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DMARC Checker: Lookup and Validate a DMARC Record

This free DMARC checker looks up the DMARC record of a domain and validates every tag. See the policy, the report addresses and alignment settings, along with clear fixes for each problem.

By Debmedia Technologies LLP · Kolkata, India · Updated

What Is a DMARC Record?

DMARC is a DNS policy that tells receiving servers what to do with email that fails SPF and DKIM checks. It also asks them to send you reports, so you can see who is sending mail in your name. The record is a TXT record published at _dmarc.yourdomain.com.

Large mailbox providers now expect DMARC from anyone who sends in volume. A missing or weak record makes spoofing easier and can hurt delivery. This checker reads your record and explains every part of it.

How to Use This DMARC Checker

  1. Type your domain, such as example.com.
  2. Choose a resolver and press Check DMARC.
  3. Read the record, the list of checks and the table of tags.
  4. Fix errors first, then warnings.

If your domain has no record but its parent domain does, the tool follows the same fallback receivers use and tells you where it found the record.

DMARC Tags Explained

TagPurpose
vVersion. Must be DMARC1 and must come first.
pPolicy for the domain: none, quarantine or reject.
spPolicy for subdomains. If missing, p is used.
pctPercentage of failing mail the policy applies to.
ruaWhere daily aggregate reports are sent.
rufWhere individual failure reports are sent. Few receivers support this.
adkim / aspfAlignment mode for DKIM and SPF: relaxed (r) or strict (s).

Choosing a Policy

Move through the policies in stages rather than switching on reject immediately.

  1. p=none. Monitor only. Collect reports and find every legitimate sender.
  2. p=quarantine. Failing mail goes to spam. Raise pct gradually.
  3. p=reject. Failing mail is refused. This gives the strongest protection.

The tag definitions come from RFC 7489, the DMARC specification.

Common DMARC Problems

  • No record found. Create a TXT record named _dmarc. The record builder makes one for you.
  • Passing SPF or DKIM but failing DMARC. The domain used by SPF or DKIM must align with the visible From domain.
  • No report address. Without rua you work blind. Add a mailbox that can receive XML reports, or use a report-processing service.
  • Two records. Keep only one DMARC record at _dmarc.

Build the Foundation First

DMARC only passes when SPF or DKIM passes and aligns. Verify both with the SPF record analyzer and the DKIM key verifier before tightening your policy.

Why Use a DMARC Checker After Every Change?

DMARC records are short, but one misplaced character can switch off your policy. A DMARC checker reads the record exactly as receivers see it, so you find typos, duplicate records and missing report addresses before they affect delivery.

Use the DMARC checker whenever you add a new email service, change your report mailbox or tighten the policy. It also helps when you take over a domain from someone else and want to know what protection is already in place. A thirty-second check is far cheaper than a week of lost or spoofed mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMARC is a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain that tells receivers what to do with mail failing SPF and DKIM, and where to send reports.
None only monitors, quarantine asks receivers to treat failing mail as suspicious, and reject asks them to refuse it. Most domains start at none and move up.
No. DMARC passes only when SPF or DKIM passes and aligns with the From domain. Set up at least one of them first, and ideally both.
If a subdomain has no DMARC record, receivers use the one from its parent domain. The tool follows the same fallback and tells you where it found the record.

Disclaimer: results come from live requests and can change as records and servers change. We cannot guarantee that every answer matches what every visitor sees.