DMARC Records

What is a DMARC record and what does it do?

A DMARC record, which stands for "Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance," is an email authentication protocol. It relies on widely used protocols SPF and DKIM, adding a link to the sender's domain ("From:"), enhancing domain protection against fake emails (spam). The DMARC policy allows a sender to declare that their messages are protected by SPF or DKIM and tells the recipient what to do if neither authentication method passes. DMARC eliminates guesswork from handling these failed messages by the recipient, reducing or eliminating user exposure to unwanted and harmful emails. DMARC also enables the email recipient to report to the sender whether emails passed or failed DMARC evaluation.

How to add a DMARC record in Plesk?

1. Log in to Plesk with your credentials.

    2. In the Websites & Domains tab, select Hosting & DNS, then DNS.

  3. Select Add Record.

  4. Fill in the following fields:

1. 1. Record type: Select TXT
   2. Domain name: Enter _DMARC
   3. TXT record: Depending on what you want to do with the DMARC record, enter one of the following:

Policy None:

v=DMARC1; p=none; sp=none; rf=afrf; pct=100; ri=86400

Policy Reject:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=none; rf=afrf; pct=100; ri=86400

Policy Quarantine:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=none; rf=afrf; pct=100; ri=86400

Alternatively, you can request an email report for failed DMARC validations by adding a valid email address.

Policy None with report:

v=DMARC1; p=none; sp=none; ruf=mailto:user@example.com; rf=afrf; pct=100; ri=86400

Policy Reject with report:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=none; rf=afrf; pct=100; ruf=mailto:user@example.com; ri=86400

Policy Quarantine with report:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=none; ruf=mailto:user@example.com; rf=afrf; pct=100; ri=86400

4. Select OK.

5. After entering one of the above records, click Update.

6. Plesk will display a confirmation message, and the record will have the following format