How-To

How to check your DMARC record and understand your policy

Inboxlogy6 min readUpdated 2026-10-26

In short: To check DMARC, open a free DMARC Checker, enter your domain, and read the result. It finds the record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com, tells you your policy (none, quarantine or reject) in plain English, and flags if DMARC is missing or has no reporting address. If you have no record yet, the fix is to publish one starting at p=none.

On this page

  1. When should you check DMARC?
  2. How to check your DMARC record step by step
  3. How to fix a missing or weak DMARC record
  4. What to check alongside DMARC

When should you check DMARC?

Check DMARC when setting up a sending domain, before a cold email campaign, after Google or Yahoo flag your sending, or whenever you change SPF or DKIM. Since bulk-sender rules now require DMARC, every domain you send from should have a record.

How to check your DMARC record step by step

  1. Open the DMARC Checker. Go to the free Inboxlogy DMARC Checker.
  2. Enter your domain. Type the bare domain, for example yourdomain.com. The tool checks _dmarc automatically.
  3. Click Check DMARC. It reads live DNS and finds your record.
  4. Read the policy in plain English. The tool explains whether you are monitoring (none), quarantining, or rejecting failing mail.
  5. Check for a reporting address. It flags if your record has no rua= tag, which means you are getting no visibility into who sends as your domain.

How to fix a missing or weak DMARC record

If you have no DMARC record, publish one. Start simple and safe:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]

This monitors without affecting delivery. Watch the reports for a couple of weeks, confirm your real mail passes SPF or DKIM with alignment, then raise the policy to quarantine and later reject. Build a correct record quickly with the DMARC Generator, then re-check.

What to check alongside DMARC

DMARC relies on SPF and DKIM, so check those too. Confirm your SPF record is valid and under 10 lookups, and that your DKIM key is published. DMARC enforcement only helps when at least one of them passes and aligns with your From domain.

Check your DMARC record now

Find your policy, read it in plain English, and spot missing reporting. Free and instant.

Open the DMARC Checker →All free tools

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I have a DMARC record?
Run your domain through a DMARC Checker. It looks up _dmarc.yourdomain.com and tells you whether a record exists, what policy it sets, and whether reporting is configured.
What is a good DMARC policy to start with?
Start with p=none and a reporting address. This lets you monitor who sends as your domain without risking delivery. Move to quarantine and then reject once reports confirm your legitimate mail authenticates correctly.
Why does my DMARC say none when I set reject?
Either the change has not propagated yet (wait up to 48 hours) or you edited the wrong record. Re-check after propagation, and make sure you are editing the TXT record at the _dmarc hostname.
Is the DMARC Checker free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser using public DNS, costs nothing, and never asks for an account.

Keep reading

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