Automation Levels
The 4-level hierarchy — Manual, Maintenance, Managed, and Autopilot
Automation Levels & Settings Architecture
DMARC Busta uses a 4-level automation hierarchy to control how much the platform does on your behalf. Understanding how levels are set — and how they cascade — helps you choose the right approach for your account, organisations, and individual domains.
The Four Automation Levels
Level 0 — Manual
DefaultNo automation. All source approvals, DMARC changes, and SPF updates require your manual action. Good for new accounts or domains where you want full control.
Level 1 — Maintenance
Light automation. Monitors DMARC delegation health and runs the SPF auto-repair service to fix common issues (stale sources, zero-volume senders, lookup limit breaches). Source approvals remain manual.
Level 2 — Managed
Full repair automation. Everything in Maintenance, plus the SPF auto-repair service can auto-approve high-confidence sources (90%+) and handle full SPF repairs without manual intervention. DMARC progression still follows your configured thresholds.
Level 3 — Autopilot
Full AI-driven automation. Approves legitimate sources, rejects threats, monitors DKIM health, and progresses DMARC policy — all without manual intervention. Uses volume-based intelligence to pace progression safely.
The Cascade: How Levels Are Inherited
Automation levels cascade from most general to most specific. The most specific setting always wins:
A domain without its own override uses its organisation's level. An organisation without an override uses the account default.
Where to Configure Each Level
| Scope | Where | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Account Default | Settings → Automation | Applies to all domains with no override |
| Organisation | Alerts → Organisations (level badge) | Applies to all domains in that org with no domain override |
| Domain | Domain API endpoint (per-domain override) | Overrides both account and org levels for this domain only |
DMARC Progression & Automation Levels
The DMARC Progression system controls the thresholds, monitoring periods, and
pct= steps used when progressing from p=none to p=reject.
It works alongside automation levels:
- Level 0–1: Manual or maintenance. DMARC progression only moves when you trigger it.
- Level 2–3: Managed or Autopilot. DMARC progression runs automatically when thresholds are met.
DMARC Progression Settings
Configure progression thresholds and monitoring periods at Settings → DMARC Progression (global defaults) or per-domain on the domain's DMARC Progression page. These settings apply regardless of automation level.
Choosing the Right Level
Manual (0)
- New to DMARC, learning the platform
- Highly sensitive domains requiring human review
- Regulatory environments requiring manual sign-off
Maintenance (1)
- Domains that are broadly set up but need SPF hygiene
- Want automated cleanup without auto-approvals
- Good starting point after initial setup
Managed (2)
- Stable domains with known senders
- Want auto-approvals for high-confidence sources
- Hands-off SPF with manual DMARC progression
Autopilot (3)
- MSPs managing many client domains
- Fully delegated management
- AI handles everything end-to-end
Recommended Starting Point
Set your account default to Maintenance and let it run for 2–4 weeks. Once you understand your domain's email patterns, upgrade to Managed or Autopilot for hands-off management.