Google has enhanced Gmail’s data-classification capabilities, enabling organisations to display (see how Gmail is also expanding brand visibility with BIMI) custom header or footer banners on outbound messages based on email sensitivity. The announcement was made on December 11, 2025, via Google Workspace Updates.
The new feature integrates with Gmail’s data-loss-prevention (DLP) rules, allowing administrators to trigger banners when messages contain sensitive content. Importantly, while the internal classification label remains within the sender’s domain, external recipients see only the banner text. These banners can include instructions for handling sensitive information or links to company policies and retention guidelines.
Availability
This feature is available to the following Google Workspace editions:
- Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus
- Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and Teaching & Learning Upgrade
- Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus
- Cloud Identity Premium (with a Workspace plan that includes Gmail)
By showing external recipients a warning or guidance banner without exposing internal classification labels, organizations can reduce the risk of data mishandling while maintaining compliance with privacy and regulatory requirements.
Recommended Actions for Admins
- Configure DLP rules in the Google Admin console to trigger banners for sensitive labels such as “Confidential” or “Restricted.”
- Draft concise, actionable banner messages and include links to relevant policies, retention guidelines, or handling instructions.
- Test banner visibility with external recipients to ensure clarity and compliance alignment.
For additional Gmail platform changes, explore our coverage on the Gmail Postmaster Tools Deprecation.
Source: Google Workspace Updates
