What is DMARC or Email Authentication?

DMARC is an acronym that stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. DMARC allows us to define which services are approved to send email using UW-Madison email addresses. This helps us better identify legitimate email from phishing or scam emails.

Email authentication or email authenticity are also terms used to describe whether an email is legitimate and not forged. We frequently use the term email authentication or authenticity in place of DMARC because it is more descriptive of what we are evaluating when we receive an email message.

Most mail you receive should pass email authentication checks and arrive in your inbox. Be suspicious of anything that is routed to your Junk folder. Remember, messages might be sent to your junk folder because they:

• Received a high spam rating.
• Failed email authentication checks.
• Are on your own Blocked Senders list.

I received a legitimate email and it went to my Junk folder. What should I do?

Open a ticket with the DoIT Help Desk. Help Desk staff will gather the information we need to understand the issue. In some cases you may need to contact the sender to let them know that their email isn't passing email authentication checks.

I sent an email and it went to the recipients Junk folder. What should I do?

If you sent the message from your UW-Madison Office 365 account, Google Groups or Eloqua, it is very unlikely that the issue is related to email authenticity. For troubleshooting steps please see: Microsoft 365 - I can't find a message or a message was not delivered or received.

If you believe the sending issue is related to DMARC, you can contact us for an Email Authenticity Consultation.

Note: Email Authenticity (DMARC) consultations are only available to UW-Madison faculty, staff and students. External senders should work with within their own IT organization to resolve deliverability issues.