Setting Up DMARC Records in cPanel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Domain-based Message Authenticationfor your email hosting, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a powerful email authentication protocol that helps protect your domain from unauthorized use, such as phishing and spoofing. By setting up DMARC records in cPanel, you can enhance your email security, ensuring that only legitimate senders can send emails on behalf of your domain. Below is a simple 5-step guide to setting up DMARC records in cPanel.

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Step 1: Access Your cPanel Account

To begin, you need to log into your cPanel account, which is typically provided by your web hosting provider. Once logged in, you’ll be on the cPanel dashboard, where you can manage various aspects of your website and email settings.

1. Open your web browser.
2. Go to the cPanel login page (usually something like http://yourdomain.com/cpanel or through your hosting provider’s site).
3. Enter your username and password to access the cPanel dashboard.

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Step 2: Navigate to the DNS Zone Editor

DMARC records are added to your domain’s DNS settings, so the next step is to locate the DNS Zone Editor within cPanel. This is where you can modify the DNS records for your domain.

1. In the cPanel dashboard, scroll down to the “Domains” section.
2. Click on the “Zone Editor” option. This tool allows you to manage DNS records for your domain.

Once you are in the Zone Editor, you will see a list of your domains. Choose the domain for which you want to set up the DMARC record.

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Step 3: Create a New TXT Record for DMARC Records

DMARC is configured as a TXT record in DNS, and it will be associated with the domain’s “_dmarc” subdomain. The next step is to add a new TXT record for DMARC. Here’s how you do it:

1. On the Zone Editor page, click the “Manage” button next to your domain.
2. In the DNS management page, look for the “Add Record” section, and select TXT from the available record types DMARC Records .
3. Now, you’ll need to enter the following information for the new DMARC TXT record:
   • Name: The name field for DMARC should be set to “_dmarc”. For example, if your domain is example.com, the full name for the DMARC record will be _dmarc.example.com.
   • TTL (Time to Live): Set this to a value like 14400 seconds (or 4 hours) to make the record active across the internet.
   • Type: Select TXT.
   • Value: This is the most critical part of your DMARC record. The value defines the policy for your domain’s email authentication. A basic DMARC record could look like this:cssCopy codev=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@example.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-afrf@example.com; sp=none; adkim=r; aspf=r; Explanation of fields:
     • v=DMARC1: Indicates that this is a DMARC record.
     • p=none: The policy for email that fails DMARC checks. none means no specific action is taken (just monitoring). You can change this to quarantine or reject for stricter enforcement.
     • rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@example.com: This specifies the email address where aggregate reports will be sent.
     • ruf=mailto:dmarc-afrf@example.com: This defines the email for forensic reports, which give more detailed information about DMARC failures.
     • sp=none: Defines the DMARC policy for subdomains. You can set this to none, quarantine, or reject as well.
     • adkim=r and aspf=r: These specify the alignment modes for DKIM and SPF (Relaxed mode).
   Adjust the values as needed based on your email authentication goals.
4. After entering the appropriate information, click “Add Record” to save the DMARC TXT record.

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Step 4: Verify the DMARC Records

Once you’ve added the DMARC record, it’s important to verify that it’s working correctly. DNS changes can take some time to propagate (usually up to 48 hours), but you can check the status of your DMARC record immediately by using online tools.

1. Go to a DMARC lookup tool like MXToolbox or DMARC Analyzer.
2. Enter your domain name (e.g., example.com) and run a DMARC check.
3. The tool will display your DMARC record, allowing you to confirm that it has been set up correctly.

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Step 5: Monitor DMARC Reports and Adjust Policies

After setting up the DMARC Records , you’ll begin receiving reports at the email addresses you specified in the rua and ruf tags. These reports will provide you with valuable insights into how your domain’s emails are being authenticated and whether there are any issues with unauthorized senders.

• Review the reports to identify any potential issues with email deliverability or unauthorized use of your domain.
• Based on the findings, you can adjust your DMARC policy. For example, after reviewing reports, you might change the policy from p=none (monitoring) to p=quarantine or p=reject for stricter enforcement.

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Conclusion

Setting up a DMARC record in cPanel is a simple but powerful way to improve your domain’s email security. By following these five steps, you can protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, while ensuring that your legitimate emails are properly authenticated. Regular monitoring of your DMARC reports will help you fine-tune your email authentication settings and protect your brand’s reputation.