Understanding Policy Phases

None, Quarantine, and Reject explained

5 min read DMARC Progression

Understanding DMARC Policy Phases

DMARC policies tell receiving email servers what to do with emails that fail authentication. DMARC Busta guides you through three phases:

1

Monitor (p=none)

Emails are delivered normally regardless of authentication results. You receive reports to see what's happening without affecting delivery.

Use when: Starting out, collecting data, identifying legitimate sources

2

Quarantine (p=quarantine)

Emails that fail authentication are sent to spam/junk folders. Legitimate email still gets through, but suspicious email is flagged.

Use when: 95%+ compliance achieved, sources are stable

3

Reject (p=reject)

Emails that fail authentication are blocked completely. Maximum protection against spoofing and phishing.

Use when: 99%+ compliance, all sources verified, stable for 30+ days

Gradual Rollout with pct=

DMARC supports a pct= tag that lets you apply the policy to only a percentage of email. DMARC Busta uses this for safe, gradual progression:

  • pct=10 - Apply policy to 10% of email
  • pct=25 - Apply policy to 25% of email
  • pct=50 - Apply policy to 50% of email
  • pct=100 - Apply policy to all email (default)