The Google Workspace Email Security Checklist: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Setting DNS records improperly can cause unauthorized parties to masquerade as your email domain. In this post, I show all of the DNS records that must be added.

Overview

• SPF
  • TXT @: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all
  • TXT *: v=spf1 -all
• DMARC
  • TXT @: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=reject; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com
• DKIM
  • For Google Workspace, follow this guide.

Breakdown

SPF HARDFAIL for unauthenticated email being sent from your root domain

• TXT @: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all

This record ensures that all email being sent from your root domain comes from Google Workspace.

SPF HARDFAIL for all email being sent from your subdomains

• TXT *: v=spf1 -all

If a subdomain does not exist, this rule ensures that all email being sent from the subdomain is flagged and/or rejected.

DMARC

• TXT @: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=reject; rua=mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com

This rule marks all unauthenticated email from your root domain as spam (quarantine) and instructs recipients of unauthenticated email to reject all email from your subdomains (reject).

DKIM

• For Google Workspace, follow this guide.

DKIM ensures that Google is cryptographically signing the contents of your emails. This ensures that your email contents aren't being tampered with.