What is DMARC and why is it Important?
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that helps protect your domain from email spoofing, phishing, and fraud. It allows domain owners to specify how email messages from their domain should be authenticated and handled by email receivers. DMARC helps ensure that only legitimate emails are delivered to recipients by using SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) authentication methods. Additionally, DMARC provides reporting on email authentication results, helping domain owners monitor and improve their email security.
Go through our comprehensive guide on how to set up SPF & DKIM for well-known emailing platforms
What is a DMARC Record?
A DMARC record holds a domain’s DMARC policy and is stored in the Domain Name System (DNS) as a TXT record. A DMARC record is a TXT record published in the DNS of your domain and contains instructions for how an email server should handle an email that fails authentication. Using DMARC records, you can control if email receivers should reject, quarantine, or do nothing with a suspicious email.
To initiate the process of generating and visualizing DMARC data, it’s imperative to establish a DMARC record for every domain you intend to oversee.
Refer to the below Instructions for Setting up a DMARC Record:
- Access your DNS management console by logging in.
- Navigate to the specific domain where you intend to publish a DMARC record.
- In most DNS management consoles, you will be prompted to provide the following information:
- Hostname: This must be “_dmarc” (note the leading underscore, which is essential).
- Resource type: Use “TXT” as DMARC records is stored in DNS as TXT resources.
- Value: This is where you enter the DMARC record itself.
- Save your settings, and your DMARC record is now configured.
After following these steps, email receivers will be able to query your DMARC record in the DNS at the location “_dmarc.your-domain.com” where your-domain.com is your actual domain name.
You can verify the proper publication of your DMARC record using our DMARC Record Checker.
NOTE: Please be aware that it may take up to 48 hours for your DMARC record to propagate throughout the internet, depending on your DNS hosting provider.
Here is a selection of frequently utilized DNS service providers, along with guidelines for creating a DMARC record within your DNS settings: