Talk:Yahoo Mail

COI edit requests for History section

Hi! I'm a COI editor for Yahoo (a client of my employer, Porter Novelli), with some edit requests for this article. To make these a bit more manageable for review, starting with just the items for the History section. Please let me know if you have any feedback to make these requests easier to review.

1997–2002

• Update

Yahoo! made a deal with the online communications company Four11 for co-branded white pages. Marvin Gavin, who worked at Four11 as the director of international business development, said "We always had a bias about being acquired by Yahoo. They were more entrepreneurial than Microsoft. We had a great cultural fit – it made a lot of sense." In the end, Yahoo! acquired Four11 for $96 million. The purpose behind acquiring Four11 was the company's RocketMail webmail service, which launched in 1997. Yahoo! announced the acquisition on October 8, 1997, close to the time that Yahoo! Mail was launched.

to

On October 8, 1997, Yahoo announced its acquisition of online communications company Four11 for $92 million in stock. As part of the purchase, Yahoo received Four11's RocketMail webmail service. Yahoo Mail, based on the RocketMail technology, launched at the same time.

Swapping press release citations for RS coverage and updating to reflect.

• Delete

The transition to Yahoo! Mail was not easy for many Rocketmail users.

The cited source doesn't really validate this – one blogger, writing in 2003, regrets the retirement of Rocketmail but doesn't express difficulty with the technical transition – and regardless, I don't think this opinion piece is an RS.

2002–2010

• Update

During 2002, the Yahoo! network was gradually redesigned. On July 2, 2002, the company website was changed, and it was announced that Yahoo! Mail and other services would also be redesigned. Along with this new design, new features were to be implemented, including drop-down menus in DHTML, different category tabs, and a new user-customizable color scheme.

to

During 2002, the Yahoo network was gradually redesigned, including the company website, Yahoo Mail and other services. Along with the new design, new features were implemented, including drop-down menus in DHTML and keyboard shortcuts.

Compressed a bit, dug up an independent source for the second sentence, and revised to reflect.

• Delete

Yahoo! Network Services senior vice president Geoff Ralston stated that

The launch of Yahoo! Mail Plus is part of Yahoo's strategic initiative to offer premium services that deliver innovative, reliable and relevant services to consumers ... In just five years, Yahoo! Mail has grown from one million to tens of millions of users, illustrating how consumers have made email an essential part of their daily lives. Through Yahoo! Mail Plus, Yahoo! continues to demonstrate leadership and innovation by offering consumers the industry's most complete and powerful email solution.

I can't imagine why we'd retain a block quote from a press release here.

• Update

However, soon Yahoo! Mail increased its free storage quota to 1 GB, before eventually allowing unlimited storage. Yahoo! Mail had free unlimited storage from March 27, 2007, until October 8, 2013.

to

However, soon Yahoo Mail increased its free storage quota to 1 GB, before eventually allowing unlimited storage from March 27, 2007, until October 8, 2013.

Just streamlining the copy a bit and adding refs.

2011–present

• Update section header to "2011–2021".

• Update

On September 17, 2010, Yahoo! showed off a new Mail program to reporters. Codenamed "Minty", the 2011 release was announced on September 16, 2010. It included a new interface, enhanced performance, improved Facebook and Twitter integration, the ability to watch YouTube videos straight from email, and improved search. Public beta began on October 26, 2010. In May 2011, the new Yahoo! Mail became the default interface.

to

In May 2011, Yahoo Mail rolled out a new interface. It included updated design, enhanced performance, and improved Facebook integration.

Seems to me like all the detail on the press preview is WP:UNDUE. I also swapped all the Yahoo sources for an independent source and revised to reflect.

• Delete

As the new interface became mandatory for users, some users of Yahoo! Mail reported slow typing speeds, contradicting Yahoo's claims of faster performance. Yahoo! offered no resolution to the problem as of September 12, 2011. Users also missed the ability to paste textual email addresses into the sender box. The new version disabled the use of the "secondary" addresses provided in the previous version. The new interface overrode the browser's right mouse button (making functions such as opening mails in new tab windows unavailable).

This has been tagged with {{Citation needed}} since August 2011, and I couldn't find any RS coverage of these issues.

• Update

China Yahoo! Mail officially announced its shutdown on April 18, 2013. Users were warned that all emails, contacts, and account settings would be inaccessible, unless users migrated to the American version of Yahoo! Mail. Individuals who made China Yahoo! Mail accounts during the Alibaba takeover were required to create new accounts under new usernames.

to

China Yahoo Mail announced in April 2013 that it would shut down that August as part of Yahoo ceasing services in China since acquiring a stake in Alibaba in 2005. Users with email address suffixes @yahoo.com.cn and @yahoo.cn could transfer their accounts to AliCloud to continue receiving messages through the end of 2014.

Swapping in independent sources and updating to reflect.

• After "In October 2015, Yahoo! updated the mail service with a "more subtle" redesign, as well as improved mobile features. The same release introduced the Yahoo! Account Key, a smartphone-based replacement for password logins.", add:

The app also added support for third-party mail accounts.

• Add before "In 2020,"

In 2019, Yahoo released a redesigned Yahoo Mail app to organize user inboxes, introducing features including a one-tap unsubscribe tool, package tracking, and travel updates. In 2020, Yahoo Mail users were able to fill Walmart shopping carts directly from their inboxes, an industry first.

• Delete

In 2022, Yahoo! Mail started offering the suffix myyahoo.com for new signups.

I couldn't find any RS coverage of this.

2022–present

Add a new subsection:

In 2022, updates to the Yahoo Mail mobile app added tools to help manage receipts, gift cards, and subscriptions. AI-based additions in 2023 included a feature that automates tracking coupon codes and credits for online shopping, as well as updates to search suggestions, message summaries and AI writing assistance. In 2024, updates to the desktop interface added more AI-based features, including a "priority inbox" tab with automatically generated summaries of important messages and automated suggestions of next actions based on message contents.

In February 2025, Yahoo aired its first Super Bowl ad since 2002, in which Bill Murray invited viewers to contact him at his Yahoo Mail email address (billhimself@yahoo.com). The address received nearly 150,000 emails in the first two hours after broadcast. In June 2025, Yahoo Mail introduced a "Catch Up" feature that provides AI-generated summaries and email previews and prompts users to choose to delete or retain each one. As part of the feature's launch, Yahoo Mail collaborated with streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club on an apparel release.

Sources

Thanks for your time! Mary Gaulke (talk) 21:58, 17 November 2025 (UTC); adding edit COI template Mary Gaulke (talk) 19:19, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

I have made these changes! Thanks for formatting them nicely with explanations, and for your work updating the article with reliable sources. SomeoneDreaming (talk) 02:23, 27 December 2025 (UTC)

@SomeoneDreaming: Belated thank you for your help! I've also just posted my next few requests (this is batch 2/3) below if you're up for taking a look. Thanks again! Mary Gaulke (talk) 03:10, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

COI edit requests for User interface, Spam policy

Hi! As mentioned above, I'm a COI editor for Yahoo through my employer Porter Novelli. Sharing my next set of edit requests (batch 2/3), for two more sections of the article:

User interface

Update

Their current Webmail interface was introduced in 2017.

to

Yahoo Mail's current webmail interface was introduced in 2024.

Spam policy

Filters

• Update

In order to prevent abuse, in 2002 Yahoo! Mail activated filters which changed certain words (that could trigger unwanted JavaScript events) and word fragments into other words. "mocha" was changed to "espresso", "expression" became "statement", and "eval" (short for "evaluation") became "review". This resulted in many unintended corrections, such as "prevent" (prevalent), "revalidation" (evaluation) and "media review" (medieval).

When asked about these changes, Yahoo! explained that the changed words were common terms used in their privacy dashboard and were blacklisted to prevent hackers from sending damaging commands via the program's HTML function.

to

In order to prevent abuse, in 2001 Yahoo Mail activated filters which changed certain words and word fragments, which could trigger unwanted JavaScript events, into other words. For example, eval" (short for "evaluation") became "review". This resulted in unintended corrections, such as "medireview" (medieval).

Adding a ref and revising to reflect it.

• Update

Starting before February 7, 2006, Yahoo! Mail ended the practice, and began to add an underscore as a prefix to certain suspicious words and word fragments.

to

Yahoo adjusted its filters to address the issue in July 2002.

Again, adjusting per added citation.

Greylisting

This section only references primary sources, and I can't find any RS coverage of the topic. I suggest deleting it.

References

As always, thank you for your time! Mary Gaulke (talk) 03:09, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

Hiya! I have a small question abt your first edit. Are these AI features truly a new interface or just new features? If they are new features, then shouldn't we just have a section the AI features without claiming a new interface? The source cited doesn't say its a new interface 🥤Spravato!🍒/🧋 01:03, 27 May 2026 (UTC)

@Spravato: Hi, thanks for your reply (and your patience)! The source states, "The upgrade includes a cleaner user interface, and new AI-powered features to elevate your email experience." Please let me know if that doesn't answer your question! Mary Gaulke (talk) 12:45, 15 June 2026 (UTC)

 Done Axolitl (talk | contribs) 21:10, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

@Axolitl: Thank you for your help! FYI, while the new source was added to "User interface", the noted year was still 2017, so I updated to 2024 per the source and edit request. Please let me know if you have any concerns!

Also flagging I've posted the final part of my edit requests for this article below, in case you'd be up for taking a look. Regardless, thanks again for your time. Mary Gaulke (talk) 05:58, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

COI edit requests for lead, Username bans

Hello! COI editor for Yahoo (a client of my employer, Porter Novelli) here with edit request 3/3 for this article.

Lead

• In the infobox, remove the ! from the name parameter per the recent page move.
• In the first sentence, update

Yahoo! Mail (also written as Yahoo Mail)

to

Yahoo Mail

As the citations demonstrate, RS coverage – especially coverage in the past 10 years – almost universally omits the exclamation point.

• Similarly, I'd ask that the ! be removed after mentions of Yahoo throughout the article.
• Update

It is one of the largest email services worldwide

to

It is one of the largest email services and clients worldwide

I know citations aren't necessary in the lead, but here's a source specifically naming Yahoo Mail as a client.

• Add to the end of the lead:

In 2024, Yahoo Mail was the most frequently used e-mail service for U.S. consumers, with 34 percent of e-mail users in the United States using Yahoo Mail at least once a month, according to Civic Science.

Controversies

Username bans

Update

Shortly after the news of the ban, it was lifted on February 23, 2006. Along with this action, Yahoo! also made the following statement:

We continuously evaluate abuse patterns in registration usernames to help prevent spam, fraud and other inappropriate behavior. A small number of people registered for IDs using specific terms with the sole purpose of promoting hate, and then used those IDs to post content that was harmful or threatening to others, thus violating Yahoo!'s Terms of Service. 'Allah' was one word being used for these purposes, with instances tied to defamatory language. We took steps to help protect our users by prohibiting use of the term in Yahoo! usernames. We recently re-evaluated the term 'Allah' and users can now register for IDs with this word because it is no longer a significant target for abuse. We regularly evaluate this type of activity and will continue to make adjustments to our registration process to help foster a positive customer experience.

to

Shortly after the news of the ban, it was lifted on February 23, 2006.

The lengthy quote seems undue.

References

Thanks for your time! Mary Gaulke (talk) 05:56, 6 August 2026 (UTC)