Why can't I just parse DMARC reports myself?

Raw DMARC aggregate reports are sent in XML format, which is not human-readable. Manually parsing these reports from multiple receivers can be incredibly time-consuming and difficult to extract meaningful, actionable insights, especially for large email volumes or complex sending environments. DMARC vendors automate this process, providing clear dashboards and actionable data.

How do DMARC vendors handle multiple third-party senders?

DMARC vendors are designed to consolidate and analyze reports from all sources sending email on your domain's behalf, including numerous third-party services. They help identify all your legitimate senders and highlight any that are not properly authenticating, allowing you to work with those vendors to ensure DMARC compliance.

What's the difference between DMARC monitoring and enforcement?

DMARC monitoring involves receiving and analyzing reports to gain visibility into your email traffic and authentication status. DMARC enforcement refers to setting your DMARC policy to `p=quarantine` or `p=reject`, which instructs receiving mail servers to take action on unauthenticated emails. Most DMARC vendors offer tools for both monitoring and facilitating the safe transition to enforcement.

Is DMARC important for small businesses?

Yes, DMARC is important for businesses of all sizes. Even small businesses can be victims of email spoofing and phishing, which can severely damage their brand reputation and lead to financial losses. Implementing DMARC helps protect your domain and ensures your customers receive legitimate communications.

What are the best third-party DMARC vendors and tools for email authentication? - Tools - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

Navigating the complexities of email authentication and deliverability often brings us to DMARC. While its importance for protecting your domain from spoofing and phishing is clear, managing DMARC reports, especially from numerous third-party email senders, can quickly become overwhelming. Raw DMARC aggregate reports (RUA) are XML files, which are not designed for human readability, making it challenging to extract actionable insights.

This is where third-party DMARC vendors and tools become indispensable. They transform raw data into digestible formats, helping you understand who is sending email on behalf of your domain, whether legitimate emails are passing authentication checks, and if malicious actors are attempting to impersonate your brand.

Selecting the right tool or vendor can significantly streamline your DMARC implementation and maintenance process. It shifts the burden of manual report analysis, allowing you to focus on optimizing your email security posture and ensuring legitimate emails reach their intended recipients.

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The challenge of DMARC reporting

DMARC works by instructing receiving mail servers how to handle emails that fail authentication checks (SPF or DKIM) and by providing reporting capabilities to the domain owner. You receive two types of reports, aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF). The aggregate reports are sent regularly and contain data about all emails purporting to be from your domain, regardless of their authentication status.

The challenge intensifies when you have multiple third-party services sending emails on your behalf, such as marketing automation platforms, CRM systems, or transactional email providers. Each of these services needs to be correctly configured with SPF and DKIM records to pass DMARC alignment. Without a dedicated tool, sifting through the numerous XML reports from various email providers (like Google Workspace or

Microsoft 365) can be a monumental task. This is where vendors offer services to analyze DMARC reports into a more user-friendly format.

Misconfigurations or unauthorized senders can lead to legitimate emails landing in spam folders or being blocked entirely, impacting your brand's reputation and communication effectiveness. Understanding DMARC reports from Google and Yahoo is critical for maintaining deliverability.

Understanding DMARC report types

Aggregate reports (RUA): These XML files provide an overview of all email traffic using your domain, including success/failure rates for SPF and DKIM, sending IP addresses, and receiving email providers. They are crucial for visibility into your email ecosystem.
Forensic reports (RUF): These are redacted copies of individual emails that fail DMARC, providing more granular detail for investigation. Due to privacy concerns, not all email providers send RUF reports.

Key features to look for in a DMARC vendor

When evaluating DMARC vendors or tools, it's essential to look beyond basic reporting features. The goal is not just to see the data, but to gain actionable insights that enable you to move towards a stricter DMARC policy of quarantine or reject. This requires sophisticated analysis and often, active policy management. Choosing the right DMARC monitoring tools is key.

A good DMARC solution should offer comprehensive reporting, presenting data in intuitive dashboards that highlight authentication failures, legitimate sending sources, and potential threats. It should also help identify new or unauthorized senders, which is particularly useful for organizations with complex email ecosystems.

Scalability is another crucial factor. Whether you send hundreds of thousands or tens of millions of emails per month, the tool should be able to handle your volume without compromising performance or accuracy. Support for multiple domains and subdomains is also a must for larger organizations.

Finally, consider the level of guidance and support offered. Some tools provide automated policy recommendations and enforcement, while others require more manual intervention. Look for solutions that align with your team's technical expertise and available resources. It is all about DMARC implementation best practices.

Feature	Benefit
Granular reporting	Provides detailed insights into SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication results, helping pinpoint issues quickly.
Sender identification	Helps identify all legitimate email senders, including third-party platforms.
Policy enforcement assistance	Tools to help gradually move to a `p=quarantine` or `p=reject` policy, reducing spoofing risks.
Alerts and notifications	Real-time alerts for suspicious activity or policy failures, enabling quick response.

Leading third-party DMARC tools and solutions

The market offers several reputable third-party DMARC vendors, each with unique strengths. Some are geared towards enterprise-level organizations with complex needs and high email volumes, while others provide accessible solutions for smaller businesses or those just starting their DMARC journey.

When comparing solutions, you'll encounter names like Valimail, Agari (now part of Fortra), Dmarcian, EasyDMARC, PowerDMARC, and OnDMARC. Valimail and Agari are often highlighted for their robust enterprise-grade solutions, offering automated enforcement and advanced threat intelligence. They are particularly suitable for large corporations with stringent security requirements.

For organizations seeking a balance of features and user-friendliness, Dmarcian, EasyDMARC, PowerDMARC, and OnDMARC are popular choices. These platforms typically offer detailed reporting, guided setup processes, and insights that help transition DMARC policies from monitoring (`p=none`) to enforcement (`p=quarantine` or `p=reject`). Many also offer free DMARC analyzing platforms or free DMARC reporting services for initial setup or smaller volumes.

Gmail and Yahoo's DMARC requirements

As of early 2024, Gmail and Yahoo have introduced stricter sender requirements, making DMARC authentication a necessity for bulk senders. This means having a valid DMARC record, even if it's set to a `p=none` policy, is crucial for maintaining good inbox placement. Third-party vendors can help ensure your compliance with these evolving standards.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Start with a `p=none` DMARC policy to gather data and identify all legitimate email sources.

Gradually transition to stricter DMARC policies, like `quarantine` or `reject`, after verifying all senders.

Regularly review your DMARC reports to spot new senders or potential unauthorized email activity.

Ensure all third-party email services are properly configured with SPF and DKIM for DMARC alignment.

Common pitfalls

Implementing a `p=reject` policy too quickly without confirming all legitimate senders, causing delivery issues.

Neglecting to configure DMARC for all your domains and subdomains, leaving gaps in your protection.

Ignoring DMARC aggregate reports, missing crucial insights into email authentication failures.

Failing to update your DNS records when adding new email services or retiring old ones.

Expert tips

Automate the analysis of DMARC reports using a specialized third-party vendor to save time and gain deeper insights.

Prioritize securing your main sending domains with stricter DMARC policies first, then extend to less critical domains.

Work closely with your third-party email service providers to ensure they meet DMARC compliance standards.

Utilize forensic reports, when available, to thoroughly investigate the root cause of DMARC authentication failures.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says: My preferred DMARC solution is 250ok, though I've also used MxToolbox and Dmarcian. I found Dmarcian scales particularly well for smaller businesses, managing volumes under 100,000 emails per month, sometimes even as low as 20,000. A critical feature for me is the ability to filter data by IP address, domain, and rDNS.

2019-03-28 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says: I categorize 'small' senders as those sending under one million emails daily. Senders with volumes below 50,000 emails per day are considered 'very small.' Effective DMARC management is crucial for all these sending volumes.

2019-03-29 - Email Geeks

Choosing the right DMARC partner

Implementing DMARC is a critical step towards securing your email channels and enhancing your deliverability. As the email landscape continues to evolve with stricter authentication requirements from major inbox providers, relying solely on manual DMARC report analysis is no longer sustainable for most organizations.

Third-party DMARC vendors and tools offer the necessary automation, insights, and support to effectively manage your email authentication journey. They provide clear visibility into your email ecosystem, help identify and remediate unauthorized sending, and ensure your legitimate emails are properly authenticated. Understanding the benefits of implementing DMARC is the first step.

By investing in a suitable DMARC solution, you protect your brand reputation, reduce the risk of phishing and spoofing attacks, and improve your overall email deliverability. Choose a vendor that aligns with your organization's size, email volume, and specific security needs to make your DMARC implementation a success.