Can DMARC 'rua' reports be sent to a different domain?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 28 Jul 2025
Updated 7 Nov 2025
6 min read
When setting up DMARC, a common question arises regarding the destination of aggregate reports (RUA). These reports provide invaluable insight into email authentication trends and potential abuse. Many organizations wonder if these reports can be sent to an email address outside of their primary domain, perhaps to a third-party service provider or a different organizational domain for centralized monitoring.
The good news is that DMARC 'rua' reports absolutely can be sent to a different domain. This flexibility is a core strength of DMARC, allowing organizations to leverage specialized tools and services for report analysis. However, it's not simply a matter of plugging in an external email address and expecting reports to flow freely.
There are specific requirements and configurations that must be in place to ensure these reports are successfully delivered and processed. Without proper setup, you might find your reports aren't reaching their intended destination, leaving you in the dark about your email security posture. This guide will walk you through the process and crucial considerations.
The necessity of external domain consent
To protect against misuse, DMARC requires that the receiving domain (the domain of the email address specified in the 'rua' tag) explicitly authorizes the sender domain to send reports to it. This mechanism prevents third parties from maliciously diverting DMARC reports meant for your domain to their own inboxes. It's a critical security feature that ensures the integrity of the reporting process.
This authorization is typically granted by publishing a specific DNS record on the receiving domain. This record, often a TXT record, signals to Mail Transfer Agents (MTAs) that the domain is willing to accept DMARC reports on behalf of other domains. Without this record, most receiving email servers will simply reject incoming DMARC reports, considering them unauthorized or spam. You can find more details on this authorization process in the DMARC.org documentation.
The format of this authorization record generally involves a subdomain like ._report._dmarc.receivingdomain.com, containing a TXT record that explicitly states acceptance for your sending domain. For example, Google Workspace admin help outlines its requirements for receiving DMARC reports from external domains, emphasizing this verification step.
Common mistake: forgetting external domain verification
A frequent pitfall when setting up DMARC reports to an external domain is neglecting the necessary verification record. Many users correctly configure their DMARC record, but forget to add the corresponding TXT record on the receiving domain. This results in no reports being received, making DMARC monitoring ineffective. Always double-check both sides of the configuration.
Setting up rua for an external domain
The 'rua' tag in your DMARC record specifies where aggregate reports should be sent. It uses a mailto: URI to indicate the email address. For example, if your domain is yourdomain.com and you want reports sent to reports@externaldomain.com, your 'rua' tag would look like rua=mailto:reports@externaldomain.com. You can also specify multiple URIs if needed.
Example DMARC record with external RUADNS
_dmarc.yourdomain.com. IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@externaldomain.com;"
Alongside this, the external domain (externaldomain.com in our example) must publish a DMARC reporting authorization record. This TXT record, found at yourdomain.com._report._dmarc.externaldomain.com, simply indicates that externaldomain.com is willing to receive DMARC reports for yourdomain.com. If you're using a DMARC monitoring service like Suped, this record is usually provided to you for easy setup.
Once these records are correctly in place, you should start seeing DMARC reports arrive at the specified external address. It's crucial to regularly monitor these reports to ensure your DMARC policy is functioning as intended and to identify any potential authentication failures or malicious activity. Using a dedicated DMARC monitoring platform like Suped simplifies this process significantly, providing parsed, actionable insights from raw reports.
Benefits and challenges of external rua reporting
Sending 'rua' reports to an external domain offers several key advantages. The primary benefit is centralized DMARC monitoring and management. If you manage multiple domains or use a third-party service for email security, consolidating all reports to one location streamlines analysis and response. This centralization is especially valuable for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who need to oversee many client domains.
However, there are also challenges to consider. The initial setup can be complex, involving DNS record modifications on both the sending and receiving domains. If these records aren't perfectly aligned, reports can be lost or misdirected. Moreover, entrusting your DMARC reports to an external entity means ensuring they are a trusted partner with robust security and data handling practices.
Benefits of external reporting
Centralized view: Monitor DMARC compliance across all your domains from a single dashboard.
For these reasons, it's often advisable to partner with a reliable DMARC monitoring service. Suped, for example, not only provides the necessary external domain verification instructions but also offers real-time alerts and comprehensive dashboards to simplify DMARC management, regardless of where your reports are sent.
Ensuring secure and effective DMARC reporting
Sending DMARC 'rua' reports to a different domain is not only possible but often a strategic choice for effective email security and deliverability management. It allows for specialized handling of these critical reports by dedicated platforms or internal teams.
The key to success lies in understanding and correctly implementing the external domain verification process, ensuring that the receiving domain explicitly authorizes the acceptance of reports for your sending domain. Without this crucial step, your reports will likely fail to be delivered.
Once configured, regularly analyzing your DMARC reports is paramount. They provide the insights needed to refine your authentication policies and safely move your policy to 'quarantine' or 'reject'. Tools like Suped can greatly simplify this analysis, transforming raw XML data into understandable, actionable recommendations.
By following these guidelines and leveraging the right tools, you can ensure your DMARC 'rua' reports are effectively utilized, enhancing your email security and ultimately improving your email deliverability. Suped is built to make DMARC accessible and actionable for everyone, with robust monitoring and reporting features that cater to all needs, from small businesses to large enterprises.
Suped provides AI-powered recommendations
