Why are Google DMARC aggregate reports not being received?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 2 Jul 2025
Updated 15 Aug 2025
8 min read
It can be incredibly frustrating when you've diligently set up DMARC for your domain, expecting to receive those crucial aggregate reports, only to find your inbox empty. These reports are invaluable for gaining visibility into your email ecosystem, identifying unauthorized senders, and ensuring your legitimate emails are authenticating correctly. When they don't arrive, it leaves a significant blind spot in your email security and deliverability strategy.
Many factors can contribute to Google DMARC aggregate reports not being received. It's not always a straightforward issue, and troubleshooting often requires a systematic approach, checking everything from your DMARC record's syntax to the behavior of the mailbox providers themselves. I've encountered this issue multiple times, and often, it boils down to a few common culprits or sometimes, even unexpected quirks from the reporting entities.
Let's explore the primary reasons why your Google DMARC aggregate reports might be going missing and what steps you can take to diagnose and resolve these issues. Understanding these points is key to maintaining a robust email authentication posture and ensuring your messages consistently reach their intended recipients.
One of the most frequent reasons for not receiving DMARC aggregate reports is an incorrectly configured DMARC record in your DNS. A single typo, an absent tag, or an improperly formatted email address can prevent reporting mail servers from sending data to your specified `rua` (report URI for aggregate data) address. It's crucial that your DMARC record is publicly accessible and syntactically correct.
The `rua` tag points to the email address where aggregate reports should be sent. If this address is incorrect, misspelled, or points to an inactive mailbox, you won't receive reports. Additionally, DMARC records should only appear once for a given domain or subdomain. Multiple DMARC records for the same domain can cause confusion and prevent reports from being generated or delivered reliably. Always verify your DMARC tags and their format.
It's also important to remember DNS propagation delays. After publishing or updating your DMARC record, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for the changes to fully propagate across the internet. During this period, some mail servers might still be seeing your old record (or no record at all), delaying the start of report reception. Patience is key, but ongoing absence of reports after this period points to a deeper issue.
Check for single DMARC record
Ensure that your domain only has one DMARC TXT record published in its DNS. Multiple records can be ignored by receiving mail servers, leading to a complete absence of aggregate reports.
Verify 'rua' address validity
Confirm the email address specified in the `rua` tag is correct, active, and capable of receiving emails, especially large XML attachments. Test sending a normal email to it to ensure it functions.
Mailbox provider behavior and email volume
Even with a perfect DMARC record, you might not receive reports if there's no email traffic for your domain being processed by DMARC-reporting mail servers. DMARC aggregate reports are generated by receiving mail servers (like Google or Yahoo) when they receive an email purporting to be from your domain. If your domain isn't sending emails, or if the emails aren't reaching DMARC-compliant receivers, there will be no reports.
The volume of DMARC reports also depends on how much email your domain sends and to how many domains. If your email volume is low, you might receive reports infrequently or not at all from some providers. This is because some mail servers might only generate and send reports when a certain threshold of emails from a domain is met. For instance, Google Workspace's documentation notes that report frequency varies with email volume.
Low email volume
If your domain sends very few emails, especially to major DMARC-reporting mailbox providers (like Gmail, Outlook), you might not generate enough traffic to trigger regular report sending.
Internal forwarding
Emails internally forwarded within a mailbox provider's system (e.g., from one Google Workspace account to another) might not always trigger DMARC reports, as they are not external incoming mail streams. This is a common point of confusion.
Active email sending
Reports are generated based on inbound email traffic. If your domain isn't actively sending emails that reach DMARC-enabled receivers, there will be no activity to report. Sending legitimate email is a prerequisite.
Major DMARC reporters
Most DMARC aggregate reports come from major mailbox providers. If your recipients primarily use smaller or internal mail servers that don't generate DMARC reports, you won't see data from them.
Additionally, some DMARC reports from Google might appear to be for emails sent to Microsoft users, but these are often due to internal forwarding within Google's own ecosystem. This can sometimes make it seem like reports are missing or incomplete if you're not accounting for how Gmail handles forwarded mail. Ensuring proper SPF and DKIM authentication is foundational, as DMARC relies on their alignment for reporting.
Mail transfer agent and third-party services
Beyond DMARC record issues, the infrastructure receiving the reports can also cause problems. Your Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) or email server needs to be configured to accept and process incoming DMARC aggregate reports, which are typically ZIP files containing XML data. If your MTA is blocking these emails, flagging them as spam, or misinterpreting the attachments, the reports won't reach your designated inbox.
Some DMARC reporting organizations may also have specific requirements or limitations. For example, some DMARC verifiers are allowed to limit the number of `rua` destinations beyond the minimum specified by the DMARC standard. If your `rua` tag contains a long list of email addresses, especially if some are for third-party DMARC services, Google or other reporters might opt not to send to all of them, or they might cease sending if a new service's RUA tag is added that conflicts with their internal policies.
It's also worth noting that DMARC aggregate reports can be quite large, especially for high-volume senders. If your receiving mailbox has size limits or aggressive spam filtering, these legitimate reports might be blocked or quarantined. You might also want to look into how to troubleshoot issues if reports are not being received at all.
Issue
Explanation
Troubleshooting Step
Invalid 'rua' address
The specified email address in the `rua` tag is incorrect or inactive, preventing delivery.
Double-check for typos and ensure the mailbox is active and has sufficient storage.
MTA filtering
Your receiving email server (MTA) might be blocking or quarantining the reports.
Check your server logs and spam filters for messages from DMARC reporters.
Low email volume
Insufficient email traffic from your domain to trigger report generation.
Ensure your domain is actively sending emails to a variety of mailbox providers.
Third-party service interference
If you're using a DMARC monitoring service, their RUA may override or conflict.
Consult your DMARC service provider to confirm their report handling.
Google-specific considerations and quirks
Google's DMARC reporting behavior can sometimes be a bit of an enigma. There have been instances where Google (and other providers) temporarily halt or delay sending reports due to internal system updates or issues. This isn't always publicly announced, making troubleshooting challenging.
A notable observation from discussions among email professionals is that some domains, particularly those hosted on Google Workspace, have experienced a sudden cessation of Google DMARC aggregate reports around specific dates (e.g., November 2020, as noted in some community discussions). This suggests a potential bug or change in how Google handles DMARC reporting for domains within its own ecosystem, even if external reports continue to flow from other providers like Yahoo, Comcast, or Cisco Ironport.
If you suspect a Google-specific issue, ensure your domain's authentication records are flawless. Check your DMARC record, SPF, and DKIM configurations using online tools to rule out any subtle errors. Sometimes, seemingly minor syntax issues can cause a major reporter like Google to become unexpectedly picky, leading to a disruption in aggregate report delivery. If you are experiencing DMARC failures, you might find it useful to diagnose them using DMARC reports.
Temporary Google outages
Occasionally, Google's DMARC reporting systems may experience temporary glitches or maintenance, leading to delays or missing reports. These are often resolved without user intervention.
Impact of
Google Workspace hosting
If your domain is hosted on Google Workspace, there might be specific internal routing dynamics that affect DMARC report generation for intra-Google email. This is an area of ongoing investigation for many deliverability experts.
Summary: Recieving DMARC reports
In conclusion, not receiving Google DMARC aggregate reports can stem from various issues, ranging from simple DNS misconfigurations to complex interactions with mailbox providers or third-party DMARC services. It's essential to systematically check your DMARC record's syntax, ensure your designated `rua` mailbox is functioning correctly, and consider the volume of email traffic from your domain.
While it can be concerning, it’s often a solvable problem. By carefully reviewing your setup and understanding the nuances of how DMARC reporting works, you can restore visibility into your email authentication efforts. Remember, a lack of reports can hide underlying issues with your email deliverability, so persistent investigation is always recommended.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always publish one DMARC record per domain. Consolidate or remove any duplicates to avoid conflicts and ensure consistent reporting.
Verify your 'rua' email address is active, correct, and not exceeding any mailbox storage limits to ensure reports are received.
Regularly monitor your DNS records, including DMARC, for unintended changes or propagation delays that could disrupt reporting.
If using a DMARC monitoring platform, ensure their 'rua' address is correctly implemented and integrated with your DMARC record.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring low email volume: Very few emails sent from a domain means minimal or no DMARC reports will be generated by receivers.
Overlooking MTA or server-side filtering: Your own email server might be blocking or quarantining incoming DMARC XML attachments.
Assuming all mailbox providers report: Not all mail servers send DMARC reports; focus troubleshooting on major providers like Google.
Neglecting DNS propagation: Recent DMARC record changes may take up to 48 hours to become fully active, causing initial report delays.
Expert tips
If you suspect a Google-specific issue, try reducing the number of 'rua' addresses in your DMARC record, as some verifiers might have limits.
Look for patterns in the dates reports stopped coming in; this could indicate a wider issue or a specific update from the reporting entity.
Confirm that your domain is actively sending email, as DMARC reports are only generated when mail is received by DMARC-reporting servers.
Consider setting up a dedicated mailbox with minimal filtering specifically for DMARC reports to ensure they are not inadvertently blocked.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says to verify that the reporting permission records, such as '_report._dmarc', are correctly placed in the DNS for any domains that are not receiving DMARC reports.
2020-12-09 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that they are not sure if SPF or DKIM configurations might be causing an issue with evaluation, as there were no updates to these for domains that stopped receiving Google reports.
Google or 
Yahoo) when they receive an email purporting to be from your domain. If your domain isn't sending emails, or if the emails aren't reaching DMARC-compliant receivers, there will be no reports.
Gmail, 
Outlook), you might not generate enough traffic to trigger regular report sending.
Microsoft users, but these are often due to internal forwarding within Google's own ecosystem. This can sometimes make it seem like reports are missing or incomplete if you're not accounting for how 
Google Workspace, have experienced a sudden cessation of 
Comcast, or 
Cisco Ironport.
