Set Up DMARC in 5 Minutes

You don’t need hours to set up DMARC. Here’s how to do it in 5 minutes flat.

What You Need

• ✓ Your domain (yourdomain.com)
• ✓ Email address
• ✓ Access to your domain’s DNS settings
• ✓ 5 minutes

Step-by-Step (4 minutes)

1. Create Account (1 min)

1. Go to DMARC Nerd
2. Click Sign Up
3. Enter email and password
4. Check your email for verification
5. Click the verification link

2. Add Your Domain (1 min)

1. Log in to DMARC Nerd
2. Click Add Domain
3. Enter your domain name
4. Click Generate Record

You’ll see your DMARC record. Copy it.

3. Add DNS Record (2 min)

Go to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Route 53, etc.):

1. Find DNS Settings
2. Add new TXT record
3. Name: _dmarc
4. Value: Paste the record from step 2
5. Click Save

That’s it!

After 24 Hours

DNS propagates within 24 hours. Then:

• ✓ DMARC Nerd detects your record
• ✓ Reports start coming in
• ✓ Monday morning: First aggregated report
• ✓ You receive email alerts if issues detected

Want a Walkthrough?

Choose your DNS provider for detailed screenshots:

• Cloudflare - Most user-friendly
• AWS Route 53 - For AWS users
• GoDaddy - Popular registrar
• Others - We support most providers

Common Errors

”DNS record not detecting?”

• Check that host is exactly _dmarc (with underscore)
• Wait up to 24 hours
• Verify it’s a TXT record, not A or CNAME

”What’s all this _dmarc stuff?”

• _dmarc is just the location for DMARC records
• Standard convention
• All DMARC records go here

”Do I need to set up SPF/DKIM first?”

• Ideally yes, but DMARC works without
• Most email providers set up SPF/DKIM automatically
• We’ll tell you if something’s missing

Reading Your First Report

Your report will show:

• Pass Rate - Emails that passed authentication
• Sources - Where emails came from
• Results - DMARC/SPF/DKIM status

Goal: 100% pass rate for legitimate mail.

If less than 100%:

• Add legitimate senders to SPF
• Enable DKIM if not already active
• Check for spoofing attempts

What’s Next?

Week 1-2: Monitor

• Leave policy at p=none
• Review reports
• Fix any legitimate sender issues

Week 3-4: Test

• Move to p=quarantine
• Check for delivery issues
• Verify legitimate mail still arrives

Week 5+: Protect

• Move to p=reject
• Maximum protection
• Attackers can’t impersonate you

Need Help?

• Full documentation
• Video tutorials - Coming soon!
• Email support - We’re here to help

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5 minutes is all it takes to protect your domain.

Start your free trial now.

DMARC Nerd Team

P.S. - Seriously, it’s 5 minutes. If you get stuck, we’ll help you for free.