Yahoo

Requirements:

• Active email sending domain.
• DKIM and SPF records set up in DNS for email authentication.

Steps to Configure Yahoo FBL:

1. Access the Yahoo FBL Portal: Go to Yahoo’s Complaint Feedback Loop portal to register for the FBL.
   
   
2. Create a Yahoo Account: You’ll need an active Yahoo account to register and manage your FBL settings.
   
   
3. Add Domain Details:
   • Enter your sending domain information and verify ownership. Yahoo will check that SPF and DKIM are configured correctly.
     
     
4. Provide Contact Information: Include your name, organization, and contact details for managing FBL reports.
   
   
5. Designate an FBL Report Email:
   • Choose an email address for receiving Yahoo’s FBL reports (e.g., fbl@yourdomain.com).
   • Ensure the designated email can handle FBL notifications and is checked frequently - Yahoo allow a maximum 48hrs to action.
     
     
6. Submit and Confirm: Once submitted, Yahoo reviews the application, which can take a few days. You will start receiving spam complaint reports once approved.

Note: Yahoo’s FBL sends complaints only for emails marked as spam by Yahoo users.

What to Do When You Receive Complaint Reports

Remove the complainant from your future mail-shots. Yahoo stipulate that receipients that unsubscribe or reject email should be removed from mail-shots within 48 hours.

This is sometimes unrealistic, and it is unclear what impact is caused by missing this timescale, but that is what they stipulate as Best Practice.