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Deliverability Letter
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Google has new email display name rules

Jesse Hanley

Jesse Hanley

Founder • Bento

Google just updated their email guidelines with specific rules about display names. Get this wrong, and your emails may struggle to reach Gmail inboxes—even if everything else is perfect.

Here's what you need to know, explained simply.

Quick Summary: What's Happening?

Google now enforces strict rules about email display names (the "From" name recipients see). Break these rules, and your deliverability suffers—especially for commercial and bulk emails.

The key rule: Your display name must identify WHO you are, not WHAT you're saying.

The good news: These changes are easy to implement—just update your email settings, especiall if you're a Bento customer.

Why Should You Care?

Your display name is the first thing recipients see. Google's cracking down on senders who abuse this space to trick people into opening emails.

What happens if you ignore this:

  • Lower deliverability to Gmail accounts
  • Emails land in spam instead of inbox
  • Damaged sender reputation
  • Lost revenue from failed campaigns

The Rules: What's Allowed vs. What's Not

✅ GOOD Display Names

These clearly identify the sender:

  • Acme Corporation
  • Sarah from Acme
  • Acme Support Team
  • Acme Newsletter

❌ BAD Display Names

These try to trick or mislead:

  • Important Update ---------- From Acme
  • TIME IS RUNNING OUT (SALE)
  • [Product/News] Alert
  • URGENT REQUEST
  • Last Chance

The Three Cardinal Sins

1. Don't Put Subject Lines in Display Names

Why people do it: To grab attention in crowded inboxes. Why it's bad: It's deceptive and breaks Gmail's guidelines.

Examples to avoid:

  • FINAL NOTICE - Company Name
  • 50% OFF TODAY ONLY
  • Action Required: Your Account

Do this instead:

  • Use your actual company/sender name
  • Put urgent info in the subject line where it belongs

2. Don't Pretend It's a Personal Message

Why people do it: To increase open rates by faking familiarity. Why it's bad: It's misleading and erodes trust.

Examples to avoid:

  • [recipient's first name] <[email protected]>
  • User (2) (implying multiple messages)
  • Re: Your Question (when it's not a reply)

Do this instead:

  • Use consistent sender names
  • Build real relationships, not fake ones

3. Don't Use Weird Characters or Emojis

Why people do it: To stand out visually. Why it's bad: It looks spammy and unprofessional.

Examples to avoid:

  • 🔴 LATEST UPDATE
  • ★★★ Special Offer ★★★
  • M̲A̲I̲L̲ M̲E̲ (underlined characters)
  • [1] New Message (fake notification badges)

Do this instead:

  • Use clean, professional display names
  • Let your content quality drive engagement

Real-World Examples: Before & After

E-commerce Store

❌ Before: 🛍️ SALE ENDS TODAY - ShopName ✅ After: ShopName

SaaS Company

❌ Before: [Action Required] BillingAlert ✅ After: Acme Billing Team

Newsletter

❌ Before: 📰 Daily News You Need ✅ After: TechNews Daily

Customer Support

❌ Before: URGENT: Ticket #12345 ✅ After: Acme Support

Implementation Checklist

✅ Step 1: Audit Your Current Display Names

Check all your email streams:

  • Marketing campaigns
  • Transactional emails
  • Support messages
  • Automated notifications

✅ Step 2: Update Non-Compliant Names

In your email service provider:

  1. Go to sender settings
  2. Update "From Name" field
  3. Remove any subject-like content
  4. Keep it simple and honest

✅ Step 3: Create Naming Standards

Document your approach:

  • [Company Name] for general emails
  • [Name] from [Company] for personal outreach
  • [Company] [Department] for specific teams

✅ Step 4: Test Your Changes

Send test emails to:

  • Your own Gmail account
  • Team members
  • Email testing tools

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ "But my open rates will drop!"

Good display names build long-term trust. Tricks might boost short-term opens but damage your reputation.

❌ "Everyone else does it"

Google's actively enforcing these rules. What worked yesterday might fail tomorrow.

❌ "It's just marketing emails"

These rules apply to ALL emails—transactional, marketing, and support.

Quick Wins: Fix These Today

  1. Remove ALL CAPS from display names
  2. Delete emojis and special characters
  3. Remove action words like "URGENT" or "IMPORTANT"
  4. Standardize names across all email types

The Psychology Behind Good Display Names

Build Trust: Acme Corporation feels legitimate Set Expectations: Acme Newsletter tells them what it is Create Recognition: Consistent names build brand awareness

Tools to Test Your Display Names

  • Send test emails to Gmail and check how they appear
  • Use AboutMy.email to check rendering of your email
  • Monitor your sender reputation dashboards

The Bottom Line

Google's display name guidelines aren't about limiting creativity—they're about honesty in email. By using clear, accurate display names, you're not just following rules; you're respecting your recipients and building a sustainable email program.

Remember: Your display name is your digital handshake. Make it firm, professional, and honest.

Pro tip: When in doubt, ask yourself: "Does this display name honestly identify who I am?" If the answer is no, change it.