Why is my DMARC failing even though DKIM and SPF pass in Sendgrid?

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares the solution was that Sendgrid allows subusers, and while domains were authenticated at the root level, they needed to be assigned to the subuser level to be used for sending.

Email marketer from MXToolbox.com clarifies that while SPF and DKIM authenticate the source and integrity of the email, DMARC focuses on alignment. Alignment verifies that the domains used in SPF and DKIM match the domain displayed in the 'From' address. When using a third-party sender like Sendgrid, alignment issues are common if not properly configured.

Email marketer from MailerCheck.com shares that a DMARC record can be configured to request reports on authentication results. Analyzing these reports can provide insights into why emails are failing DMARC checks. These reports will highlight authentication failures and alignment issues so you can diagnose problems.

Email marketer from Mailhardener.com explains that even with passing SPF and DKIM, DMARC can fail due to alignment issues. For DMARC to pass, the domain in the 'From' header must align with the domain used for SPF and DKIM. If SPF uses a different domain (e.g., Sendgrid's) or DKIM signs with a different domain, DMARC will fail.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that DMARC failures, despite passing SPF and DKIM, often stem from SPF alignment issues. If the 'header from' domain doesn't match the domain used for SPF (which might be SendGrid's), DMARC fails. You can resolve this by aligning the SPF record to your domain, not SendGrid's.

Email marketer from EasyDMARC.com explains that even if SPF and DKIM records are valid, DMARC policies can cause failures. If the DMARC policy is set to 'reject' or 'quarantine' and the email fails alignment, the email will be affected according to the specified policy. Review DMARC policy settings and ensure they align with sending practices.

Email marketer from Mailjet.com advises to check the Return-Path (or Envelope From) domain for SPF alignment. When using SendGrid, the Return-Path might point to SendGrid's domain, causing SPF to fail DMARC alignment. Properly configuring the Return-Path or using a custom Return-Path that aligns with your domain can resolve this.

Email marketer from Postmarkapp.com notes that a common mistake is neglecting to configure DKIM and SPF records correctly when using a third-party sending service. Even with records present, issues such as incorrect selector usage or improperly aligned SPF records can trigger DMARC failures. Always verify alignment after setting up DKIM and SPF.

Email marketer from AuthSMTP.com says to verify that the DKIM signature matches the domain in your 'From' address. In shared sending environments, DKIM signatures might belong to the service provider rather than your own domain, leading to DMARC failures. Setting up custom DKIM signatures resolves this issue.

Email marketer from Stackoverflow.com explains that discrepancies in the 'header from' domain versus the domain used in SPF or DKIM can cause DMARC failures. If the domains do not match, DMARC will fail even if SPF and DKIM individually pass.

Email marketer from SocketLabs.com recommends reviewing the DMARC record itself to ensure that the settings are correct, particularly the policy (p=) and reporting (rua=) tags. An incorrect or overly strict DMARC policy can unintentionally cause emails to fail authentication checks. Ensuring correct record configuration is crucial for troubleshooting DMARC issues.

Expert and Marketer from Email Geeks explain that the DKIM is valid, but not signed by the right entity, resulting in passing authentication but failing alignment. The header.d must be agc.org, achieved by adding the domain in Sendgrid and having the client add the keys to their DNS. Sendgrid should be using the customer's DNS key.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that to use DMARC p=reject, the mail must have DKIM or SPF with the domain name. The from address domain is agc.org but there is no DKIM or SPF that references agc.org.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that when agc.org is configured to be DMARC p = reject, it tells ISPs that the d= or SPF has to be in agc.org.

Expert from Word to the Wise highlights that even with correct SPF and DKIM implementation, alignment problems can cause DMARC to fail. Ensure that your DKIM signatures and SPF records are correctly set up to align with the 'From' address domain for full DMARC compliance.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the return path header being sendgrid causes SPF to not align. The DKIM signature is also failing, which may mean the correct public key isn't published in DNS or there's something else wrong.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the lack of DKIM is the root cause of the DMARC failure. The message did not pass DMARC checks because no DKIM signature was found for agc.org and SPF doesn’t align because the Return-Path domain of sendgrid.net doesn’t align with the from domain.

Expert from SpamResource.com states that DMARC failures despite passing SPF and DKIM often stem from alignment issues. The domain used in the 'From' header must align with the domains used for SPF and DKIM. If the SPF or DKIM uses a different domain, the DMARC will fail.

Documentation from DMARC.org defines DMARC alignment as the 'From:' domain aligning with the SPF authenticated domain or the DKIM signing domain. If neither SPF nor DKIM aligns with the 'From:' domain, DMARC authentication will fail, leading to the policy being applied (e.g., quarantine or reject).

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin outlines that for DMARC to function effectively, both SPF and DKIM must be properly implemented and aligned. SPF authenticates the sending server, while DKIM verifies the message integrity. Alignment ensures that the domains used for SPF and DKIM match the domain in the email's 'From' address. Failure in alignment will cause DMARC to reject or quarantine emails.

Documentation from Sendgrid.com highlights the necessity of correctly configuring DNS records for DKIM and SPF. Even if records exist, incorrect setup or propagation delays can lead to authentication failures causing DMARC to fail. It is vital that DKIM and SPF are correctly configured and align with your sending domain to ensure messages pass DMARC checks.