A DMARC record tells your clients' email providers how to handle mail sent from your custom domain. If you send from an address like hello@yourbusiness.com, adding one helps keep your emails from being blocked or sent to spam, especially when you email clients who use Outlook or Hotmail.

Who needs a DMARC record

Whether you need to add a DMARC record depends on the email address you connected to Dubsado:

A free email address (like @gmail.com, @outlook.com, @yahoo.com, or @icloud.com): there's nothing to set up. Your email provider already publishes a DMARC record for its domain.
A custom domain email (like hello@yourbusiness.com): you need to add a DMARC record yourself, at your domain host.

If you haven't connected an email account, Dubsado sends your emails from mail@dubsado.com, which already has DMARC set up.

Why Outlook and Hotmail emails bounce without one

Since November 2026, Outlook.com has started rejecting some email from custom domains that don't have a DMARC record. This affects clients with @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @msn.com addresses. Business email accounts that run on Microsoft 365 don't appear to be affected.

When this happens, a bounce message lands in the inbox of the email account you connected to Dubsado, and it includes this error:

550 5.7.1 Message rejected: Message lacks SPF/DKIM/DMARC Auth Records

The rejections are inconsistent, so some of your emails may still go through while others bounce. Adding a DMARC record to your domain fixes this, usually within a few hours.

This check happens on your client's email provider, not in Dubsado, and your client can't change it from their inbox. The fix is a DNS record on your domain.

Understanding DMARC

DMARC builds on your SPF and DKIM records. SPF and DKIM prove that an email really came from your domain, and DMARC tells receiving email servers what to do when a message fails those checks.

For a message to pass DMARC, it has to pass SPF or DKIM for the same domain as your From address. A DMARC record without working SPF or DKIM won't help your emails get delivered, so set those up first if you haven't already. See improve email deliverability with DKIM and SPF records for steps.

A DMARC record includes a policy set to one of three values:

p=none: monitor only, so mail is still delivered normally
p=quarantine: mail that fails the checks is sent to spam or junk folders
p=reject: mail that fails the checks is rejected entirely

The Email deliverability section in your Dubsado email settings checks your SPF record (and your DKIM record, if you connected with SMTP), but it doesn't check DMARC. Use a free lookup tool like MX Toolbox's DMARC lookup to check your DMARC record instead.

Setting up your DMARC record

DMARC records are added to your domain's DNS settings as a TXT record, at your domain registrar or DNS provider, not in Dubsado. Check for an existing record first, then add one if you need it.

Check for an existing record

Your domain can only have one DMARC record, and a second one can cause authentication to fail. Before you add one, look up your domain with a free tool like MX Toolbox's DMARC lookup. Enter your domain (the part after the @ in your email address).

If the tool finds a record that starts with v=DMARC1, you already have DMARC. Don't add another one.
If the tool doesn't find a record, add one using the steps below.

Add the record

These steps work at most domain hosts, though the field names vary a little:

Sign in to your domain host and open the DNS settings for your domain.
Add a new record and set the Type to TXT.
Enter _dmarc in the Host or Name field.
Enter v=DMARC1; p=none; in the Value field.
Save the record.

Most domain hosts add your domain to the end of the host name automatically. If yours asks for the full name, enter _dmarc.yourdomain.com instead.

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to take effect. Once the record is live, run the lookup again to confirm it shows up. If you're not sure where your DNS settings are, contact your domain host's support team.

Start with p=none. A stricter policy can send your own emails to spam, or block them, if your SPF or DKIM isn't set up correctly.

DMARC policy recommendations

Once p=none is in place, you can tighten your policy over time for stronger protection against people spoofing your domain:

Start with p=none: this is all you need to stop Outlook and Hotmail from rejecting your emails for a missing record.
Add reporting (optional): add rua=mailto: followed by an email address you check to receive daily reports about who's sending mail from your domain. For example, v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com.
Increase strictness gradually: once you've confirmed your legitimate email is authenticated, move to p=quarantine and eventually p=reject.

Additional best practices

Microsoft also requires senders who send more than 5,000 emails a day to Outlook.com addresses to pass SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Most Dubsado users send far fewer emails than this, but the same records cover you either way.

Beyond authentication, a few sending habits help your emails reach the inbox:

Use a sender address that can receive replies
Remove invalid email addresses from your contacts
Use accurate subject lines

For questions about configuring DNS records, contact your domain registrar or DNS provider. For help with email in Dubsado, reach out to Customer Care.

FAQ

My emails to clients with Outlook or Hotmail addresses are bouncing. What do I do?

If you send from a custom domain email, check whether your domain has a DMARC record and add one if it doesn't, using the steps above. Then resend any emails that bounced, since they weren't delivered.

I added a DMARC record and my emails are still bouncing. What should I check?

Run the lookup again to confirm the record is live and that your domain has only one DMARC record. Then make sure your SPF record is valid and DKIM is turned on for your domain. If everything checks out and emails still bounce, contact your email provider with a copy of the bounce message.

Do I need DMARC if I send fewer than 5,000 emails a day?

Yes, if you send from a custom domain. Outlook.com now rejects some email from domains without a DMARC record, no matter how much you send.

My client uses Outlook. Can they fix this on their end?

No. The check is on your domain, so marking you as a safe sender doesn't help. Adding a DMARC record to your domain is the fix.

I connected my email with Microsoft. Is there anything else to check?

If you use a custom domain with Microsoft 365, make sure DKIM is turned on for your domain in Microsoft's settings. Until you do, Microsoft signs your emails with its own domain, which doesn't count toward DMARC. See improve email deliverability with DKIM and SPF records for the steps.