What is DMARC?
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email security protocol designed to help stop spoofing, spam, and malicious attacks that use your company’s domain without permission.
On its own, DMARC won’t do much — it works best alongside two other key email authentication protocols: SPF and DKIM.
- Sender Policy Framework (SPF) – Defines which servers or domains are authorised to send email on behalf of your domain.
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) – Uses a digital signature to prove that an email really came from you and hasn’t been altered. Your domain publishes a public key in its DNS records, and your email service uses a private key to sign outgoing messages.
DMARC’s job is to tell email providers what to do when a message fails the SPF or DKIM checks. By setting a policy in your DMARC record, you decide whether those messages should be delivered, quarantined, or rejected — giving you control and helping to keep your business and customers safe.