Does a DMARC record need to be associated with the _dmarc subdomain?

Summary

All sources, including email marketers, documentation, and experts, uniformly confirm that a DMARC record must be associated with the `_dmarc` subdomain. This association is a fundamental requirement of the DMARC standard, defined in RFC 7489. The DMARC record is implemented as a TXT record within the DNS settings, specifically under the `_dmarc.yourdomain.com` naming convention. Email receivers rely on this standardized location to discover and enforce DMARC policies. Failure to place the record in the `_dmarc` subdomain will render it ineffective, as email servers will not be able to locate and apply the DMARC policy.

Key findings

  • Unanimous Agreement: All sources, regardless of type (marketer, documentation, expert), agree on the requirement for DMARC records to be located within the `_dmarc` subdomain.
  • RFC 7489 Mandate: The association with the `_dmarc` subdomain is not arbitrary but is a core component of the DMARC standard as defined in RFC 7489.
  • TXT Record Implementation: DMARC records are always implemented as TXT records within the DNS settings.
  • Standardized Naming Convention: The naming convention for the DMARC record follows the pattern `_dmarc.yourdomain.com`.

Key considerations

  • Critical Placement: Accurate placement of the DMARC record within the `_dmarc` subdomain is crucial for its proper function and effectiveness.
  • Email Receiver Reliance: Email receivers are programmed to specifically look for DMARC policies within the `_dmarc` subdomain; incorrect placement will prevent them from finding the policy.
  • Consequences of Failure: Failure to associate the DMARC record with the `_dmarc` subdomain will render DMARC ineffective, leaving the domain vulnerable to email spoofing and phishing attacks.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

All sources confirm that a DMARC record must be associated with the `_dmarc` subdomain. This is a standard requirement defined in RFC 7489 and is the only location where email servers will look for a domain's DMARC policy. The DMARC record is added as a TXT record in the DNS settings under the `_dmarc` subdomain (e.g., `_dmarc.yourdomain.com`). This placement allows receiving mail servers to discover and enforce the sender's DMARC policy.

Key opinions

  • RFC Standard: Association with the `_dmarc` subdomain is mandated by RFC 7489.
  • Standardized Location: The `_dmarc` subdomain is the universally recognized location for DMARC records.
  • TXT Record Requirement: DMARC records must be configured as TXT records in the DNS settings.

Key considerations

  • Correct Placement: Ensuring the DMARC record is placed precisely under the `_dmarc` subdomain is critical for its validity and effectiveness.
  • Discovery by Mail Servers: Receiving mail servers are programmed to specifically search for DMARC policies in the `_dmarc` subdomain.
  • TXT Record Configuration: The DNS record type must be set to TXT for the DMARC record to be correctly interpreted.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Proofpoint explains that you must publish a DMARC record in the DNS as a TXT record with the host name _dmarc.yourdomain.com, to tell receiving mail servers how to handle unauthenticated emails from your domain.

May 2022 - Proofpoint
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet emphasises that to implement DMARC correctly, a TXT record needs to be created in the _dmarc subdomain of your sending domain.

September 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost clarifies that a DMARC record has to be published under the _dmarc subdomain to be valid. This is where receiving mail servers look for the DMARC policy.

September 2022 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Email marketer from Postmark outlines that DMARC records are TXT records added to your domain's DNS settings specifically under the "_dmarc" subdomain.

June 2022 - Postmark
Marketer view

Email marketer from EasyDMARC notes that the DMARC record must be added in the DNS records under the host name "_dmarc.yourdomain.com" to ensure proper functionality.

August 2021 - EasyDMARC
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange confirms that a DMARC record must be placed in the _dmarc subdomain. It is a standard requirement and the only place where email servers will look for it.

June 2021 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Dmarcian explains that the _dmarc subdomain is the standardized location where DMARC records are stored, allowing email receivers to discover and apply the sender's DMARC policy.

January 2022 - Dmarcian
Marketer view

Email marketer from ReturnPath answers that the DMARC record needs to be configured with DNS record type of TXT and the host set to _dmarc

June 2024 - ReturnPath
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit answers that DMARC records need to be located under _dmarc because that is where mail servers are designed to find them

October 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares the RFC excerpt stating that Domain Owner DMARC preferences are stored as DNS TXT records in subdomains named "_dmarc".

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks answers that the DMARC record is published at _dmarc.domainName, and this is based on RFC 7489.

October 2024 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Both experts, John Levine from Spam Resource and Laura Atkins from Word to the Wise, definitively state that a DMARC record must be associated with the `_dmarc` subdomain. The DMARC record must be a TXT record with the name `_dmarc.yourdomain.example`. Failure to place the record in the correct subdomain will result in the record being ignored, rendering DMARC ineffective.

Key opinions

  • Subdomain Requirement: DMARC records must reside within the `_dmarc` subdomain to be valid.
  • TXT Record Type: The DMARC record must be a TXT record within the DNS settings.
  • Record Name: The TXT record name should follow the pattern `_dmarc.yourdomain.example`.

Key considerations

  • Correct Placement: Accurate placement of the DMARC record in the `_dmarc` subdomain is essential for proper function.
  • Consequences of Incorrect Placement: If the DMARC record is not located in the `_dmarc` subdomain, it will be ignored, and DMARC will not function as intended.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource, John Levine, confirms that a DMARC record lives in DNS, specifically as a TXT record under the name _dmarc.yourdomain.example.

November 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that the DMARC record must be added as a TXT record with the name _dmarc.yourdomain.com. Failing to do so would mean it is ignored.

July 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

The documentation from multiple sources (datatracker.ietf.org, Google, AuthSMTP, Microsoft, and Cloudflare) consistently specifies that a DMARC record must be associated with the `_dmarc` subdomain. This involves creating a DNS TXT record under the `_dmarc` subdomain of the domain (e.g., `_dmarc.example.com`). This is a fundamental requirement for DMARC to function correctly.

Key findings

  • Subdomain Requirement: All sources agree that the DMARC record must be placed within the `_dmarc` subdomain.
  • TXT Record: The DMARC record is implemented as a TXT record in the DNS settings.
  • Consistency Across Platforms: The requirement to use the `_dmarc` subdomain is consistent across different platforms and providers.

Key considerations

  • Accurate Configuration: Ensuring the DMARC record is correctly configured within the `_dmarc` subdomain is crucial for DMARC to be effective.
  • DNS Settings: Properly accessing and modifying DNS settings is necessary to implement DMARC.
Technical article

Documentation from AuthSMTP states that the DMARC TXT record must be created under the "_dmarc" subdomain of your domain name.

February 2025 - AuthSMTP
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft states that to set up DMARC you need to create a TXT record in DNS and that record needs to be placed under _dmarc.your_domain name.

December 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from datatracker.ietf.org specifies that DMARC policy records are stored as DNS TXT records in subdomains named "_dmarc". For example, the Domain Owner of "example.com" would post DMARC preferences in a TXT record at "_dmarc.example.com".

April 2021 - datatracker.ietf.org
Technical article

Documentation from Cloudflare answers that in order to create the DMARC record you need to create a TXT record with name set to _dmarc.

September 2022 - Cloudflare
Technical article

Documentation from Google details the steps for creating a DMARC record, emphasizing that it must be added to the _dmarc subdomain of your domain in the DNS settings.

March 2025 - Google