How to Set Up DMARC for Your Domain

To keep your domain safe from misuse, we recommend setting up DMARC. It builds on SPF and DKIM and tells receiving mail servers how to handle messages that fail authentication.

With DMARC you can:

  • Protect your domain more effectively against spoofing and phishing
  • Gain insight into failed delivery attempts
  • Improve deliverability, especially with major providers like Gmail and Yahoo

⚠️ Note: Make sure SPF and DKIM are set up correctly before adding DMARC. DMARC relies on these two checks as its foundation.

Adding a DMARC record to your DNS

You set up DMARC through a TXT record in your DNS settings. Below we’ll walk you through the steps.

1. Log in to your DNS management portal

Log in at your DNS provider (for example TransIP, Cloudflare, or your hosting provider). This can be through their control panel or a dedicated DNS management tool.

2. Go to DNS settings

Find the section where you can manage DNS records. This is often called “DNS management”, “DNS settings” or something similar.

3. Select your domain

If you manage multiple domains, choose the one where you want to set up DMARC.

4. Add a new TXT record

Select the option to add a new DNS record and choose type TXT.

5. Enter the details

  • Name/Host:

    _dmarc

    (Some providers require the full domain, for example _dmarc.yourdomain.nl )

  • Value/Content:

    v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.nl

    This is a basic configuration that does not block any emails but only collects reports on delivery status. You can adjust this later.

Common DMARC policy options:

  • p=none → report only (recommended as a starting point)
  • p=quarantine → place suspicious emails in spam
  • p=reject → reject suspicious emails

💡 Tip: Use a real email address for rua so you can receive the DMARC reports. You can later analyze these reports with external tools such as DMARCian or Postmark.

6. Save the record

Confirm and save the TXT record. With most DNS providers, the record becomes active within a few minutes to a few hours.

7. Check if the record works

You can use tools such as MXToolbox or dmarcian.com to verify if your DMARC record is set up correctly.

Example DMARC record

Name/Host: _dmarc
Value:     v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.nl

Need help setting up DMARC, or want advice on the best settings for your situation? Feel free to contact our support team. We’re happy to help.