Why is Google Postmaster Tools showing SPF misalignment despite passing DMARC for subdomain, and how to fix DMARC for root domain?

Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog explains that for the root domain, set up a DMARC record and monitor reports. Reports received when using 'p=none' will give visibility into how email is being handled. Use this data to adjust configurations, including SPF and DKIM, for better alignment before enforcing stricter policies.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that SPF misalignment occurs when the domain used for SPF authentication (the 'Mail From' address) doesn't match the domain displayed in the 'From:' header. Even if SPF passes, DMARC requires alignment for full compliance. To fix this, ensure the return-path domain matches your sending domain.

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that Salesforce handles DMARC only for the subdomain, emphasizing the need for a separate DMARC record on the root domain as Google might be checking there too. Suggests involving the IT team and picking a vendor to manage the DMARC enforcement journey.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that if DMARC isn’t set up, spoofing could occur, making the domain appear non-compliant. Also suggests adding DMARC to the organizational domain, starting with p=none, to potentially resolve DMARC authentication issues.

Email marketer from Postmark explains that it is essential to ensure all your sending domains are included in your SPF record using the 'include:' mechanism. This ensures that your SPF record authorizes the servers sending on behalf of those domains. Ensure that the sending domain matches the From: domain for DMARC alignment.

Email marketer from MXToolbox Support explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record lists the mail servers authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. If Google Postmaster Tools reports SPF misalignment, it implies that the server sending emails on behalf of your domain does not match those listed in your SPF record or that the return-path domain doesn't match the from domain. They advise reviewing and updating your SPF record to include all authorized sending servers.

Email marketer from EasyDMARC knowledge base explains that SPF failures, especially 'hard fails,' can cause misalignment if the 'Mail From' address doesn't match the domain used for sending. They advise ensuring proper SPF setup by including all sending sources and verifying that the return-path is correctly configured. They also recommend using DMARC reports to identify any authentication issues.

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that you will have to manually add _dmarc as you have a wildcard for your subdomains that point to wpengine.

Email marketer from Email Security Blog notes that DMARC for subdomains does not automatically cover the root domain. Each domain and subdomain should have its own DMARC record. To fix the root domain DMARC issue, add a DMARC record with at least a 'p=none' policy to your root domain.

Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum user suggests that one reason for SPF misalignment is that the sending domain (the domain used in the 'Mail From' or 'Return-Path' address) might not match the 'From:' header domain. Even if SPF passes, DMARC requires these domains to align. They recommend ensuring the 'Return-Path' domain is properly configured to match your organization's sending domain.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that you need to create a DMARC record for your root domain even if you only send email from a subdomain. The DMARC record tells receiving mail servers how to handle email that claims to be from your domain but fails authentication checks. To fix DMARC on the root domain, set up a DNS TXT record.

Email marketer from Mailhardener explains that SPF misalignment can occur even if SPF passes because DMARC requires 'strict' or 'relaxed' alignment between the domain used for SPF authentication and the domain in the 'From:' header. They recommend verifying that the domain in your 'Return-Path' aligns with the domain displayed in the 'From:' header to achieve DMARC compliance.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that SPF misalignment can occur if the 'Mail From' domain doesn't align with the domain in the 'From:' header, even when SPF passes. If you are sending from a subdomain, DMARC will check both subdomain and organizational domain. They advise ensuring SPF records are correctly configured on both the subdomain and the root domain, and that the 'Mail From' domain aligns with your 'From:' header for proper DMARC authentication.

Expert from Spam Resource details that effective DMARC deployment includes setting up DMARC records for both your root domain and subdomains. Even if you send email only from a subdomain, a DMARC record on the root domain is crucial to protect against domain spoofing. They recommend implementing a DMARC policy on the root domain, starting with 'p=none' to monitor and collect feedback before enforcing stricter policies like 'p=quarantine' or 'p=reject'.

Documentation from Cloudflare outlines that to fix DMARC for your root domain using Cloudflare, you need to add a TXT record named '_dmarc' at the root level of your DNS settings. The content of this record should follow the DMARC syntax, beginning with 'v=DMARC1'. They recommend starting with a policy of 'p=none' to monitor reports before enforcing stricter policies.

Documentation from Microsoft 365 Documentation highlights that for a root domain, creating a TXT record with the name '_dmarc.yourdomain.com' is essential, where 'yourdomain.com' is your actual root domain. The value of this record specifies the DMARC policy. If SPF alignment is failing, they suggest reviewing SPF records for accuracy.

Documentation from DMARC.org states that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM to add a reporting mechanism and enforcement policy. Even if SPF passes, DMARC can fail if the SPF-authenticated domain doesn't align with the domain in the 'From:' header. For fixing root domain DMARC, they suggest creating a DMARC record on your root domain.

Documentation from AuthSMTP provides an explanation of the SPF record syntax, emphasizing that the record must be a TXT record and should include all authorized sending sources. If the 'Mail From' domain doesn't match your sending domain, it leads to SPF misalignment. They suggest including IP addresses, 'a' records, and 'mx' records in your SPF record, ensuring all authorized servers are listed.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that SPF alignment requires the domain in the 'Mail From' address (also known as the envelope sender address) to match the domain used in the SPF record. If there's a mismatch, SPF misalignment occurs even if the SPF check passes. Google recommends ensuring that the 'Mail From' domain aligns with your sending domain to achieve proper DMARC authentication.