DMARC Record Not Found: How to Fix This Error

Introduction

Seeing "DMARC record not found" when checking your domain? This is one of the most common DMARC issues, but fortunately it's usually easy to fix.

This guide covers the causes and solutions, with step-by-step instructions to get your DMARC record working.

What "DMARC Record Not Found" Means

When tools check for your DMARC record, they look for a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. If nothing is found, you see this error.

Common scenarios:

1. You haven't created a DMARC record yet
2. You created it but with the wrong DNS name
3. DNS hasn't propagated yet
4. Your DNS provider has a configuration issue

Quick Diagnostic

First, verify if you actually have a DMARC record:

Option 1: Use our checker Check DMARC Record →

Option 2: Command line

dig _dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT
nslookup -type=TXT _dmarc.yourdomain.com

If you see "NXDOMAIN" or no results, the record isn't found.

Cause 1: No DMARC Record Created

Symptom: You've never set up DMARC

Solution: Create your first DMARC record

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Log in to your DNS provider

   • GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.
   • Find DNS management section

2. Create new TXT record:

   • Name/Host: _dmarc
   • Type: TXT
   • Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

3. Save and wait 15-30 minutes for propagation

4. Verify: Check DMARC →

Cause 2: Wrong DNS Record Name

Symptom: You created a record but it's not named correctly

Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong:

• dmarc.yourdomain.com
• _dmarc (without domain on some providers)
• dmarc
• @_dmarc

✅ Correct:

• _dmarc (most providers)
• _dmarc.yourdomain.com (some providers require full domain)

How to Fix

Check your current record:

1. Log in to DNS provider
2. Look at DNS records
3. Find any record with "dmarc" in the name

Update if wrong:

1. Delete incorrectly named record
2. Create new record with correct name: _dmarc
3. Save and wait for propagation

DNS Provider Examples

GoDaddy:

• Name: _dmarc
• Type: TXT
• Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Cloudflare:

• Name: _dmarc
• Type: TXT
• Content: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Google Domains:

• Name: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
• Type: TXT
• Data: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Namecheap:

• Host: _dmarc
• Type: TXT
• Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Cause 3: DNS Propagation Delay

Symptom: You just added the record but it's not showing up yet

DNS changes can take time to propagate globally:

• Typical: 15-60 minutes
• Maximum: Up to 48 hours (rare)

How to Check Propagation

Option 1: Use propagation checker

• whatsmydns.net
• Enter: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
• Type: TXT
• Check multiple locations worldwide

Option 2: Query different DNS servers

# Google DNS
dig @8.8.8.8 _dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT

# Cloudflare DNS
dig @1.1.1.1 _dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT

# Your local DNS (may be cached)
dig _dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT

Solution

Wait and verify:

1. If record shows on some servers but not others: still propagating
2. If record doesn't show anywhere: check DNS provider configuration
3. Once propagated globally: verify with DMARC Checker

Cause 4: Wrong Record Type

Symptom: Created record but used wrong type (CNAME, A, MX instead of TXT)

Solution:

1. Check current record type:

   • Log in to DNS provider
   • Look at record types
   • DMARC must be TXT type

2. Fix if wrong:

   • Delete non-TXT record
   • Create TXT record with same content

Cause 5: Subdomain vs Root Domain

Symptom: Record exists on wrong domain level

Understanding DMARC Subdomains

DMARC records apply to specific domains:

• _dmarc.yourdomain.com protects yourdomain.com
• _dmarc.mail.yourdomain.com protects mail.yourdomain.com

If you're checking the wrong domain, you'll get "not found."

Solution

If sending from root domain:

• Add DMARC at _dmarc.yourdomain.com

If sending from subdomain:

• Option 1: Add DMARC at _dmarc.subdomain.yourdomain.com
• Option 2: Add sp= policy to root domain DMARC

  v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

  (sp= applies to all subdomains)

Cause 6: DNS Provider Issues

Symptom: Record appears in DNS manager but not in DNS queries

Common Provider Issues

Issue 1: Quotes around value

• Some providers auto-add quotes
• Others require manual quotes
• Solution: Try with and without quotes

Issue 2: Long TXT records

• Some providers split long values
• Solution: Ensure proper concatenation

Issue 3: TTL too high

• Changes take longer with high TTL
• Solution: Lower TTL to 300 seconds for testing

Verification Steps

1. Double-check DNS manager:

   • Record exists
   • Correct name: _dmarc
   • Type is TXT
   • Value starts with v=DMARC1

2. Wait appropriate time:

   • Check TTL value
   • Wait at least that long

3. Test from external tool:

   • Use DMARC Checker
   • Not your local computer (may be cached)

Cause 7: Domain Not Using Correct Nameservers

Symptom: DNS records added but domain uses different nameservers

How to Check

dig yourdomain.com NS

Compare nameservers shown with those at your DNS provider.

Solution

If nameservers don't match:

1. Update nameservers at domain registrar
2. Point to correct DNS provider nameservers
3. Wait 24-48 hours for propagation
4. Add DMARC record again if needed

Verification Checklist

After making changes, verify:

• Record name is exactly _dmarc
• Record type is TXT
• Value starts with v=DMARC1
• Waited at least 30 minutes for propagation
• Checked from external tool, not just DNS manager
• Domain uses correct nameservers

Final check: Verify DMARC Record →

Basic DMARC Record Template

If starting from scratch, use this:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Replace:

• yourdomain.com with your actual domain
• Create dmarc@yourdomain.com mailbox or use monitoring service

What it does:

• v=DMARC1: DMARC version 1
• p=none: Monitor mode (doesn't block anything)
• rua=mailto:...: Where to send daily reports

Next Steps After Fixing

Once your DMARC record is found:

1. Verify SPF and DKIM are configured

   • Check SPF →
   • Check DKIM →

2. Monitor DMARC reports

   • Reports arrive at email you specified
   • Review for 2-4 weeks

3. Gradually increase policy

   • Start: p=none (monitoring)
   • Then: p=quarantine (send to spam)
   • Finally: p=reject (block completely)

4. Get complete domain audit Run Domain Score →

When to Get Help

Contact your DNS provider if:

• Record appears in DNS manager but never propagates
• DNS queries show different results after 48+ hours
• You don't have access to add TXT records
• Provider doesn't support DMARC records (very rare)

The Bottom Line

"DMARC record not found" usually means:

1. No record created yet → Create TXT record at _dmarc
2. Wrong record name → Use exactly _dmarc
3. DNS not propagated → Wait 30-60 minutes
4. Wrong record type → Must be TXT, not CNAME/A/MX

Most cases are fixed within minutes by correcting the record name and type.

Quick fix:

1. Create TXT record named _dmarc
2. Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
3. Wait 30 minutes
4. Verify: DMARC Checker →

---

Related Articles:

• What is DMARC? A Simple Guide
• DMARC Policy Explained: None vs Quarantine vs Reject
• SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: The Complete Guide