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Email Marketing Glossary.

Clear, no-fluff definitions of every email marketing term that matters—from open rates to double opt-in. 

 

DMARC

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM, telling mailbox providers how to handle emails that fail authentication and giving you reports on abuse.

Also known as: Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance

DMARC is the policy layer that makes SPF and DKIM actually enforceable. It tells receiving servers what to do when an email claiming to be from your domain fails those checks — and sends you reports so you can see who's using your domain.

How does DMARC work?

You publish a DMARC record in DNS specifying a policy: none (monitor), quarantine (send to spam), or reject (block). Receiving servers apply that policy to messages that fail SPF and DKIM alignment.

Why does DMARC matter?

DMARC stops attackers from spoofing your exact domain and is now required by major mailbox providers for bulk senders. Publishing at least a monitoring policy is a 2026 baseline.

Getting started with DMARC

Start with a p=none policy to gather reports, confirm SPF and DKIM pass, then tighten to quarantine or reject once you're confident legitimate mail aligns.

Related terms

Email Deliverability Sender Reputation SPF DKIM Hard Bounce

Related reading from Drip

What is DMARC Security? (Help Center) DMARC Technical FAQ (Help Center)

Frequently asked questions

What does DMARC stand for?
DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. It builds on SPF and DKIM to tell mailbox providers how to handle emails that fail authentication and to report on domain abuse.
How does DMARC work?
You publish a DMARC record in DNS with a policy of none, quarantine, or reject. Receiving servers apply that policy to messages that fail SPF and DKIM alignment, and send you aggregate reports on activity.
What are the DMARC policy levels?
There are three: p=none (monitor only), p=quarantine (route failing mail to spam), and p=reject (block failing mail outright). Most senders start at none to gather data, then tighten over time.
Is DMARC required?
Major mailbox providers now require DMARC for bulk senders, so publishing at least a monitoring (p=none) policy is a baseline in 2026. It should be used together with correctly configured SPF and DKIM.
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