How to Add a DMARC Record in GoDaddy

GoDaddy is one of the most popular domain registrars, and if your domain is registered there, adding a DMARC record takes just a few minutes. The process is straightforward, but GoDaddy's DNS management panel has a few quirks that can trip you up if you do not know what to expect.

This guide walks you through every click, from logging in to verifying your record is live. If you have not yet decided on your DMARC policy, read our how to create a DMARC record guide first to understand what goes into the record.

Before You Start

You need two things before you touch GoDaddy's DNS settings:

Your DMARC record string. This is the value you will paste into GoDaddy. A basic monitoring-only record looks like this:

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

If you are not sure what policy or tags to use, start with p=none for monitoring. You can tighten the policy later after reviewing your reports. For help choosing between none, quarantine, and reject, see our DMARC policy levels guide.

Access to the GoDaddy account that manages your domain's DNS. If someone else set up your domain, you may need them to log in or grant you delegate access. GoDaddy's DNS management is only available to the account holder or users with the right permissions.

If your domain is registered at GoDaddy but you have pointed your nameservers elsewhere (like Cloudflare or AWS Route 53), you need to add the DMARC record in that other DNS provider instead. GoDaddy's DNS panel only works when GoDaddy's nameservers are active.

Step-by-Step: Adding DMARC in GoDaddy

Log in to your GoDaddy account

Go to godaddy.com and sign in. After logging in, you will land on the main dashboard. Click on your profile icon or navigate to My Products to see your domains.

Open DNS management for your domain

Find the domain you want to protect and click the three-dot menu next to it, then select Manage DNS. Alternatively, you can click the domain name and then select the DNS tab. This opens the DNS Records management panel where you can see all existing records for your domain.

Click Add New Record

Scroll down past your existing DNS records. You will see an Add New Record button or a row at the bottom of the records table. Click it to create a new record.

Select TXT as the record type

In the Type dropdown, select TXT. DMARC records are always TXT records. Do not choose CNAME, A, or any other type.

Enter _dmarc as the host name

In the Name or Host field, type _dmarc. GoDaddy will automatically append your domain name, so the full record will be at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. Do not type the full domain name — just _dmarc. Do not forget the underscore at the beginning.

Paste your DMARC record as the value

In the Value or TXT Value field, paste your complete DMARC record. For example: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com;. Do not add quotes around the value. GoDaddy handles the formatting internally.

Set the TTL

GoDaddy defaults the TTL to one hour, which is fine for most cases. If you want faster propagation while testing, you can set it to the lowest option available (usually 600 seconds or 10 minutes). You can increase this later once you have confirmed everything works.

Save the record

Click Save or Add Record. GoDaddy will save the record and you will see it appear in your DNS records list. It should show up as a TXT record with the name _dmarc and your DMARC string as the value.

Verifying Your DMARC Record Is Live

After saving the record in GoDaddy, you need to confirm it is actually resolving on the internet. DNS changes do not always take effect instantly.

Wait at least five to ten minutes after saving, then check your record using dmarcrecordchecker.com. Enter your domain and the tool will look up _dmarc.yourdomain.com and show you exactly what receiving mail servers will see.

When checking, verify these things:

The record starts with v=DMARC1
Your chosen policy (p=none, p=quarantine, or p=reject) is present
Your rua address is correct if you included one
There is only one DMARC record (not duplicates)

If the checker does not find your record after ten minutes, do not panic. GoDaddy DNS propagation can sometimes be slower than other providers. Give it up to two hours before troubleshooting.

Common GoDaddy-Specific Issues

The Record Does Not Show Up After Saving

GoDaddy's DNS propagation is generally quick, but it can occasionally take longer than expected. A few things to check:

Confirm you are on GoDaddy's nameservers. Go to your domain settings and look at the nameservers. If they point to something other than GoDaddy (like ns1.cloudflare.com), your DNS is managed elsewhere and records added in GoDaddy will not take effect.
Check for typos in the host field. The host must be exactly _dmarc with the underscore. If you accidentally typed dmarc without the underscore or _dmarc.yourdomain.com (including the full domain), the record will be created at the wrong location.
Look for conflicting records. If there is already a TXT record at _dmarc, you may have a duplicate. Delete the old one and keep only the correct record.

GoDaddy Adds Quotes or Changes Formatting

Some users notice that GoDaddy wraps TXT record values in quotes when displaying them. This is normal. DNS TXT records are stored as strings, and quotes in the display are just GoDaddy's way of showing the value. The actual record delivered to mail servers will not include those display quotes.

If your DMARC record contains semicolons (which it will), GoDaddy handles them correctly. You do not need to escape them or add any special characters.

Propagation Takes Longer Than Expected

GoDaddy's default TTL for new TXT records is typically one hour. If you previously had a different record at _dmarc with a long TTL (like 24 hours), cached versions of the old record may persist until that TTL expires.

To speed things up:

Clear your local DNS cache. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. On Mac, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache.
Use an online DNS propagation checker that queries multiple servers worldwide. This shows you which regions have picked up the new record.
Wait. Most GoDaddy DNS changes propagate fully within two hours, even if some regions are slower.

You Manage Multiple Domains in GoDaddy

If you manage several domains, you need to add a DMARC record to each one individually. GoDaddy does not have a bulk DNS editing feature for TXT records. Work through each domain one at a time, repeating the steps above. If you manage client domains on GoDaddy, see our guide to DMARC for agencies for tips on scaling this process.

For domains you own but do not use for email, add a strict DMARC record to prevent spoofing:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=reject;

This tells receiving servers to reject any email claiming to be from that domain. Since you never send mail from it, nothing legitimate will be blocked.

Updating Your DMARC Record Later

When you are ready to move from p=none to p=quarantine or p=reject, you do not need to delete and recreate the record. In GoDaddy's DNS management panel, find your existing DMARC TXT record and click the pencil icon to edit it. Change the policy tag and save.

Remember to move gradually. Start with p=quarantine; pct=10; to apply the quarantine policy to only ten percent of failing messages. Monitor for a week, then increase the percentage. Once you reach 100 percent with no issues, move to p=reject.

Keep your SPF and DKIM in sync

DMARC works alongside SPF and DKIM. If you have not set up SPF yet, use spfcreator.com to generate your record. For DKIM key generation, use dkimcreator.com. All three records need to be in place and passing for full email authentication.

After Setup: What to Expect

Once your DMARC record is live at GoDaddy, receiving mail servers will start processing it immediately. If you included a rua tag, expect to receive your first aggregate reports within 24 to 48 hours. These reports are XML files that show which IP addresses sent email using your domain and whether those messages passed authentication.

Review these reports regularly, especially in the first few weeks. They reveal whether any of your legitimate email services are failing SPF or DKIM checks. For background on how these protocols relate, read SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC. Fix any issues you find before tightening your policy. For a complete walkthrough of the DMARC implementation process, see our DMARC setup guide.

Monitor Your New DMARC Record

You've created your DMARC record — now make sure it keeps working. The Email Deliverability Suite watches your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records daily and alerts you when something breaks.

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