This document details the nature and categorization of Mandatory Service Announcements (MSAs), clarifying who is notified and the typical notification schedule.
What are MSAs?
To ensure the continued functionality of Google Cloud products and services, cloud enterprise customers receive MSAs through emails. These are most often contractually obligated notifications or information that Google considers critical.
Who receives an MSA?
Product teams determine MSA recipients by analyzing product usage data to identify impacted customers. This process ensures that relevant stakeholders, including individual users, enterprise users, resellers, administrators, developers, and any customer-designated Essential Contacts, are duly informed.
How do I set up or update my organization's Essential Contacts?
For comprehensive guidance on managing your organization's Essential Contacts, including setup, updates, and best practices, see Essential Contacts.
What are the different categories of MSAs?
To streamline communication, MSAs are organized into categories, as shown in the following table:
| Type of MSA | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal | Notifications provided to customers to comply with legal requirements, such as Terms of Service (ToS) and privacy policy changes. |
| Product updates | Notifications regarding changes to essential features that affect user experience within Google products. This includes:
|
| Price Changes | Communications to cover any change to the cost of a product, service, or subscription that will result in customers seeing an increase, or decrease in their bill for the same level of consumption or subscription under an active contract. This also includes pricing changes related to a product or service that is already GA, and we are transitioning from free to paid. (Excludes free preview transitions to paid GA). |
| Billing | Updates, corrections, and adjustments made to a customer's bill, including credits and overcharges, are communicated to the customer. This also includes communication for products going from free preview to paid GA. |
| Security | Communications that inform customers about security risks including system vulnerabilities. |
| Reminders and Corrections | Any reminders or correction messages sent in relation to a previous MSA communications sent. |
When can I expect an MSA?
MSAs are generally delivered weekly, Monday through Thursday (excluding US holidays). Announcements regarding deprecations, breaking changes, pricing updates, and billing follow a separate, dedicated schedule.
To support your operational stability during peak business periods and the holiday season, we limit MSA deliveries during the following periods:
- Restricted Period (October 5, 2026 – January 1, 2027): We will not send any new announcements regarding deprecations, breaking changes, or pricing, except in rare cases requiring explicit approval from Google Cloud Senior Executives. You may still receive previously scheduled reminders for notices issued prior to this period.
- Full Quiet Period (December 18, 2026 – January 1, 2027): All MSA deliveries are paused. No announcements of any kind will be sent during this window.
| MSA categories | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Deprecation and Breaking Changes | Sent on the 3rd Monday of the month (with exceptions): Jan 19, 2027Feb 16, 2027 Mar 15, 2027 Apr 19, 2027 May 24, 2027 Jun 21, 2027 Jul 19, 2027 Aug 16, 2027 Sep 13, 2027 (Batch 1) Sep 27, 2027 (Batch 2) |
| Price change MSAs | Sent out three times a year: Jan 25, 2027Apr 26, 2027 Jul 26, 2027 |
| Billing MSAs | Sent on the 2nd Monday of the month (with exceptions): Feb 8, 2027Mar 8, 2027 Apr 5, 2027 May 10, 2027 Jun 14, 2027 Jul 12, 2027 Aug 9, 2027 Sep 7, 2027 |
What email subject prefixes do the MSAs have?
We use prefixes in our email subject lines to help you quickly understand the importance and nature of the message. This ensures you can prioritize and address critical information efficiently.
Here's a breakdown of the prefixes we use and their meanings:
| Subject Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [Act Now] | This prefix indicates that the customer action is necessary or required immediately. Example: [Act Now] Review Google Cloud credential security best practices |
| [Action Required] | This prefix indicates that the customer action is necessary or required. Example: [Action Required] Reset your Google Cloud SQL SSL configuration |
| [Action Advised] | This prefix highlights that a strong recommendation for review and action is needed and encouraged. Example: [Action Advised] Review your Google Play settings before Sep 1, 2022 |
| [Legal Update] | This prefix signifies that the email contains legal updates regarding policy changes or regulatory compliance. Example: [Legal Update] Changes to Youtube end user-facing Terms of Service |
| [Legal Notice] | This prefix indicates that the email contains a formal legal notification, and prompt attention to the email is essential. Example: [Legal Notice] Changes to Youtube end user-facing Terms of Service |
| [Billing Update] | This prefix alerts you to changes or updates related to your billing, invoices, or payment information. Example: [Billing Update] Google Cloud Deploy billing to start upon General Availability |
| [Pricing Update] | This prefix indicates that there are changes to your pricing structure, or that new pricing information is available. Example: [Pricing Update] Google (product name) pricing decrease in India starting Dec 2, 2021 |
| [Product Update] | This prefix informs you about new features, improvements, or changes to products or services. Example: [Product Update] Chrome devices reaching auto update expiration on Dec 15, 2022 |
| [Correction] [Action Required] / [Action Advised] | This prefix indicates that this email provides a correction to a previous communication. Include [Action Required] / [Action Advised] when an action is required/stated in the subject line. Example: [Correction] [Action Advised] Select an alternative Gemini model before Dec 4, 2025 |
| [Reminder] [Action Required] / [Action Advised] | This prefix indicates a reminder regarding a previous message containing a deadline or an important update information. Example: [Reminder] [Action Required] Reset your Google Cloud SQL SSL configuration |
What email addresses does the MSA team use?
We utilize various email addresses to segment our communications.
The table captures the list of email addresses that the MSA team can use:
| From | From ID |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud | cloudplatform-noreply@google.com |
| The Google Workspace Team | workspace-noreply@google.com |
| Google Maps Platform | google-maps-platform-noreply@google.com |
| Firebase | firebase-noreply@google.com |
| Google Chrome Team | chrome-noreply@google.com |
| Google AI Studio | googleaistudio-noreply@google.com |
Can I opt out of receiving MSAs?
Customers cannot opt out of receiving MSAs because Google considers them essential notifications. These notifications are necessary to ensure the continued functionality of Google Cloud products and services.