DMARC's quarantine and reject policies significantly influence email delivery and sender reputation. The 'quarantine' policy typically sends emails failing authentication to the spam folder, while 'reject' blocks them entirely. Although a 'reject' policy can enhance sender reputation by signaling security awareness to ISPs and protect against spoofing, incorrect configuration can lead to the blocking of legitimate emails. Receivers may sometimes choose to ignore the stated policy. A gradual implementation strategy, starting with 'none' for monitoring, then 'quarantine,' and finally 'reject,' is recommended, coupled with continuous DMARC report analysis. DMARC is only part of the overall email deliverability strategy and should be considered separately from sender reputation, as it is a policy mechanism and not a spam filter.
13 marketer opinions
DMARC quarantine and reject policies significantly impact email delivery and sender reputation. A 'quarantine' policy places emails failing DMARC checks in the spam folder, while a 'reject' policy blocks them entirely. While 'reject' offers robust protection against spoofing and can improve sender reputation by signaling security awareness to ISPs, misconfiguration can lead to legitimate emails being blocked. Implementing DMARC requires careful planning, starting with a 'none' policy for monitoring, gradually moving to 'quarantine,' and finally 'reject,' while continuously monitoring DMARC reports to address authentication issues and avoid unintended consequences. Sender reputation and DMARC should be considered separately, as DMARC is a policy mechanism, not a spam filter.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that a policy of quarantine has the potential to break email less than reject. Recommends a cautious journey from none to quarantine to reject, but skipping quarantine is acceptable in some cases. Quarantine provides security and buys time to resolve authentication issues.
22 Oct 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that a 'quarantine' policy in DMARC means emails that fail authentication checks are typically sent to the spam folder. This still allows recipients to access the email, but marks it as potentially suspicious.
7 Aug 2022 - StackOverflow
4 expert opinions
Experts highlight that DMARC quarantine and reject policies have nuanced effects on sender reputation and email delivery. Receivers may still accept messages that fail DMARC, even with a 'reject' policy. Misconfigured 'reject' policies can lead to deliverability issues, potentially blocking legitimate emails, even from paying customers. A message landing in the junk folder due to DMARC isn't the same as a spam report directly harming reputation, as DMARC primarily targets non-authenticated emails. Gradual implementation and continuous monitoring of DMARC reports are crucial for preventing unintended blocking. DMARC is just one piece of the overall deliverability puzzle.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that receivers may decide to accept messages that fail and have a reject policy. Also notes that valid mail can be lost due to DMARC failures, even from paying customers.
19 Aug 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that a message placed in the junk folder as a result of DMARC policy is not the same as a spam report harming reputation. DMARC policy impacts non-authenticated or failed-to-authenticate emails. Legitimate emails in spam due to DMARC means authentication needs fixing before enforcement.
30 Dec 2022 - Email Geeks
4 technical articles
Official documentation consistently describes DMARC's 'quarantine' policy as directing receiving servers to mark emails failing authentication checks as spam or treat them with suspicion, typically placing them in the recipient's junk folder. In contrast, the 'reject' policy instructs receiving servers to refuse delivery of such emails, preventing them from reaching the inbox or spam folder. The chosen policy significantly affects email handling and deliverability.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that with a DMARC policy of quarantine, messages that fail DMARC checks are marked as spam. With a policy of reject, messages that fail DMARC checks are rejected by the receiving mail server, preventing them from reaching the recipient's inbox or spam folder.
11 Jun 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from AuthSMTP describes that if your email is DMARC 'rejected' then it should not reach the recipient, it is either dropped or bounced. If it is 'quarantined' it is treated as suspicious and often sent to the recipient's junk folder.
28 Aug 2024 - AuthSMTP
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