If you’re a salon owner trying to protect your business email from being spoofed or marked as spam, setting up DMARC is a smart move. Don’t worry—this guide will walk you through it in plain English!
What is DMARC?
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email security protocol that helps protect your domain from being used in phishing and spam attacks. It works by telling email providers like Gmail and Outlook how to handle messages that claim to be from your domain but fail authentication checks (like SPF or DKIM). With DMARC, you can monitor, quarantine, or block suspicious emails—and get reports to see who’s trying to use your domain.
🛠 Step 1: Log Into Your Domain Registrar
Your domain registrar is the company where you bought your website name (like mysalon.com). Common registrars include:
- GoDaddy
- Namecheap
- Google Domains
- Bluehost
- Squarespace
- Wix
👉 Go to your registrar’s website and log into your account.
🔍 Step 2: Figure Out Who Handles Your DNS Records
Before you can add a DMARC record, you need to know who is in charge of your DNS settings (basically, the technical stuff that points your domain to your website and email provider).
Here’s how to check:
✅ Option A: Your Registrar Handles DNS
If you bought your domain and never changed anything about your nameservers, then your registrar probably handles your DNS.
How to tell:
Look in your domain settings for a section called “DNS,” “DNS Management,” or “DNS Records.” If you can see and edit records like A, MX, CNAME, TXT, etc., then your registrar is handling it.
Example:
You log into GoDaddy, go to your domain settings, and see an “Edit DNS” button with records listed. ✅ You’re good to go!
🚚 Option B: Your Hosting Company or Another Provider Handles DNS
Sometimes your DNS is managed somewhere else, especially if:
- You moved your website to a different host (like Squarespace, Shopify, or WIX).
- You’re using email services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- You worked with a web developer who updated your nameservers.
How to tell:
Look for a section in your registrar account labeled “Nameservers.” If it says something like:
ns1.siteground.netns2.squarespace.comns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com
Then your DNS is not managed by your registrar. Instead, it’s controlled by whichever company those nameservers belong to. You’ll need to log into that company’s control panel (e.g., Squarespace, Google Workspace, Cloudflare, etc.) to make DNS changes.
🔐 Step 3: Add Your DMARC Record
A DMARC record is just a text record you add to your domain’s DNS settings. It helps protect your email from being spoofed (faked) and increases the chance your real emails land in inboxes—not spam folders.
Here’s how to do it, depending on where your DNS is managed.
If your DNS is handled by your website hosting company, you can reach out to them to add the DMARC record
📍 Step 3a: Go to the DNS Settings
Once you’re logged into the platform that manages your DNS (this might be GoDaddy, Squarespace, Google Domains, Cloudflare, etc.), look for something like:
- DNS Records
- DNS Settings
- Manage DNS
- Zone Editor
➕ Step 3b: Add a New TXT Record
Now, you’ll add a new TXT record. Here’s what to fill in:
- Type:
TXT - Name / Host:
_dmarc
(Just type_dmarc, not your full domain—unless your DNS provider requires it. Some might ask for_dmarc.yourdomain.cominstead.) - Value / Data / Content (copy and paste this):
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com
What this means:
v=DMARC1→ this just says it’s a DMARC record.p=none→ this means you’re not blocking anything yet—just collecting reports. It’s safe to start here.rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com→ this tells email providers where to send DMARC reports.
Sample DMARC Record:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com
💡 Tip: Replace
you@yourdomain.comwith your actual email address so you can get reports. These are usually daily emails with info about who is sending email on behalf of your domain.
💾 Step 3c: Save Your Record
After entering the record, click Save, Add Record, or Confirm (depending on your DNS provider).
⏳ Step 4: Wait and Verify
It can take up to 24–48 hours for your DMARC record to update across the internet. But usually, it’s faster!
If you want to check your DMARC status, you can use free tools like:
Just enter your domain and it’ll show you if your DMARC is active.
🎉 That’s It!
You’ve now added a DMARC record to your domain, which is a huge step in protecting your salon’s reputation and emails. Over time, you can change the policy from none to quarantine or reject once you’re confident everything is set up properly.
