How to Add a DMARC Record in Squarespace

The short answer. Add one TXT record in Squarespace with the host _dmarc and the value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected];. Start with p=none, read the reports, then tighten the policy.

---

What a DMARC Record Does#

DMARC tells receiving mail servers what to do with messages that claim to be from your domain but fail SPF and DKIM, and where to send reports about them. Without it anyone can send convincing mail as your domain, including domains you never send from. The record is a single TXT record at _dmarc.

Check Where Your DNS Is Managed#

A record only works at the company that answers DNS for the domain, which is not always the one you bought it from. Open DNS Settings for the domain. If Domain Nameservers says Use custom nameservers, the DNS is managed elsewhere and records added under Custom records have no effect.

The DMARC Record to Add#

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected];

Replace [email protected] with a mailbox you read. p=none only collects reports and blocks nothing, so it cannot break your mail. The policies, mildest first:

Step by Step in Squarespace#

Step 1. Open the domain

Sign in at account.squarespace.com, open Domains and click the domain. Domains that came from Google Domains are managed here too.

Step 2. Open DNS Settings

Click DNS in the domain’s menu, then DNS Settings. Scroll to Custom records.

Step 3. Add a record

Under Custom records click Add record. A row opens with the type first.

Step 4. Enter the DMARC record

Choose TXT as the type and fill in the fields:

• Host: _dmarc
• Data: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected];
• TTL: Leave TTL at the default.

The value to copy:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected];

Step 5. Save

Click Save. The record joins the Custom records list.

Change an Existing DMARC Policy#

A domain can have only one DMARC record, so change the existing one rather than adding a second. Open the DMARC TXT record at _dmarc in Squarespace, and edit only the part you need. Click the record in Custom records, change it and click Save. Use the trash icon to delete it. Records created by a Squarespace product or preset are managed from that product.

To move from monitoring to enforcement, change p=none to p=quarantine, watch the reports for a few weeks, then move to p=reject:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100; rua=mailto:[email protected];

pct=100 applies the policy to all failing mail. A lower number applies it to that share only, which is useful while you are still checking senders.

Common Mistakes#

• Adding a second DMARC record. If two exist, receivers ignore both, and the domain has no DMARC at all. Edit the existing one.
• Jumping straight to p=reject before every legitimate sender passes SPF or DKIM. Real mail from forgotten services, such as a newsletter tool, gets refused.
• Putting the full _dmarc.example.com in the host field, which ends up as _dmarc.example.com.example.com.
• A report address on another domain. That domain must publish a record allowing your reports, or they are silently dropped. Use an address on your own domain.
• Expecting DMARC to help without SPF or DKIM. It only checks the results of those two.
• Adding the record while custom nameservers are set. It saves, but nothing queries Squarespace for it.

Check That It Worked#

Look the record up after saving: a TXT query for _dmarc.example.com should return the value you entered. Changes show up as caches expire, usually within minutes for a record and up to two days for nameservers, see how long DNS propagation takes.

More Squarespace DNS Guides#

• How to Add an SPF Record in Squarespace
• How to Add a TXT Record in Squarespace
• How to Change Nameservers in Squarespace
• How to Add MX Records in Squarespace

The same task elsewhere: Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Hostinger.

Menu names last checked October 2026. Providers rename things now and then; if a label differs, look for the closest match.