Please Note: This is a premium feature. Please contact your account manager to setup
Please note: A Custom Return-Path domain is a prerequisite and required for DMARC implementation. Please see this Custom Return-Path related article.
This article explains DMARC, why its important and how to get it setup.
What is DMARC?
DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. DMARC is an email validation system designed to detect and prevent email spoofing. It is built on top of two existing mechanisms to help in the fight against spam SPF and DKIM. The DMARC authentication tries to block fraudulent activity from an organisation's domains.
Why is DMARC important?
DMARC is the first and only widely deployed technology that can make the “header from” address (that users see in their email clients) trustworthy. Not only does this help protect customers and the brand, it discourages cybercriminals who are less likely to go after a brand with a DMARC record. It is helping in the fight against spam and is far more likely for your emails to land in your recipient's inboxes.
It allows you to tell any email receiver that looks at DMARC that your messages are protected by the use of SPF and/or DKIM. This means a receiver can decide what to do with emails that fail DMARC. This typically includes passing the message to the recipient's junk folder or better, rejecting it and the recipient never seeing it.
Further reading
How to explain DMARC in plain english - ReturnPath
How to set up DMARC
Before you setup DMARC please talk to your Customer Success Manager first.
In order to setup DMARC you need have SPF and DKIM setup. You also need to ensure that your From address and your return path are aligned. You cannot be sending from anything other than than your custom return path. One thing to note is that DMARC is more complex to setup than SPF and DKIM.
You can configure DMARC by adding policies to your domain’s TXT records (the same way in which you published your SPF and DKIM records). With DMARC you will be sent a daily report to an email address that you specify plus individual reports.
There are different ways to setup DMARC but for this type of sending domain we suggest that you start by setting your policy to None. To implement BIMI you need to set your policy to at least 100% quarantine. This should be done gradually and you should start at None so you can monitor that DMARC is correctly set up. This article gives more information; - https://www.dmarcanalyzer.com/how-to-choose-the-right-dmarc-policy-in-order-to-protect-your-email-channel/
The rua email address should be a dedicated mailbox where the aggregated reports are sent to you. We suggest that you setup a dedicated email for this because you might receive quite a few reports.
The ruf email address is for the individual reports.
Configure a DMARC TXT record like below.
DMARC records
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Record Name: _dmarc.{enter Custom Return-Path here}"
Record Type: TXT
Record Value: "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:{Reporting Email}; ruf=mailto:enter ruf reporting address here;"
