dmarcexamplecom

dmarcexamplecom is a fictional domain often used in documentation and tutorials to illustrate how Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) works. It is not a real, active domain and is intended only for instructional purposes in demonstrating email authentication concepts.

Overview

DMARC is a protocol that helps domain owners protect their domains from email spoofing by combining SPF and DKIM with alignment checks on the From header. In the context of dmarcexamplecom, a representative DMARC record is published in the domain’s DNS as a TXT record under the subdomain _dmarc.dmarcexamplecom. This record defines the policy and reporting options for messages that claim to originate from the domain.

Example record

A typical example for demonstration might be: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc-aggregate@dmarcexamplecom; ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensic@dmarcexamplecom; fo=1; pct=100; adkim=s; aspf=s. This indicates a reject policy for messages that fail DMARC checks, with aggregate and forensic reporting addresses provided for analysis. Note that in real deployments, organizations tailor the policy, reporting destinations, and alignment modes to their needs.

Policy, reporting, and alignment

A DMARC record specifies how receivers should handle messages that fail SPF/DKIM alignment with the From header (the p option). Aggregate (RUA) reports summarize authentication results, while forensic (RUF) reports can include detailed failure data. Alignment can be strict (s) or relaxed (r) for both DKIM and SPF.

Implementation steps

Common steps include ensuring SPF and DKIM are correctly configured for dmarcexamplecom, publishing a DMARC TXT record at _dmarc.dmarcexamplecom, and monitoring incoming DMARC reports to adjust the policy from none to quarantine or reject over time.

See also

SPF, DKIM, DMARC.