How To Create A DMARC Record For Email Deliverability

Virtual picture of DNS on server racks in a data center

In today’s digital age, email remains the backbone of business communication – but only when it actually reaches the inbox.

Studies show that over 20% of legitimate emails never make it to their intended recipients, costing businesses billions in lost opportunities and damaged relationships.

Think about it: your carefully crafted newsletters, important client communications, and marketing campaigns aren’t going to be effective if they’re landing in spam folders or getting blocked entirely.

That’s why email deliverability isn’t just a technical metric – it’s a crucial business driver that directly impacts your bottom line.

This is where learning how to create a DMARC record becomes essential.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a powerful email authentication protocol that works alongside SPF and DKIM records to verify sender identity and protect your domain from unauthorized use.

When properly implemented, a DMARC record:

  • Fights back against email spoofing and phishing attempts
  • Boosts your brand’s credibility by preventing fraudulent emails from using your domain
  • Improves your email deliverability by showing Email Service Providers (ESPs) that you’re trustworthy
  • Provides detailed reports on who’s trying to use your domain to send emails

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about how to create a DMARC record that enhances your email deliverability and protects your domain’s reputation.

What Do You Need To Think About Before Creating a DMARC Record?

Success with email deliverability isn’t just about diving straight into creating a DMARC record – it’s about smart preparation. Think of it like building a house: you need solid foundations before you start putting up walls.

Let’s break down the essential elements you need to consider before you generate your DMARC record.

Gain Access to the DNS of Your Server

First things first: you’ll need access to your domain’s DNS records.

This is where your DMARC record will live as a TXT record.

If you’re working with an IT team or hosting provider, make sure you have the right permissions or can coordinate with someone who does. Without DNS access, you can plan all you want, but you won’t be able to create a DMARC record that actually works.

Identify the Domain or Subdomain You Want to Monitor

Before you start using any DMARC checker tools, you need to be crystal clear about which domain or subdomain needs protection.

Are you setting up DMARC for your main domain? Or do you need separate records for different subdomains?

This decision impacts how you’ll structure your DMARC policy and affects your overall email deliverability.

Check that SPF and DKIM are Set Up

Here’s a crucial step that many skip: DMARC works hand-in-hand with SPF and DKIM – you need all three to effectively create a DMARC record that boosts deliverability.

Before proceeding, verify these are properly configured for your domain.

Consider a Separate Email Address for Reports

Want to maintain your sanity while monitoring email deliverability?

Set up a dedicated mailbox for DMARC reports. These reports are invaluable for tracking your email-sending activities and troubleshooting deliverability issues, but they can quickly overwhelm a regular inbox.

A separate address keeps things organized and ensures important feedback doesn’t get lost.

Define What You Want to Happen with Emails That Fail Checks

When you create a DMARC record, you’re establishing specific rules for how email servers handle messages that don’t meet authentication requirements.

Your DMARC policy, defined by the p= value, determines the level of enforcement you want to implement.

  • Monitor Mode (p=none)
    This initial setting allows you to gather data without impacting email flow. Your DMARC checker will collect information about authentication results while all emails continue to be delivered normally. It’s the recommended starting point for most organizations.
  • Quarantine Mode (p=quarantine)
    Messages that fail DMARC authentication are delivered but marked as suspicious. Most email clients will route these messages to spam folders. This balanced approach helps improve email deliverability while maintaining some flexibility.
  • Reject Mode (p=reject)
    The strictest policy level, where failing messages are blocked entirely. While this provides maximum protection, it requires thorough testing and confidence in your email authentication setup to avoid legitimate email deliverability issues.

Decide How Strict You Want to Be with DMARC Alignment

DMARC alignment settings determine how strictly the authentication mechanisms match your domain information.

This decision significantly impacts your overall email list strategy.

Relaxed Alignment (aspf=r and adkim=r)
  • Matches organizational domain level
  • Includes subdomains in authentication
  • Supports complex email infrastructures
  • Reduces risk of false positives
Strict Alignment (aspf=s and adkim=s)
  • Requires exact domain matches
  • Provides enhanced security
  • Works best with centralized email systems
  • Requires precise configuration

Decide Whether You Want an Aggregate or Forensic Report

When you create a DMARC record, you’ll need to choose your reporting preferences. This critical decision shapes how you’ll monitor and optimize your email deliverability going forward.

Aggregate reports provide a high-level overview of all email activity using your domain. Set using the rua=email@domain.com tag, aggregate reports help you:

  • Track overall email authentication patterns
  • Monitor broad email deliverability trends
  • Identify potential security issues at scale

Forensic reports provide detailed insights into specific authentication failures. Set with the ruf=email@domain.com tag, these deliver individual notifications that help you:

  • Investigate specific email deliverability issues
  • Identify unauthorized senders immediately
  • Fine-tune your DMARC configuration

Failure Reporting Options

Your DMARC checker needs to know exactly when to generate reports about failed authentications. The fo= tag in your DMARC record specifies these conditions:

fo=0 (Default)
  • Generates reports when both SPF and DKIM fail
  • Most conservative reporting option
  • Minimizes unnecessary notifications
fo=1
  • Reports when either SPF or DKIM fails
  • Provides broader monitoring coverage
  • Helpful when diagnosing email deliverability issues
fo=d
  • Focuses on DKIM authentication failures
  • Useful for DKIM-centric security strategies
fo=s
  • Concentrates on SPF authentication failures
  • Beneficial for SPF-focused configurations

Create Your DMARC Record

After completing the preparation work, generating your DMARC record becomes straightforward. Every DMARC record starts with these essential components:

  1. Version identifier: v=DMARC1
  2. Policy tag: p= (none, quarantine, or reject)

Here are practical examples of how to create a DMARC record for different scenarios:

Basic Monitoring Setup:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com;
Enhanced Security Configuration:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:forensics@yourdomain.com; adkim=s; aspf=s;

Are There Any Good Tools to Help in Creating DMARC Records?

If all this technical detail has your head spinning, don’t worry.

There are lots of excellent tools that make the process much simpler and help boost your email deliverability.

One standout option is the DMARC Record Wizard from dmarcian.

This user-friendly tool walks you through each step of creating your record, translating technical requirements into straightforward choices.

Implementation and Testing

Once you’ve crafted your DMARC record, it’s time to put it into action. Here’s your step-by-step guide to implementation:

  1. Access your DNS management panel
  2. Create a new TXT record
  3. Set the host name as _dmarc.yourdomain.com
  4. Paste your generated DMARC record as the TXT value
  5. Save your changes and allow time for DNS propagation

After implementation, testing is crucial for optimal email deliverability.

Leading DMARC checker tools can verify your setup:

Ready to Set Up Your DMARC Record and Increase Email Deliverability?

Email authentication doesn’t have to be complicated.

By following this guide to create a DMARC record, you’re taking a crucial step toward better email deliverability and enhanced domain security.

Remember, DMARC works alongside SPF and DKIM to create a robust email authentication system.

While the technical aspects might seem daunting at first, the right tools and approach make implementation straightforward and effective.

Ready to take control of your email deliverability?

Start your journey with Simplelist’s comprehensive email management solutions.

Our platform makes it easy to implement and monitor your DMARC authentication, ensuring your messages reach your audience.

Try Simplelists free for a month, and experience better email deliverability