DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email security protocol designed to prevent phishing, spam, and domain spoofing. It ensures that emails claiming to be from your domain are legitimately sent by you and have not been altered during transmission.
In this article you will read about:
- Introduction DMARC
- How DMARC works
- Why DMARC is important?
- Getting started with DMARC
- Do all email flows need to be DMARC compliant before activation?
Introduction DMARC
In the video you will see the name Flowmailer (previous name of Spotler SendPro)
How DMARC works
DMARC works by using two key authentication mechanisms:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Verifies the sending mail server’s IP address.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Confirms the integrity of the email content using cryptographic signatures.
DMARC compares these mechanisms with the domain’s authentication settings and determines whether the email should be delivered, quarantined, or rejected.
Why DMARC is important
Implementing DMARC helps organizations:
- Prevent phishing attacks and email fraud.
- Protect your domain reputation.
- Improve email deliverability by ensuring compliance with authentication standards.
Many financial institutions and government agencies in the Netherlands have already adopted DMARC for enhanced email security. Spotler SendPro fully supports DMARC-compliant email sending, integrating seamlessly with any system—without development costs.
One of DMARC’s valuable features is reporting, which provides insights into:
- Which parties are sending emails on behalf of your domain.
- Whether these sources are compliant with DMARC.
- Potential email security vulnerabilities.
Getting started with DMARC
To use DMARC, a domain owner must create a DMARC policy in the domain’s DNS records. This policy defines:
- The authentication mechanisms (SPF and/or DKIM) the domain uses.
- The action to take if an email fails authentication (none, quarantine, or reject).
- Where to send DMARC reports for analysis.
For Spotler SendPro to receive DMARC reports, you must add a DMARC record in your domain’s DNS settings. This step:
- Has no immediate impact on email delivery.
- Allows domain reports to populate in Spotler SendPro once configured.
- Enables a seamless transition to a stricter DMARC policy when ready.
Read more about formatting a DMARC record in the article: How to format a DMARC record?
Do all email flows need to be DMARC compliant before activation?
No, you can start by setting up a DMARC policy with "none" mode, which allows reporting without affecting email delivery. This approach:
- Ensures no emails are lost.
- Provides visibility into email sources and compliance levels.
- Can even slightly improve email deliverability by signaling security awareness.
Once reports are received in Spotler SendPro, you can analyze the data and gradually enforce stricter DMARC policies.