Summary
While not always strictly mandated, DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is becoming increasingly crucial for email deliverability, brand protection, and compliance with evolving requirements from major mailbox providers like Yahoo and Gmail. Mailgun strongly recommends DMARC, and Yahoo requires SPF or DKIM authentication, recommending DMARC. Google mandates DMARC for senders sending over 5,000 emails a day. DMARC protects against spoofing, phishing, and unauthorized use of domains, and major providers use it to filter spam, making it effectively a requirement for many senders, especially those sending bulk emails.
Key findings
- Mailgun Recommendation: Mailgun strongly pushes for DMARC implementation.
- Yahoo Requirements: Yahoo explicitly requires DMARC records.
- Google Requirements: Google requires DMARC for senders of 5,000+ daily emails.
- Deliverability Impact: DMARC is crucial for ensuring email deliverability to major providers.
- Security and Protection: DMARC prevents spoofing, phishing, and unauthorized use of domains.
- Effective Requirement: Even if not explicitly mandatory, DMARC is effectively required for bulk senders due to spam filtering.
Key considerations
- Implementation Complexity: Setting up DMARC involves technical knowledge of SPF and DKIM.
- Evolving Standards: Staying updated with changing email provider policies is essential.
- Domain Reputation: DMARC significantly impacts and protects domain reputation.
- Compliance Importance: Adhering to authentication standards improves email handling.
- Proactive Security: Implementing DMARC is a proactive measure to secure email communication.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
While not always explicitly mandated by Mailgun and other email service providers (ESPs), DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is increasingly crucial for email deliverability, brand protection, and complying with evolving requirements from major mailbox providers like Yahoo and Gmail. DMARC helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks by ensuring proper email authentication. Changes by providers such as Google now require DMARC setup for senders sending 5,000+ emails a day.
Key opinions
- Mailgun Recommendation: Mailgun strongly encourages implementing DMARC for improved deliverability, even if not strictly required to avoid platform restrictions.
- Yahoo Requirement: Yahoo has explicitly stated that a DMARC record is required for senders following their best practices.
- Growing Importance: DMARC is becoming essential due to major email providers' increasing use of it for filtering spam and improving email security.
- Brand Protection: DMARC helps protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks, safeguarding your brand reputation.
- Google Bulk Sender Requirement: Google now requires senders sending 5,000 or more emails a day to have DMARC authentication setup
Key considerations
- Deliverability Impact: Implementing DMARC can significantly improve email deliverability rates, especially with stricter requirements from mailbox providers.
- Domain Reputation: DMARC is vital for protecting and maintaining a positive domain reputation, influencing sender trust.
- Spoofing Prevention: Proper DMARC setup helps prevent unauthorized use of your domain for email spoofing and phishing campaigns.
- Evolving Standards: Staying updated with the evolving email authentication standards and requirements from major mailbox providers is crucial for compliance.
- Implementation Effort: Setting up DMARC requires technical effort and understanding of SPF and DKIM, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks responds saying Yahoo has explicitly stated that a DMARC record is required, providing a link to Yahoo's best practices.
7 Jul 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that while Mailgun isn't requiring DMARC immediately to avoid platform restrictions, their stance is to get DMARC setup.
19 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
1 expert opinions
While DMARC isn't technically mandatory for all email sending, major mailbox providers are increasingly using it to filter spam, making it an effective requirement for deliverability, especially to Gmail and Yahoo, particularly for bulk senders.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Requirement: DMARC acts as a practical requirement for ensuring email deliverability to major providers like Gmail and Yahoo.
- Spam Filtering: Major mailbox providers use DMARC to identify and filter spam emails.
- Bulk Senders: The requirement for DMARC is especially pertinent for bulk email senders.
Key considerations
- Technical Implementation: Implementing DMARC involves understanding and configuring SPF and DKIM records.
- Deliverability Impact: Failure to implement DMARC may result in increased spam filtering and reduced deliverability rates.
- Evolving Standards: Monitor changes in email provider policies to ensure continued compliance with DMARC requirements.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that while DMARC isn't strictly 'required' in the sense of being mandatory for all email sending, major mailbox providers increasingly use it to filter spam. So, for deliverability, especially to places like Gmail and Yahoo, it's effectively a requirement, especially for bulk senders.
8 Sep 2024 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
DMARC is strongly recommended by Mailgun for improved deliverability and sender reputation. Yahoo requires senders to authenticate emails with SPF or DKIM, and recommends DMARC. Google mandates DMARC authentication for senders sending over 5,000 emails a day to Gmail accounts. DMARC is an email authentication protocol that protects against unauthorized use, spoofing, and phishing.
Key findings
- Mailgun Recommendation: Mailgun strongly recommends DMARC for better deliverability and sender reputation.
- Yahoo Authentication: Yahoo requires SPF or DKIM authentication and recommends using DMARC.
- Google Requirement: Google requires DMARC for senders sending more than 5,000 emails a day.
- DMARC Purpose: DMARC protects against unauthorized email use, spoofing, and phishing.
- DMARC Protocol: DMARC offers a mechanism for senders and receivers to improve email protection from fraud.
Key considerations
- Implementation: Setting up DMARC requires configuration and understanding of SPF and DKIM.
- Deliverability: DMARC significantly affects email deliverability and sender reputation.
- Security: DMARC is a critical component for securing email communication against fraud.
- Compliance: Adhering to authentication standards ensures better email handling by major providers.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help states that senders who send 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts must set up SPF or DKIM email authentication, and DMARC authentication
12 Dec 2022 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org clarifies that DMARC is an email authentication protocol that allows domain owners to protect their domains from unauthorized use, such as spoofing and phishing.
18 Sep 2022 - DMARC.org
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