DMARC Settings

Purpose & Scope

This article explains how DMARC settings can affect the deliverability of your StructuredWeb campaigns and what steps to take if your emails are being rejected or filtered.

This guidance applies to any user managing a domain with DMARC enabled and experiencing email delivery issues while using StructuredWeb email services.
 

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Overview of DMARC

DMARC, short for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, builds on SPF and DKIM to provide a unified policy for verifying email authenticity. Often referred to as an “email authentication policy,” DMARC is the final layer in securing your domain’s outbound email communication.

DMARC functions by checking that both SPF and DKIM authentication pass and that the authenticated domain aligns with the sender’s address. If an incoming email fails these checks, DMARC instructs the receiving server on how to handle it, typically by rejecting or quarantining the message. Additionally, DMARC can generate reports that help domain owners monitor and respond to authentication failures.


 

The protocol serves three core purposes:

1. To confirm that outbound emails are protected by both SPF and DKIM.
2. To tell recipient servers how to respond if an email fails authentication.
3. To enable recipient servers to send feedback reports on email authentication results.

When implemented alongside SPF and DKIM, DMARC creates a strong defense against email spoofing, phishing attacks, and unauthorized use of your domain, while significantly improving trust and deliverability.

If your company has DMARC enabled, StructuredWeb’s servers may be restricted from delivering emails unless your domain DNS settings have been properly updated.
 

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What to Check

• If your emails are not being received at all (known as a rejection), DMARC may be blocking StructuredWeb from sending on behalf of your domain.
• If your emails are being delivered to spam or junk folders, please refer to our whitelisting instructions.

Learn More About Whitelisting

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Next Steps

1. Contact Support
   • If your campaigns are still not delivering, please contact the StructuredWeb support team. Our team can help you review whether your DMARC settings need additional configuration.
      
2. Check Your DMARC Settings
   • Verify whether your company’s email domain has DMARC enabled.
   • If DMARC is active, our support team will provide further instructions to update the necessary CNAME records at your DNS provider to ensure proper delivery.
     
     To check whether your email domain has DMARC enabled, complete the following steps:
     • Open DMARC Lookup in any browser.
     • In the Domain Name text field, enter your email domain. (ex. Structuredweb.com )
     • Click DMARC Lookup.
     • If your email domain is protected by DMARC, you'll receive a message alerting you that your DMARC record if valid. Review details in the green box. Note the following conditions:
     • When the DMARC policy is set to p=reject, it indicates that emails will not be delivered to inboxes that do not meet DMARC security requirements.
     • When the DMARC policy is to p=none, it means that emails will be delivered, but with reduced confidence in their authenticity.
     • In this example the DMARC policy is set to p=reject.
       
       
     • If the email domain you are using to send email campaigns from the StructuredWeb platform has DMARC enabled, please reach out to StructuredWeb Support.
     • Our team can provide instructions to update your domain information (DNS records) in order to enable DMARC with StructuredWeb as the sender.
        
3. Update DNS Records
   • If guided by support, follow the instructions to add or update CNAME entries at the DNS level of your email server. This will allow StructuredWeb to send emails on your behalf while staying compliant with your DMARC policy.
      

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Summary

DMARC adds a strong layer of email security, but if not properly configured with third-party services like StructuredWeb, it can prevent legitimate emails from reaching your recipients. StructuredWeb support is available to help troubleshoot and adjust settings to keep your campaigns running smoothly.

If you continue to experience issues, please reach out to the customer support team for further assistance.