How to Add a DMARC Record in cPanel

cPanel is one of the most widely used hosting control panels. Adding a DMARC record through cPanel's Zone Editor takes just a few steps, regardless of which hosting provider you're on.

Prerequisites

Before adding DMARC:

• Access to your cPanel account
• Your domain's DNS must be managed through cPanel (not an external DNS provider)
• SPF and DKIM should already be configured

Check your current SPF record and DKIM setup first.

Step 1: Open the Zone Editor

1. Log in to your cPanel account (usually at yourdomain.com/cpanel or yourdomain.com:2083)
2. In the Domains section, click Zone Editor

If you don't see Zone Editor, look for Advanced Zone Editor or DNS Zone Editor — the name varies by cPanel version and hosting provider.

Step 2: Add the DMARC TXT Record

1. Find your domain in the list and click Manage
2. Click + Add Record and select Add "TXT" Record
3. Fill in the fields:

4. Click Add Record or Save

Important notes:

• In cPanel, the Name field usually requires the full domain with a trailing dot: _dmarc.yourdomain.com.
• Some cPanel versions auto-append the domain — if so, enter just _dmarc
• Replace dmarc@yourdomain.com with your actual email address

Step 3: Verify the Record

DNS changes in cPanel typically propagate within a few minutes to a few hours. Verify your record:

DMARC Record Examples

Monitoring (Recommended Start)

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Quarantine

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Reject (Full Enforcement)

v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Use DMARC Creator to build a customized record.

Using cPanel's Email Authentication Tools

Many cPanel installations include built-in email authentication tools.

Email Deliverability (cPanel 82+)

Newer cPanel versions have an Email Deliverability section:

1. Go to Email → Email Deliverability
2. Find your domain and click Manage
3. cPanel shows the status of SPF and DKIM
4. It can auto-install recommended SPF and DKIM records

This tool handles SPF and DKIM but does not set up DMARC. You still need to add the DMARC TXT record manually through the Zone Editor.

Authentication (Legacy cPanel)

Older cPanel versions have:

1. Go to Email → Authentication
2. Enable SPF and DKIM from here

Again, this only covers SPF and DKIM — DMARC must be added manually.

Editing an Existing DMARC Record

To update your DMARC record:

1. Open Zone Editor
2. Click Manage for your domain
3. Find the _dmarc TXT record in the list
4. Click Edit
5. Update the Record field
6. Click Save Record

Deleting a DMARC Record

1. Open Zone Editor → Manage
2. Find the _dmarc TXT record
3. Click Delete
4. Confirm the deletion

Troubleshooting

Zone Editor Not Available

• Ask your hosting provider if DNS management is enabled
• Some shared hosting plans restrict DNS editing
• Check if your hosting provider uses a custom control panel instead

Record Not Found After Adding

• Verify you entered the correct Name: _dmarc.yourdomain.com.
• Check that your domain's nameservers point to your cPanel hosting server
• Wait up to 4 hours for full propagation
• Clear your DNS cache and try again

Duplicate DMARC Records

If you accidentally created two DMARC records:

1. Open Zone Editor → Manage
2. Find both _dmarc TXT records
3. Delete the incorrect one
4. Keep only one valid DMARC record

"Invalid Zone" Error

• Make sure there's a trailing dot after the full domain name if required
• Check for special characters or formatting issues in the record value
• Ensure the record starts with v=DMARC1

cPanel Says SPF/DKIM Are Already Set Up

cPanel's auto-configuration handles SPF and DKIM but not DMARC. Even if cPanel shows SPF and DKIM as "enabled," you still need to manually add a DMARC record.

Hosting Providers Using cPanel

These popular hosts use cPanel and the steps above apply:

• Bluehost
• HostGator
• A2 Hosting
• SiteGround (older plans)
• InMotion Hosting
• DreamHost (some plans)
• GreenGeeks

The interface may look slightly different depending on your provider's cPanel theme (Paper Lantern, Jupiter, etc.), but the Zone Editor works the same way.

Complete Checklist

• [ ] Logged into cPanel
• [ ] Opened Zone Editor for your domain
• [ ] Added TXT record with Name: _dmarc.yourdomain.com.
• [ ] Set record value with DMARC policy and report address
• [ ] Saved the record
• [ ] Verified with DMARC checker
• [ ] Confirmed nameservers point to your cPanel host

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.