Visible author and alignment
01DMARC ties successful SPF or DKIM authentication to the RFC5322.From domain.
This guide explains the 2015 publication. Superseded by RFC 9989, RFC 9990, RFC 9991.
Related RFCs and changes
“Updates” changes part of an earlier RFC. “Obsoletes” replaces it. This list shows selected related documents.
DIAGRAM§ 3.1 ↗
RFC 7489 · § 3.1EXAMPLE
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03
Require alignment
A pass for unrelated.example does not align with example.org.
Protocol participantThreat or exceptionProtocol controlSimplified drawings · precise section references
Standalone SPF and DKIM checksRFC 7489 §4.1
DMARC combines aligned SPF or DKIM with author-domain policy and feedback; an unrelated authentication pass is insufficient. These RFCs remain complementary, not superseded versions.
Read the updated RFC section ↗At least one aligned authentication path must pass.
- At least one aligned authentication path must pass.
- DKIM alignment uses the signing d= domain; SPF alignment uses the authenticated MAIL FROM domain.
- Relaxed alignment compares Organizational Domains; strict alignment requires exact domain matches.
Examples are illustrative. Consult the linked RFC and its errata for implementation details.
Read the RFC section ↗Diagrams simplify the RFC. Read the linked sections for complete requirements.
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