← Glossary
Authentication
What is Alignment (SPF and DKIM)?
The requirement that the domain verified by SPF or DKIM matches the domain in the visible From address.
How it works in practice
SPF can pass for the Return-Path domain and DKIM for the d= domain, but DMARC only counts a pass when one of them matches the From domain. Relaxed alignment accepts a subdomain of the same organisational domain; strict requires an exact match. Alignment failures are why mail from a third-party tool can pass SPF and DKIM yet still fail DMARC.
The common mistake
Assuming a green SPF or DKIM result means DMARC passes.
Check it yourself
Related terms
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