What are the next steps after resolving a DMARC record not found error due to a server outage?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 2 Aug 2025
Updated 17 Aug 2025
8 min read
Experiencing a DMARC record not found error, especially after a server outage, can be incredibly stressful. I recently dealt with a similar situation: our website went down, causing DMARC errors to pop up in our ESP. After the hosting server was back online and our DNS records appeared correct, I noticed a significant delay in email delivery to Gmail in particular. This was particularly concerning, as we had just recovered from a domain downgrade a week prior.
The immediate instinct is to panic, especially when you're trying to avoid further setbacks to your email program. While initial checks might show everything is fine, persistent issues like delayed emails indicate there's still work to be done. It's not just about restoring the record, but also about mitigating any lingering effects on your email deliverability and domain reputation.
In this scenario, pausing email deliveries was a smart move to prevent further damage. Now, the focus shifts to understanding why the delays are happening and what proactive steps to take to ensure full recovery and prevent future occurrences. Let's explore the essential next steps to navigate this situation effectively.
After a server outage, even if your DMARC record (and other DNS records like SPF and DKIM) are technically back in place, propagation across the internet can take time. This is governed by the Time To Live (TTL) setting for your DNS records. A low TTL, for example, 1200 seconds (20 minutes), means that DNS resolvers around the world will cache your record for a shorter period. This is generally good because it means bad DNS results won't be cached for too long.
However, during the transition, some DNS servers might still be working with outdated cached information, leading to transient issues like delayed emails or even temporary DMARC failures. It's crucial to verify your DMARC, DKIM, and SPF setup from multiple geographical locations to ensure global consistency.
While a 15-minute delay might seem concerning, it's often within the normal range for email delivery, especially if there were recent DNS changes or network disruptions. Many email systems have their own queues and retry mechanisms, which can lead to slight delays even under normal circumstances. The key is to distinguish between a temporary anomaly and a persistent problem indicating deeper issues.
Immediate verification checklist
DNS health check: Use a reliable DNS checker tool to confirm your DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records are visible globally. Look for consistency across different resolvers.
TTL awareness: Understand your DMARC record's TTL. If it's a higher value (e.g., 24 hours), it might take longer for old, incorrect data to expire from caches.
Test sending: Send test emails to various providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Microsoft 365) to confirm timely delivery and proper authentication.
Monitoring DMARC reports and blocklists
Even after your DMARC record is found, continuous monitoring is critical. DMARC reports (RUA for aggregate data, RUF for forensic reports) provide invaluable insights into how receiving mail servers are handling your emails. You need to review these reports to ascertain if the brief outage caused any lasting authentication failures or if your emails were temporarily sent to spam or rejected.
The outage might have caused your sending IPs or domains to briefly appear suspicious, potentially landing them on an email blocklist (also called a blacklist). Although a temporary blacklist entry might self-resolve as your systems normalize, proactive monitoring for email blocklists is important. If you find your domain or IP on a blocklist, you'll need to follow the specific delisting procedures for each list. This often involves demonstrating improved sending practices.
Furthermore, assess your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and other postmaster pages. A dip in your reputation metrics, such as a rise in spam complaints or lower inbox placement rates, indicates a need for further action. Remember, recovery isn't just about fixing the technical error, but also about rebuilding trust with mailbox providers.
This example DMARC record, specifically the rua and ruf tags, ensures you receive aggregate and forensic reports. These are crucial for diagnosing DMARC failures and monitoring your email ecosystem effectively. Ensure you replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain.
Proactive measures for future resilience
To prevent similar DMARC record not found errors from recurring due to server outages, evaluate your DNS hosting strategy. Relying on the same provider for both web hosting and DNS can be a single point of failure. Consider using a dedicated, highly redundant DNS service to manage your domain's DNS records.
Review your DMARC policy. If you were on p=none, you likely experienced fewer direct rejections during the outage, but also less protection. If you were on p=quarantine or p=reject, the outage could have caused legitimate emails to be quarantined or rejected. After resolving the immediate issue, ensure your policy aligns with your current email security posture and risk tolerance. It's often best to safely transition your DMARC policy in stages.
Automate your DMARC monitoring. Manual checks are not sustainable for long-term email health. Implementing a DMARC monitoring solution will give you continuous insight into your email authentication status and alert you to any anomalies, whether caused by outages, misconfigurations, or malicious activity. This proactive approach is key to maintaining strong email deliverability and protecting your brand from spoofing and phishing attempts.
DNS Hosting
Web host DNS: Often bundled with your web hosting, convenient but can be a single point of failure during outages.
Risk: If your web host's servers go down, your DNS records, including DMARC, may become unreachable.
Dedicated DNS Hosting
External DNS provider: Providers like Cloudflare offer distributed and highly resilient DNS infrastructure.
Benefit: Separates your DNS from your web hosting, ensuring your DMARC record remains accessible even if your website host experiences an outage.
Long-term reputation management
A server outage, even a short one, can subtly impact your domain's sending reputation. Mailbox providers track consistent sending behavior and authentication. A sudden disruption, followed by authentication failures, can temporarily lower your reputation scores. This might not immediately manifest as outright rejections, but could lead to increased spam folder placement or delayed delivery, as you observed.
To recover and improve your domain reputation, consistency is key. Ensure your email sending volume is normalized and gradual if you paused deliveries. Maintain clean email lists to avoid bounces and spam traps, and continue sending engaging, relevant content. Pay close attention to any feedback loops you might have with major ISPs, as these can provide direct insights into recipient engagement and complaints.
Finally, remember that DMARC is a powerful tool for protecting your domain from abuse and improving deliverability, but it requires diligent management. Regularly review your DMARC reports, address any authentication gaps that emerge, and incrementally tighten your DMARC policy as you gain confidence in your email ecosystem. This continuous optimization is essential for long-term email success.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Actively monitor DMARC aggregate reports for insights into your email authentication status.
Use a redundant DNS provider, separate from your web hosting, to ensure DNS records remain available.
Maintain a low TTL (Time To Live) on your DNS records to ensure faster propagation of changes.
Common pitfalls
Assuming DNS propagation is instant; it can take time depending on TTL values.
Overreacting to temporary email delays immediately after an outage, which can sometimes be normal.
Neglecting to monitor DMARC reports, missing subtle authentication issues or spoofing attempts.
Expert tips
If you're already recovering from a domain downgrade, be extra cautious and pause non-essential email sends.
Consider a DMARC policy of p=none during recovery if you anticipate more issues, then gradually increase enforcement.
A 15-minute email delay is not uncommon and might resolve itself as DNS caches clear.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they would just let the network sort itself out after a server outage impacting DMARC.
June 20, 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that a 15-minute delay in email delivery is often considered normal in the grand scheme of things.
June 20, 2024 - Email Geeks
Restoring and maintaining email health
Resolving a DMARC record not found error after a server outage is a critical step towards restoring email deliverability. While the immediate fix of getting your DNS records back online is important, the journey doesn't end there. You must account for DNS propagation delays, monitor your DMARC reports for any lingering authentication issues, and proactively check for any temporary blocklist entries.
The slight delay in email delivery you observed is a common symptom of recent DNS disruptions. Maintaining a low TTL on your DMARC record helps minimize the caching of old, incorrect information, but some patience is still required. The key is to avoid making hasty decisions, like immediately changing your DMARC policy from p=none to more restrictive policies, until you are certain of full stability.
Ultimately, the best approach is a multi-faceted one: verify your DNS health, continuously monitor DMARC reports, and implement resilient DNS hosting to prevent future outages from affecting your email authentication. By taking these comprehensive steps, you can effectively navigate the aftermath of a server outage and safeguard your email program's long-term health and reputation.
Gmail in particular. This was particularly concerning, as we had just recovered from a domain downgrade a week prior.
External DNS provider: Providers like Cloudflare offer distributed and highly resilient DNS infrastructure.
