Star Computers

DMARC Lookup

Fetch and parse the DMARC policy for a domain. Explains each tag and flags common weaknesses like monitor-only mode, missing reports, or sub-100 pct.

Look up and parse DMARC

Queries _dmarc. for a TXT record and explains each tag.

About DMARC

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) sits on top of SPF and DKIM. It tells receiving mail servers:

  1. How to handle mail that fails authentication (p=none, quarantine, or reject).
  2. Where to send daily aggregate XML reports (rua).
  3. How strict to be about alignment between the visible From: domain and the authenticated domain (adkim, aspf).

A typical production DMARC record looks like:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]; adkim=s; aspf=s

Tags explained

TagMeaning
vProtocol version. Always DMARC1.
pPolicy for the organizational domain: none (monitor), quarantine, or reject.
spPolicy for subdomains. Falls back to p if omitted.
pctPercentage of failing mail the policy applies to. Default 100.
ruaAggregate report destinations (mailto: URIs).
rufForensic (per-message) report destinations. Rarely supported.
adkimDKIM alignment: relaxed or strict. Default r.
aspfSPF alignment: relaxed or strict. Default r.
foFailure reporting options.

Things to flag

  • p=none. No enforcement. Spoofed mail is still delivered; you only get reports. A common stepping stone, not an end state.
  • No rua. You’ll never see the reports. Enforcement without monitoring is risky.
  • pct<100. Policy applies to only a percentage of failing mail — useful for ramp-up, but not a steady state.
  • Multiple DMARC records. Illegal per RFC; validation fails until duplicates are removed.