Summary
Google Groups and DMARC alignment issues, especially when forwarding emails across different domains within the same Google Workspace, pose a significant challenge for email deliverability. When a Google Group is used for forwarding, the original email headers, including the From domain, may be retained while the underlying authentication (SPF and DKIM) is performed by Google’s servers or the forwarding domain. This mismatch, where the RFC5322.From domain doesn't align with the authenticated domains, leads to DMARC failures.
Key findings
- DMARC alignment failure: When emails are forwarded via Google Groups, the original From header (RFC5322.From) from the primary domain often does not align with the SPF (RFC5321.MailFrom) or DKIM (d= domain) that Google Workspace applies during forwarding, causing DMARC to fail.
- Policy impact: A DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject will cause these DMARC-failing forwarded emails to be moved to spam or rejected entirely.
- Google Groups behavior: Google Groups can act similarly to a listserv, modifying headers in ways that disrupt SPF and DKIM alignment, even if the underlying authentication passes for the forwarding domain.
- Separate domains vs. aliases: If separate domains are used (e.g., one for marketing, one for employees), DMARC alignment can be particularly tricky, as SPF and DKIM authentication for the employee domain might not align with the original marketing domain's From address.
Key considerations
- Review authentication flow: Understand how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation are affected by Google Groups forwarding. The critical factor is whether the From domain remains consistent and aligned with the authentication records after forwarding.
- Header analysis: To diagnose the specific issue, it's essential to examine the full email headers of a forwarded message to see which domains are present in the From, Return-Path, and DKIM d= tags.
- Consider alternatives to Google Groups: For scenarios requiring precise DMARC handling, explore alternative Google Workspace configurations such as direct routing rules or enabling sender rewriting in Google Groups if available and appropriate.
- Implement ARC if supported: Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) is designed to preserve authentication results across forwarding hops. While Google Workspace generally supports ARC, ensure it is functioning correctly and is properly implemented for your specific setup to prevent DMARC failures. Learn how to implement ARC.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often encounter DMARC challenges when managing multiple domains and using collaborative tools like Google Groups for email forwarding. The main concern revolves around how the forwarding process impacts email authentication, particularly DMARC alignment, leading to deliverability issues like emails landing in spam. Their experiences highlight the complexity of maintaining proper DMARC validation when mail flows through intermediate systems that may modify headers or change sending identities.
Key opinions
- Header retention: Many marketers observe that when emails are forwarded from a shared inbox via Google Groups, the original DMARC policy is retained, which can cause emails to go to spam.
- DMARC failure diagnosis: Marketers frequently find that while SPF and DKIM may pass for the forwarding domain, DMARC alignment fails because it doesn't match the primary From domain.
- Google Groups limitations: Google Groups can be problematic for advanced DMARC setups, as their header rewriting behavior can interfere with alignment.
- Domain separation: The use of completely separate domains (e.g., one for marketing, one for employees) rather than alias domains can exacerbate DMARC alignment issues during forwarding.
Key considerations
- Understanding allowlisting: Marketers note that Google's allowlisting features are primarily for incoming emails, not for resolving DMARC issues with outgoing forwarded mail.
- SPF record additions: Adding a shortened domain to a primary domain’s SPF record may not resolve DMARC alignment if Google Workspace's forwarding mechanism still causes mismatches, as it doesn't address the From header alignment. Check our guide to DMARC tags for more.
- Email flow analysis: It's crucial to understand the entire email flow from the original sender, through the Google Group, to the employee's inbox, and finally when the employee forwards it. This helps pinpoint where header information might be altered. For more, see our article on why your emails fail.
- Dedicated email addresses for DMARC reports: A key step for effective DMARC management, including handling forwarding scenarios, is setting up a dedicated address for DMARC reports.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks describes a DMARC forwarding issue where their client uses a primary domain for marketing and a shortened domain for employees, with marketing responses going into a Google Group for triage and forwarding.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that after implementing a p=quarantine DMARC policy, emails forwarded from the shared inbox using a shortened employee domain retain the original DMARC policy and go directly to spam.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts offer nuanced perspectives on the challenges posed by Google Groups and DMARC when forwarding emails, especially with multiple domains. They often point to the underlying mechanics of email forwarding and header modification, which can lead to DMARC alignment failures even when basic SPF and DKIM authentication appears to pass. Their advice often steers towards understanding the exact mail flow and considering alternative configurations within Google Workspace.
Key opinions
- Google Groups limitations: Experts sometimes find Google Groups an imperfect fit for scenarios requiring precise DMARC handling due to header rewriting. This can impact how Google Workspace handles DMARC alignment.
- Alias domain SPF alignment: For user alias domains in Google Workspace, the main domain's SPF/Return-Path is always used, meaning alias domains don't get SPF alignment, which can contribute to DMARC issues.
- Sender responsibility: When an email is forwarded, the authentication settings of the *forwarder* are what truly matter for deliverability, not the original sender's, if the From header changes.
- Complexity: Many experts agree that DMARC issues with forwarding and multiple domains are complex, often requiring detailed header analysis to resolve.
Key considerations
- Use direct routing rules: Consider replacing Google Groups with simpler email aliases or routing rules in Gmail admin settings to avoid unintended header modifications and accidental unsubscribes.
- Verify with testing tools: Experts recommend using email testing tools to send a forwarded email and analyze if any DMARC failures are highlighted. This helps in understanding why your emails are getting DMARC verification failed.
- Full header analysis is key: To fully diagnose complex DMARC forwarding issues, obtaining and reviewing the full email headers is often necessary to pinpoint exactly where the authentication chain breaks.
- Consider ARC adoption: As DMARC adoption grows, more mail servers are implementing Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) to preserve authentication results for forwarded emails, which can mitigate some DMARC failures.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that Google Groups can be an "imperfect fit" for certain scenarios, preferring "dumb" email aliases to avoid header rewriting and unintended unsubscribes.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource notes that DMARC failures in forwarding scenarios frequently occur because intermediate mail servers modify the email, breaking SPF or DKIM signatures and causing alignment issues.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and authoritative guides on email authentication highlight the technical specificities of DMARC and how it interacts with forwarding services like Google Groups. They often detail the requirements for SPF and DKIM alignment, the role of ARC in preserving authentication chains, and the implications of different DMARC policies. These resources serve as a critical reference for understanding the root causes of DMARC failures in complex email flows and devising compliant solutions.
Key findings
- Header misalignment: Emails sent from Google Groups can cause DMARC failures due to header misalignment, particularly if sender rewriting is not enabled or properly configured.
- DMARC policy enforcement: A DMARC reject policy explicitly tells receivers to discard emails that fail authentication and alignment checks from a domain, if they were not sent by that domain. This is covered in our simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- Forwarding and ARC: The impact of DMARC on distribution groups, especially those that forward messages like listservs, necessitates proper ARC (Authenticated Received Chain) setup to maintain authentication validity across forwarding hops.
- Evolving requirements: Platforms like Google and Yahoo have increased DMARC requirements for inbound email, particularly for bulk senders, which indirectly impacts how forwarded emails are handled if they originate from domains under stricter policies.
Key considerations
- Inbound vs. outbound policies: Google Workspace's documentation on allowlists and denylists primarily focuses on managing *incoming* email, not preventing DMARC failures for *outgoing* forwarded emails initiated by internal users.
- Sender rewriting: Explore options within Google Workspace or Google Groups to enable sender rewriting, which can help ensure that forwarded emails align with the authentication of the forwarding domain rather than the original sender's domain.
- DMARC and forwarding effects: Understand how email forwarding and DMARC policies affect email delivery and reporting to anticipate potential issues.
- Handling DMARC failures: Consult documentation on how to handle DMARC failures when email is forwarded by recipients, as these insights often apply to internal forwarding scenarios as well.
Technical article
Documentation from Patronum states that emails sent from Google Groups can trigger DMARC failures because of header misalignment, and suggests that enabling "sender rewriting" is a solution to this issue.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help provides various methods for Gmail administrators to manage incoming email, including blocking specific senders via a denylist and bypassing checks for approved senders.
Related resources
11 resources
Related pages
How do email forwarding and DMARC policies affect email delivery and reporting?
How to handle DMARC failures when email is forwarded by recipients?
How to implement ARC (Authenticated Received Chain) and how does it affect DMARC failures from forwarding?
How does email forwarding affect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation?
How does Google Workspace handle DMARC alignment for multiple domains?
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
Why your emails are getting a 'DMARC verification failed' error
Why Your Emails Fail: Expert Guide to Improve Email Deliverability [2025]
Will a stricter DMARC policy impact internal email deliverability when using G Suite aliases and email forwarding?
How to set up DMARC with multiple email senders for the same domain?
