How to Add a DMARC Record in Bluehost

If your domain is registered or hosted with Bluehost, adding a DMARC record protects you from email spoofing in just a few minutes. This guide walks through doing it from the Bluehost DNS Zone Editor.

Why You Need DMARC

A DMARC record tells receiving mail servers what to do with email that fails SPF or DKIM checks. Without it, attackers can send phishing emails that look like they come from your domain. With it, you can both block those messages and receive aggregate reports about who is sending mail as you.

If you are not sure whether you already have a DMARC record, run a quick check with the free DMARC checker further down this page before adding a new one.

Prerequisites

• A Bluehost account with access to the domain
• SPF and DKIM already set up (recommended)
• A mailbox to receive DMARC reports

Need help building the record? dmarccreator.com generates a valid DMARC record from a simple form.

Step 1: Open the DNS Zone Editor

1. Sign in to your Bluehost account
2. Click Domains in the left sidebar
3. Find your domain and click Manage
4. Click the DNS tab

You will see your DNS records grouped by type.

Step 2: Add the DMARC TXT Record

1. Scroll to the TXT section
2. Click Add Record
3. Fill in the fields

Important notes:

• Only enter _dmarc as the host record; Bluehost appends your domain automatically
• No double quotes needed
• Replace the rua address with a real mailbox you check

Click Save

Click Save to publish the record.

Step 3: Verify the Record

Example DMARC Records

Monitoring Only (Start Here)

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

Quarantine Policy

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

Reject Policy

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]

Editing an Existing Record

1. In the TXT section, find the existing _dmarc row
2. Click Edit
3. Update the value
4. Click Save

Common Mistakes

Using the Wrong Host Field

If you enter @ or your full domain in the host field, Bluehost creates the record at the wrong place. Use only _dmarc.

Multiple DMARC Records

DMARC requires exactly one record per domain. If you see two _dmarc TXT entries, delete the older or incorrect one.

Incorrect Tag Order

The first tag must always be v=DMARC1, immediately followed by p=. If those are missing or out of order, receivers ignore the record.

Wrong Email in rua

The rua= value must be a mailto: URI like mailto:[email protected]. A bare email address is invalid.

What To Do After Publishing

p=none is the safe starting point. From there:

1. Watch the aggregate reports for 2-4 weeks
2. Fix any senders failing SPF or DKIM alignment
3. Move to p=quarantine for a couple of weeks
4. Advance to p=reject once everything is clean

For continuous monitoring of your records and reports, deliverabilitychecker.com checks every day and alerts you when anything changes.

Complete Checklist

• [ ] Opened the Bluehost DNS Zone Editor
• [ ] Added a TXT record with host _dmarc
• [ ] Used a valid mailto: rua address
• [ ] Saved the record
• [ ] Verified with the DMARC checker
• [ ] Planned the path to enforcement

Monitor Your DMARC Records

Checking once is good. Monitoring continuously is better. The Email Deliverability Suite watches your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records daily and alerts you when something breaks.