DMARC significantly impacts email forwarding and deliverability. Forwarded emails commonly fail SPF and DKIM authentication checks, primarily because the forwarding server isn't authorized to send on behalf of the original domain or because the SPF domain isn't updated. This leads to deliverability issues, especially when strict DMARC policies ('reject' or 'quarantine') are in place. While DMARC is designed to prevent spoofing, these policies can inadvertently block legitimate forwarded emails. Experts and documentation recommend using less restrictive policies (like 'p=none'), employing authenticated mailing lists, considering ARC to preserve authentication results, and using subdomains for varied DMARC policies. Additionally, it's important to note that DMARC mainly protects against direct domain spoofing, not all forms of email fraud.
11 marketer opinions
DMARC significantly impacts email forwarding and deliverability, particularly when strict policies like 'reject' or 'quarantine' are implemented. Forwarded emails often fail SPF and DKIM checks because the forwarding server is not authorized to send on behalf of the original domain. This can lead to emails being rejected or marked as spam. While a 'reject' policy enhances security against spoofing, it can negatively affect deliverability in forwarding scenarios. It's crucial to balance security with deliverability, with some experts suggesting using a 'none' policy or implementing ARC to mitigate these issues.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that Laura Atkins means to not have DMARC policies of quarantine or reject, just have p=none.
17 Nov 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailSecurityForum shares that implementing DMARC with a 'reject' policy can cause significant issues with email forwarding. Forwarded emails often fail SPF and DKIM checks, resulting in messages being rejected by receiving servers, impacting deliverability for forwarded messages.
12 Sep 2022 - EmailSecurityForum
6 expert opinions
DMARC significantly affects email forwarding. Forwarded emails often fail SPF checks, leading to deliverability issues, especially with 'reject' or 'quarantine' policies. This occurs because the SPF domain isn't always updated during forwarding. Experts recommend using less restrictive policies, like 'p=none,' for important emails and considering ARC to help validate authentication results during forwarding. DMARC primarily protects against direct domain spoofing and is ineffective against invoice fraud using third-party financial services.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that p=reject only works for direct domain spoofing and won't stop invoice fraud if financial services use their own domains.
5 Jun 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that DMARC can cause problems with forwarding because forwarded mail often fails SPF checks, particularly if the forwarder doesn't rewrite the envelope sender. This leads to DMARC rejections if the DMARC policy is set to 'reject' or 'quarantine'.
27 Mar 2022 - Spam Resource
5 technical articles
DMARC, designed to prevent email spoofing, significantly impacts email forwarding by causing authentication failures when SPF and DKIM records no longer align due to forwarding. This leads to legitimate emails being flagged as spam or rejected, especially with strict DMARC policies. Documentation recommends using authenticated mailing lists, trusted forwarders, and implementing ARC to preserve authentication results and mitigate deliverability issues.
Technical article
Documentation from Valimail shares that DMARC impacts email forwarding by causing authentication failures when SPF and DKIM records no longer align with the forwarding server. This results in deliverability problems because forwarded emails may be rejected based on DMARC policy.
26 Dec 2022 - Valimail
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that DMARC can cause legitimate emails, including forwarded messages, to be rejected if the forwarding process breaks SPF or DKIM authentication. They recommend solutions like using authenticated mailing lists or ARC to preserve authentication results.
29 Jun 2021 - Google
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