--- title: "Troubleshoot DMARC problems for Google Workspace domains | DuoCircle" description: "Troubleshoot DMARC problems for Google Workspace domains." image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/dmarc/troubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains/" --- Quick Answer Common DMARC problems on Google Workspace domains and their fixes. SPF failures usually mean missing \_spf.google.com in the SPF record or exceeding the 10-DNS-lookup limit (RFC 7208), fix by flattening or using SPF-flattening services and including only senders you actually use. DKIM failures often mean the DKIM key was generated in the Admin console but not published in DNS (Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email shows the TXT record to publish), or the selector is wrong, or the record split incorrectly at the DNS provider. Alignment failures happen when the From header domain does not match the DKIM d= or SPF Return-Path domain, fix by using the same domain throughout. Aggregate (rua) reports not arriving usually means the rua mailbox is on a domain that does not accept third-party DMARC reports without an authorization record (publish a TXT at duocircle.com.\_report.\_dmarc.yourdomain.com if needed). After Google's February 2024 mandate for senders over 5,000/day, missing or weak DMARC results in delivery failures, not just warnings. Troubleshoot DMARC problems for Google Workspace domains Your browser does not support the audio element. [ Download episode](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/Troubleshoot-DMARC-problems-for-Google-Workspace-domains.mp3) Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Ftroubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Troubleshoot%20DMARC%20problems%20for%20Google%20Workspace%20domains&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Ftroubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Ftroubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Ftroubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains%2F&title=Troubleshoot%20DMARC%20problems%20for%20Google%20Workspace%20domains "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Troubleshoot%20DMARC%20problems%20for%20Google%20Workspace%20domains&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc%2Ftroubleshoot-dmarc-problems-for-google-workspace-domains%2F "Share via Email") ![Google Workspace domains](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/sendgrid-alternative-9632.jpg) Google Workspace encourages domain owners to use the three email authentication protocols, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, to ensure outgoing emails are properly authenticated. This reduces the [security gaps](https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-identify-security-gaps-skills-information-security); otherwise, [threat actors](https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/threat-actors-ramp-up-use-of-encoded-urls-to-bypass-secure-email) can exploit them to send phishing and [spoofing emails](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-now-blocks-spoofed-emails-for-better-phishing-protection/) from your domains. Moreover, from February 2024, [Google has mandated DMARC deployment](/email-services/google-yahoo-mandatory-to-deploy-dmarc-for-more-than-5000-daily-emails/) for regular and bulk email senders, urging _domain owners or administrators_ to create a DMARC record in their [DNS settings](https://www.ntchosting.com/encyclopedia/dns/settings/) and specifying policies to **handle emails** that fail SPF and/or DKIM checks. However, when it comes to DMARC, you can’t just deploy it and then forget about it. DMARC demands regular management, maintenance, and updates. If these aren’t done properly and timely, your [DMARC record](/resources/dmarc-records) can run into technical issues. Since DMARC is an **intricate protocol**, you are more than likely to come across issues, so here is a guide on fixing the common DMARC issues. ## Troubleshooting DMARC issues Please follow the guided steps if legitimate emails sent from your **Google Workspace domain** are failing DMARC, getting rejected by receiving servers, or being [marked as spam](https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/digital-journalism/facebook-spam-posts-independent-small-news-publishers/). [![spam](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/hosted-email-server-1254.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/hosted-email-server-1254.jpg) ### Verify the existence of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain Sometimes, you think you have SPF, [DKIM](/resources/what-is-dkim?), and DMARC records in place for your Google Workspace domain, but they aren’t. _So, the first step should be to use lookup tools to check the existence of your records_. You can also do this manually by opening a **command-line tool** like Terminal or Command Prompt. If these records are not present, create them from scratch and update them on DNS. If present, proceed with the next steps to **spot and troubleshoot errors.** ### Check the correctness of your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records For this step also, you will need the lookup tools you used to verify the existence of these records. Note that SPF and DKIM should be enabled for at **least 48 hours** before enabling [DMARC](/email/dmarc); otherwise, there will be delivery issues. ### Check message headers [Email headers](https://proton.me/blog/what-are-email-headers) include the results of [SPF](/resources/what-is-spf), DKIM, and **DMARC authentication checks**. So, to ensure messages from your [Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/) domain are passing these checks, you need to follow these simple steps- - Open Gmail. - Go to the email you want to analyze. - Next to Reply ↰, click More ⋮ > Show original. The full header will open in the new window. - Click ‘Copy to clipboard.’ - Open the [Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader](https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/messageheader/) and paste the copied header in the space provided. - Click ‘**Analyze the header above**.’ ### Check DMARC reports There are two types of DMARC reports- aggregate and forensic. Aggregate reports are sent in XML format and include a high-level summary of data about the [email authentication](/resources/email-authentication) status. On the other hand, forensic reports are sent in **JSON format** and include more message-specific details. Since these reports are in XML and JSON format, they are not human-readable, so convert them into an easy format using **DMARC report analyzers**. Once converted, review the key sections- - Check the source [IP addresses](https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/what-is-ip-address) to see if they belong to the authorized senders. - Check SPF and DKIM alignment. - _Note the disposition field that tells you what actions (none, quarantine, or reject) were taken by receiving servers for emails that didn’t pass SPF and/or DKIM checks_. This section will also tell you of any policy overrides and their reasons, such as forwarding and **mailing list modifications**. - _Look at the overall percentage of emails that pass or fail DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. A high fail rate could indicate misconfigurations or attempts at spoofing_. Based on your DMARC report analysis, you can enhance your [email security](/) by adjusting your policy. If most emails are passing the checks, you can change your DMARC policy from ‘p=none’ (monitoring) to a stricter option like ‘p=quarantine’ (send to spam) or ‘p=reject’ (block). If **legitimate emails** are failing, update your SPF record to include the correct IP addresses, ensure your emails are DKIM-signed, and fine-tune your [DMARC policy](/resources/dmarc-policy) to prevent false failures. If you find unauthorized emails being sent from your domain, block the [suspicious IPs](https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/china-united-states-primary-source-of-malicious-ips) and consider moving to a ‘p=reject’ policy to stop those emails. [![block suspicious IPs](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/dmarc-reporting-service.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/09/dmarc-reporting-service.jpg) ### Go through the guideline Here’s a [detailed document by Google](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126?visit%5Fid=638611919711304200-2110588646&rd=1) on how it wants senders to send emails to Gmail users. We are sharing the critical bullet points. - The sender should have SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and ARC in place. - The IP address of the sender’s **SMTP server** should have a corresponding [PTR record](https://www.zoho.com/zeptomail/articles/ptr-records-explained.html) that resolves to a hostname. - Use a shared IP address only if it isn’t on any blocklist. - For [mailing lists](https://www.one.com/en/email/what-is-a-mailing-list) or subscriptions, ensure recipients opt-in to your emails. Do include a clear one-step unsubscribe button. - _Message headers and message content should be accurate and not misleading or deceptive_. - The same types of messages sent on behalf of your company should use the same ‘From’ address. For example, emails from newdomain.com could use [sales@newdomain.com](mailto:sales@newdomain.com) or [deals@newdomain.com](mailto:deals@newdomain.com). - Regularly monitor affiliates and remove the ones that are sending [spam emails](https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/ongoing-campaign-bombarded-enterprises.html). - The spam rates in the Postmaster Tools should be below 0.10%. ### Use Email Log Search Email Log Search helps you find and review all the emails sent and received by people in your organization. It assists you in identifying potentially fraudulent emailers. This practice should be combined with **regular analysis** of [DMARC reports](/content/dmarc-report). #### Find messages with ELS predefined search - Sign in to your Google Admin console. - Go to Menu > Reporting > Email log search. - Click the ‘**Predefined search’ tab**. - Select an option from the menu. _The options are- ‘All messages from today,’ ‘All messages since yesterday,’ ‘All messages in the last 7 days,’ ‘Messages sent from your domain since yesterday,’ and ‘Messages received from your domain since yesterday_.’ - Click ‘Search’, and the results will be shown. #### Find messages with ELS custom search - Sign in to your [Google Admin console](/email-security/enabling-dkim-for-your-domain-using-the-google-admin-console/). - Go to Menu > Reporting > Email log search. - Click the ‘Custom search’ tab. - On the **Custom Search tab**, enter search criteria in one or more of the fields (date, sender, recipient, sender IP, recipient IP, subject, and message ID). All fields except ‘Date’ are optional unless the selected date range is older than 30 days. - Click ‘Search’, and the results will be shown. ## Wrapping it If all this **sounds overwhelming** to you, then [reach out to us](/contact?). We can take care of DMARC configurations and management for you. ## Topics DKIMDMARCemail headeremail securityspfSPF record ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) Brad Slavin General Manager General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio. ## Secure your email infrastructure Protect, authenticate, and deliver. Contact our team to find the right solution. [Contact Sales](/contact/) [Explore Products](/products/) ## Related Articles [ DMARC 6m How to become a DMARC expert: a 6-step learning path Sep 24, 2024 ](/blog/dmarc/a-detailed-guide-on-becoming-a-dmarc-expert/)[ DMARC 7m Cloudflare’s new SPF, DKIM, and DMARC requirements Jul 18, 2025 ](/blog/dmarc/cloudflares-new-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-requirements/)[ DMARC 5m DMARC is now mandatory in New Zealand: Here’s what the NZ government expects Jul 9, 2025 ](/blog/dmarc/dmarc-mandatory-new-zealand-nz-government-email-security-requirements/)[ DMARC 6m How can DMARC reports help identify and mitigate third-party email abuse? 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