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Why did my email campaign perform poorly after setting up DMARC?

10 Marketer opinions6 Expert opinions5 Technical articles0 Resources

Summary

Poor email campaign performance after setting up DMARC is a multifaceted issue. Core problems stem from incorrect SPF and DKIM configuration and alignment, causing authentication failures. Implementing a strict DMARC policy (p=reject or quarantine) without proper testing can inadvertently block legitimate emails. The complexity is further compounded by issues related to subdomains, shared hosting, third-party senders, and email forwarding. Experts stress the importance of carefully analyzing DMARC reports to diagnose problems and continuously monitor email deliverability. Providing sufficient detail when seeking support is also crucial for effective troubleshooting. Without careful setup, testing and monitoring DMARC may negatively impact email deliverability.

Key findings

  • SPF/DKIM Misconfiguration & Alignment: Improperly configured or misaligned SPF and DKIM records are a primary cause of DMARC failures, leading to rejected or quarantined emails.
  • Strict DMARC Policy without Testing: Implementing a 'p=reject' or 'p=quarantine' policy without thorough testing can block legitimate emails and severely impact campaign performance.
  • Lack of DMARC Report Monitoring: Failure to regularly monitor and analyze DMARC reports prevents timely identification and resolution of authentication issues.
  • Subdomain & Third-Party Sender Issues: Incorrectly configured subdomains or improperly aligned third-party senders can undermine DMARC effectiveness and negatively affect deliverability.
  • Email Forwarding Conflicts: Email forwarding can break DMARC authentication, leading to deliverability problems for forwarded messages.

Key considerations

  • Pre-Implementation Verification: Thoroughly verify and validate SPF and DKIM configurations before implementing DMARC to minimize authentication failures.
  • Gradual Policy Enforcement: Start with a 'p=none' policy to monitor DMARC reports and gradually increase policy stringency as issues are identified and resolved.
  • Comprehensive DMARC Report Analysis: Regularly analyze DMARC reports to identify authentication failures, understand the root causes, and implement corrective actions.
  • Subdomain Configuration: Ensure proper DMARC configuration for all subdomains used for email sending.
  • Third-Party Sender Coordination: Work closely with third-party senders to ensure their authentication is correctly aligned with your DMARC policy.
  • Seek Expert Clarification: If problems persist or are difficult to diagnose, seek clarification on bounce rates, SPF domain, sending IP, DKIM domain, and the 'From' address for effective troubleshooting.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

Poor email campaign performance after setting up DMARC often stems from misconfigurations or oversights in the implementation process. Common issues include improper SPF and DKIM setup, incorrect alignment of these authentication methods with the 'From' address, and using a 'reject' policy without sufficient testing. Subdomain misconfigurations, shared hosting limitations, issues with third-party senders, and the impact of email forwarding can also contribute. Monitoring DMARC reports is crucial for identifying and addressing these problems.

Key opinions

  • SPF/DKIM Misconfiguration: DMARC relies on SPF and DKIM. If these are not set up correctly, DMARC will fail, leading to deliverability issues. Verification and proper configuration are essential.
  • DMARC 'Reject' Policy: Setting DMARC to 'p=reject' without thorough testing can block legitimate emails if they fail authentication, severely impacting campaign performance.
  • Lack of Monitoring: Ignoring DMARC reports prevents identification and resolution of authentication problems, leading to continued deliverability issues.
  • Third-Party Sender Issues: Using third-party senders requires careful coordination to ensure their authentication aligns with your DMARC policy. Misalignment will result in deliverability problems.
  • Subdomain Problems: Subdomains require their own DMARC configuration. Misconfigured subdomains can negatively affect overall deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Pre-DMARC Setup: Before implementing DMARC, ensure SPF and DKIM are correctly configured and tested. This is a foundational step.
  • Gradual Implementation: Start with a 'none' policy to monitor DMARC reports and identify potential issues before moving to stricter policies like 'quarantine' or 'reject'.
  • DMARC Report Analysis: Regularly review DMARC reports to identify authentication failures and adjust configurations accordingly. Tools can help parse and interpret these reports.
  • Shared Hosting Limitations: Understand the limitations of shared hosting environments and their impact on IP reputation and DMARC compliance. Consider dedicated IPs or specialized sending services.
  • Email Forwarding: Be aware that email forwarding can break DMARC. Consider alternative methods for email sharing that maintain authentication.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks asks if SPF and/or DKIM authentication was set up before DMARC, which is crucial for proper email deliverability and preventing issues after implementing DMARC.

September 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailExpert shares that issues often arise when DMARC is implemented without proper SPF and DKIM setup. He recommends verifying SPF records include all sending sources and DKIM signatures are valid.

November 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange user EmailNoob shares that forwarding can break DMARC because the forwarded email no longer originates from the authorized server. This can lead to deliverability issues for forwarded emails.

May 2023 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailtrap Blog explains that if DMARC is misconfigured, it can lead to legitimate emails being rejected by receiving servers, causing a drop in deliverability. Incorrect SPF or DKIM alignment are common culprits.

November 2024 - Mailtrap Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus recommends continuously monitoring DMARC reports to identify and address any authentication issues. Ignoring these reports can lead to ongoing deliverability problems.

March 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog explains that if you're using subdomains, ensure DMARC is properly configured for them. A misconfigured subdomain can negatively impact overall deliverability.

July 2021 - SparkPost Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from emailonacid.com explains that setting DMARC to 'p=reject' without proper testing will block emails failing authentication and will destroy campaign performance if misconfigured.

March 2024 - emailonacid.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from Return Path explains that using third-party senders without properly aligning their authentication with your DMARC policy will lead to deliverability problems. Coordinate with senders to ensure proper setup.

June 2023 - Return Path
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that a DMARC policy of 'none' should not cause deliverability issues, but DMARC reports can offer insight into authentication failures.

January 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum user MailGuy88 shares that issues arise when using shared hosting, as IP reputation affects all users. Incorrect SPF/DKIM can cause DMARC failures and impact delivery.

September 2024 - Email Marketing Forum

What the experts say
6Expert opinions

Poor email campaign performance after setting up DMARC can stem from several factors. Experts emphasize the importance of proper SPF and DKIM alignment, highlighting that improper implementation is a common issue. DMARC policies may reject or quarantine legitimate emails due to authentication failures, necessitating the regular monitoring of DMARC reports. Additionally, gathering detailed email information, such as bounce rates, SPF domain, sending IP, DKIM domain, and 'From' address is critical for effective diagnosis. Experts also advise against sending DMARC reports to inappropriate addresses like orders@, due to the potential for irrelevant or overwhelming email volume.

Key opinions

  • SPF/DKIM Alignment Issues: Improper implementation, particularly with SPF and DKIM alignment, is a common reason for poor performance post-DMARC setup.
  • DMARC Policy Enforcement: DMARC policies may reject or quarantine legitimate emails due to authentication failures.
  • Need for Detailed Information: Diagnosing issues requires gathering specific email details, including bounce rates, SPF domain, sending IP, DKIM domain, and 'From' address.
  • Importance of Monitoring DMARC Reports: Regularly checking DMARC reports is essential to identify and fix authentication issues.

Key considerations

  • Validation of Sending Sources: Ensure that all sending sources are correctly authenticated and aligned with SPF and DKIM.
  • Proper Bounce Handling: Understand and analyze bounce messages to identify the root causes of deliverability problems.
  • Appropriate DMARC Report Address: Do not send DMARC reports to addresses like orders@, as the volume and content are often irrelevant for this type of address.
  • Gathering Necessary Details: Provide comprehensive details about the email setup, including SPF domain, sending IP, DKIM domain, and 'From' address, when seeking assistance.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks asks for clarification on what 'did not perform well' means, specifically inquiring about bounce rates and open rates to diagnose the issue.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Belsten, explains that a common reason for poor performance after setting up DMARC is improper implementation, particularly with SPF and DKIM alignment. It emphasizes the importance of validating that all sending sources are correctly authenticated and aligned.

July 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from SpamResource explains if your email campaign performed poorly post-DMARC setup, it could be due to DMARC policies rejecting or quarantining legitimate emails because of authentication failures. Regularly check DMARC reports to identify and fix any authentication issues, such as SPF or DKIM misalignment.

October 2022 - SpamResource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises against sending DMARC reports to an orders@ address due to the potential for irrelevant or overwhelming email volume.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests that the issue may not be DMARC-related but emphasizes the need for more details to diagnose the problem effectively.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that without actual email details, it's hard to help and asks for the SPF domain, sending IP, whether SPF is published, the DKIM domain, and the From address.

August 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Poor email campaign performance after setting up DMARC is often attributed to DMARC authentication failures. These failures, especially when combined with strict policies (p=reject or quarantine), result in emails being rejected or marked as spam by receiving mail servers like Gmail. Incorrect SPF or DKIM configurations, errors in DMARC DNS record syntax, and a lack of alignment between SPF/DKIM and the 'From' address are common causes. DMARC's reliance on properly configured SPF and DKIM is critical; without them, DMARC will fail, leading to deliverability problems.

Key findings

  • Strict DMARC Policies: A strict DMARC policy (p=reject or quarantine) in conjunction with authentication failures leads to emails not reaching intended recipients.
  • SPF/DKIM Dependency: DMARC relies on correctly configured SPF and DKIM. Misconfigurations in either will cause DMARC to fail.
  • Alignment Requirements: DMARC requires either SPF or DKIM to align with the 'From' address. Lack of alignment results in authentication failure and potential delivery issues.
  • DNS Record Errors: Errors in the DMARC DNS record syntax can lead to authentication failures.

Key considerations

  • Valid DMARC Record: Ensure your DMARC DNS record is correctly formatted and free of syntax errors. Utilize a DMARC record validator tool to check for errors.
  • SPF and DKIM Validation: Verify that SPF and DKIM are correctly set up and validated before implementing DMARC.
  • Testing: Implement DMARC gradually, starting with a 'none' policy to monitor reports and identify potential issues before enforcing stricter policies.
  • Alignment Verification: Confirm that either SPF or DKIM aligns with the 'From' address to ensure successful DMARC authentication.
Technical article

Documentation from AuthSMTP explains that DMARC relies on SPF and DKIM, and if either is improperly configured, DMARC will fail. Ensure both SPF and DKIM are correctly set up and validated.

June 2024 - AuthSMTP
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft 365 explains that errors in your DMARC DNS record syntax can lead to authentication failures. They recommend using a DMARC record validator tool to check for errors.

November 2022 - Microsoft 365 Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from RFC7489 specifies that DMARC requires either SPF or DKIM to 'align' with the From address. If neither aligns, DMARC will fail, potentially causing delivery issues.

October 2023 - RFC7489
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that a failing DMARC check, especially with a strict policy (p=reject), can result in emails not reaching the intended recipients. This is because receiving mail servers are instructed to reject emails that fail authentication.

September 2023 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help details that if your DMARC policy is set to quarantine or reject, Gmail will enforce this policy. This can lead to a decrease in email delivery if your emails fail DMARC authentication.

May 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help

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