DMARC
Also called: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance
DMARC links SPF and DKIM to the From: address people see. A message passes when SPF or DKIM passes for a domain that matches the From: domain, and your DMARC record tells receivers what to do with mail that fails.
The record lives at _dmarc.yourdomain.com, for example v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com. p=none only collects reports; quarantine asks receivers to treat failures as suspicious; reject asks them to refuse failures.
DMARC was first published as RFC 7489 (2015). In May 2026 it became a Proposed Standard as RFC 9989, with reporting in RFC 9990 and RFC 9991; together they obsolete RFC 7489 (RFC Editor).
How it affects cold email
Gmail and Yahoo require DMARC (a p=none policy is enough) for bulk senders, with the From: domain aligned to SPF or DKIM. Outlook.com requires the same for domains sending more than 5,000 emails a day and has rejected non-compliant mail since 5 May 2025.
Start at p=none with a reporting address, fix anything legitimate that fails, then move towards enforcement. Enforcement also protects your domain from people spoofing it.
How Inboxed handles it
- The domain checker reads your DMARC policy and explains it. In the app, Inboxed can receive your DMARC aggregate reports at a dedicated address, show which servers send as your domain and whether they pass, and alert you when failures spike.
Related terms
Sources
Sources checked on 8 November 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- DMARC RFCs, including RFC 9989, 9990 and 9991 (May 2026) · RFC Editor
- RFC 7489: DMARC (2015, now obsoleted) · IETF / RFC Editor
- Email sender guidelines · Google, Gmail Help
- Sender Best Practices · Yahoo Sender Hub
- Strengthening Email Ecosystem: Outlook’s New Requirements for High‐Volume Senders · Microsoft Tech Community
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