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DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM to tell receiving mail servers what to do when an email claiming to be from your domain fails authentication — and lets you receive reports about it. This tool checks whether a domain has published a DMARC record and shows its enforcement policy.
How it works
DMARC records live at a special subdomain: "_dmarc." followed by the domain (e.g. _dmarc.example.com), as a TXT record starting with "v=DMARC1". Enter a plain domain name and the tool looks up that subdomain's TXT records, and if found, extracts the enforcement policy ("p=" tag) specifically.
- Enter domain.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Reading the policy tag
A DMARC record with "p=reject" tells receiving mail servers to reject emails that fail authentication outright; "p=quarantine" asks them to be treated as suspicious (e.g. sent to spam); "p=none" means monitor only, taking no enforcement action yet.
Who should use it
- Verifying DMARC is correctly published after a DNS change.
- Assessing a domain's email authentication maturity (none vs. quarantine vs. reject).
Industry applications
- Email deliverability and security
- IT support and DNS administration
Advantages
- Instant check with no software installation.
- Extracts the enforcement policy specifically, not just raw record text.
Limitations
- Doesn't validate every optional DMARC tag (reporting addresses, alignment mode, percentage) — only presence and the core policy.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Checking the bare domain's TXT records instead of the required "_dmarc." subdomain.
- Jumping straight to "p=reject" without first confirming all legitimate mail sources pass SPF/DKIM — this can cause real mail to be rejected.
Best practices
- Start with "p=none" to monitor via DMARC reports before moving to "quarantine" or "reject" enforcement.
- Review DMARC together with SPF and DKIM — DMARC's policy only matters once SPF/DKIM authentication has actually been checked.
Tips
- Use alongside the SPF Record Checker for a fuller picture — DMARC policy is only meaningful once SPF (and/or DKIM) authentication is actually in place.