How to Set Up DMARC for Google Workspace (2025 Guide)
The first time I set up DMARC in Google Workspace, it looked simple.
One TXT record. A few tags. Done, right?
❌ DNS didn’t update
❌ Emails still hit spam
❌ No clear guide that made sense
If you're using Google Workspace and emails aren’t landing, DMARC might be the problem.
In this blog, I’ll show you:
✅ What DMARC is
✅ How to set up DMARC in Google Workspace
✅ Tools to check if it’s working
✅ What to do when it breaks
✅ And how to automate it if you're managing more than one inbox
By the end, you’ll know exactly how to fix email deliverability in Google Workspace.
Let’s get into it.
What Is DMARC in Google Workspace?
Google Workspace DMARC is a security setting that protects your domain from fake or spam emails.
It works like a rule that tells Gmail and other email services:
"Only these senders are allowed to send emails using my domain."
To do this, DMARC checks two things:
- SPF – to see if the email is coming from an approved sender (like Gmail, SendGrid, etc.)
- DKIM – to confirm the email hasn’t been changed and is really from your domain
If either check fails, DMARC tells email services whether to let the message through, send it to spam, or block it.
In Google Workspace, you don’t set up DMARC inside your Gmail inbox, you do it in your domain settings (like GoDaddy or Cloudflare).
It’s a simple step that helps stop fake emails and builds trust with inboxes.
Why Setting Up DMARC for Google Workspace Is Important in 2025
If you’re using Google Workspace to send emails, and you don’t have DMARC set up, your emails are at risk. And in 2025, that risk is even bigger.
Let me explain.
Email services like Gmail and Yahoo are now stricter than ever.
If your domain doesn’t have proper email authentication (like DMARC), they may block your emails or send them straight to spam, even if you’re not doing anything wrong.
Here’s why setting up Google Workspace DMARC matters:
- ✅ It protects your domain from email spoofing. Without DMARC, anyone can fake your email address and send phishing emails pretending to be you.
- ✅ It improves your email deliverability. Cold emails, newsletters, or invoices are more likely to land in the inbox, not spam.
- ✅ It helps you meet new email rules. Gmail and Yahoo now require DMARC for anyone sending bulk emails. If you don’t have it, your emails might get rejected.
- ✅ It builds trust. DMARC tells inbox providers that your domain is safe. That makes it easier for your messages to reach people.
So if your emails really matter, and you're using Google Workspace, setting up DMARC isn’t optional anymore.
It's one of the easiest ways to keep your emails safe and seen.
And if SPF or DKIM isn’t ready, DMARC won’t work properly, and your emails could still land in spam.
So double-check everything before moving to the next step.
How to Set Up DMARC in Google Workspace (Step-by-Step)
You don’t set up DMARC inside Gmail or the Google Admin Console.
Instead, you add it to your domain’s DNS settings — usually in GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, or wherever your domain is hosted.
Here’s how to do it in 3 clear steps:
✅ Step 1: Create Your DMARC Record
You need to copy this line exactly as it is:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:yourname@yourdomain.com
Let me explain what this means:
👉 Use this as your starting point.
It’s the safest. It won't block any emails — just helps you monitor what’s going on.
✅ Step 2: Add the DMARC Record to Your Domain
Now log in to your domain registrar — like GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or Namecheap — and add the DMARC record to your DNS settings.
Here’s how:
- Log in to your domain provider
- Go to DNS Settings or Manage DNS
- Click Add Record
- Choose TXT as the type
- Enter the details like this:
- Save the record.
That’s it — you’ve added DMARC in Google Workspace.
✅ Step 3: Check If It’s Working
Once you’ve saved the record, wait at least 30 minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours, for the DNS changes to take effect.
Then, go to one of these free tools and test your domain:
Just enter your domain name (like yourcompany.com) and hit search.
This is what a successful DMARC record result looks like in MXToolbox.
If everything’s set up correctly, you’ll see:
- ✅ A DMARC record starting with v=DMARC1
- ✅ No errors
- ✅ Confirmation that your domain is protected
That’s it, your Google Workspace DMARC setup is live.
After a few days, you’ll start receiving DMARC reports at your specified email.
Once you’re confident it’s working, you can update the policy to quarantine or reject to block fake or suspicious emails.
But for now, p=none is the safest way to get started.
Best Practices for DMARC Setup in Google Workspace
Once your DMARC record is live, you’re not done just yet. To get the most out of it, here are a few simple best practices to follow.
These tips will help you move from monitoring to full protection safely:
Stick to these basics and your DMARC setup will not only work, it’ll actually protect your domain the way it’s supposed to.
How to Automate DMARC, SPF, and DKIM Setup for Google Workspace
If you’re managing one domain and a couple of inboxes, the manual steps above are enough.
But once you start scaling — 10 inboxes, 5 domains, multiple outreach tools — the process gets slow and messy.
Each inbox needs SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Every domain needs DNS edits.
One mistake, and your emails go straight to spam.
That’s why automation starts to make more sense.
Primeforge.ai was built for this exact problem — to handle the technical setup for teams running email at scale.
Instead of logging into DNS settings for every domain, you get one system that sets everything up behind the scenes.
Here’s what Primeforge does for you:
So instead of repeating the same steps over and over for each domain, Primeforge handles everything for you, in one place.
It’s especially helpful if you’re scaling cold outreach using Google Workspace and want everything set up correctly from day one.
Common Issues with DMARC Setup in Google Workspace (and How to Fix Them)
Even after setting up DMARC, things might not work perfectly right away — especially if SPF or DKIM has issues, or the DNS hasn’t updated yet.
Here are some common problems that come up after setup, and how to fix them quickly:
Getting these details right helps DMARC work as intended — and keeps your emails out of spam.
If deliverability still doesn’t improve after these fixes, it’s worth reviewing your full email setup or using a tool like Primeforge to automate the technical parts across multiple inboxes.
DMARC Setup Checklist
Once you’ve finished the setup, run through this quick checklist to make sure everything’s working as expected:
- ✅ SPF is set up correctly — your domain has a valid SPF record, and it includes all your sending services.
- ✅ DKIM is enabled — signing is turned on in Google Admin, and the DKIM record has been added to your DNS.
- ✅ DMARC record is live — the TXT record is added under _dmarc, and the policy starts with v=DMARC1.
- ✅ You’re receiving reports — the rua email in your DMARC record is correct, and reports are showing up.
If all four are checked off, your Google Workspace domain is fully authenticated, and your emails are much more likely to land in your inbox, not spam.
Conclusion
Setting up DMARC in Google Workspace isn’t just a technical checkbox.
It’s one of the most important steps to protect your domain, improve email deliverability, and stay compliant with Gmail and Yahoo’s latest sender rules.
If you followed this guide, you should now have:
- SPF and DKIM are properly configured
- A working DMARC record in your DNS
- Reports are flowing in to monitor what’s happening behind the scenes
That’s all you need to lock down your domain and make sure your emails are trusted.
But if you’re managing more than a couple of inboxes — or scaling outreach across multiple domains — doing all this manually doesn’t scale well.
👉 That’s where Primeforge.ai helps.
It automates the entire setup — SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — across multiple inboxes without touching your DNS, so your team can focus on sending, not troubleshooting.
Whether you're just starting or scaling fast, getting email infrastructure right from day one saves time and keeps your domain out of spam.
Set it up once, and you won’t have to worry about deliverability again.
👉 Start with Primeforge and automate your email infrastructure today.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need DMARC if I already have SPF and DKIM set up?
Yes. SPF and DKIM authenticate individual emails, but DMARC adds a rule on how to handle messages that fail those checks.
Without DMARC, email providers won’t know what to do with unauthenticated emails sent from your domain.
2. Where do I add the DMARC record in Google Workspace?
Not inside Google Workspace itself. You add the DMARC TXT record in your domain’s DNS settings, usually on platforms like GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or Namecheap.
3. What should my DMARC record look like for Google Workspace?
A good starting point is: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com
This means: don’t block anything yet, just send reports. Later, you can change the policy to quarantine or reject.
4. How long does it take for DMARC to start working?
It usually takes a few hours to 24 hours for your DNS changes to propagate. After that, tools like MXToolbox will start detecting your DMARC record.
5. Can I set up DMARC for multiple inboxes at once?
Not directly through Google Workspace.
You’d need to configure DMARC for each domain manually — unless you’re using a tool like Primeforge.ai, which automates the entire process across multiple inboxes and domains.