Category: Getting Started

While there may be alternative marketing methods available, email marketing is still widely used by businesses. However, to ensure that your emails are delivered, opened, and acted upon, it’s essential to set up a DMARC record for your mail server.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a protocol that helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. It allows you to specify which email servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain, and what to do with messages that fail authentication. By setting up a DMARC record for your domain, you can increase email deliverability, prevent fraudulent messages from being sent from your domain, and protect your brand reputation.

To set up a DMARC record with Google Domains, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Google Domains account.
2. Click on the name of the domain you want to set up the DMARC record for.
3. Scroll down to the “DNS” section and click on “DNS settings.”
4. Click on “Add” to create a new DNS record.
5. Select “TXT” as the record type.
6. In the “Name” field, enter _dmarc.
7. In the “Data” field, enter your DMARC policy. For example, “v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:example@example.com” (make sure to exclude the quotations)
8. Click on “Save” to save the DMARC record.
9. Wait for the changes to propagate, which can take up to 48 hours.

Now that you have set up your DMARC record, it’s important to validate it to ensure that it is configured correctly. One great tool for validating your DMARC record is DMARCian’s DMARC Inspector. Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to https://dmarcian.com/dmarc-inspector/.
2. Enter your domain name in the search field and click on “Inspect”.
3. DMARC Inspector will show you a summary of your DMARC record, including the policy, aggregate reports, and forensic reports.
4. Click on “Inspect Email” to check if your DMARC record is being correctly applied to your emails.
5. DMARC Inspector will send an email to the address specified in your DMARC record. If the email passes authentication, you will receive a report indicating that your DMARC record is working correctly.

By following these steps and validating your DMARC record, you can ensure that your email marketing campaigns are being delivered, opened, and acted upon. While there are many other factors that contribute to the success of an email marketing campaign, setting up a DMARC record is the first and most important step towards increasing your email deliverability and protecting your brand.