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Adding and Setting Up your Domain

Add a domain to Palisade and configure its DNS records for DMARC monitoring.

Adding a Domain​

  1. Click the Add Domain button from the Domains page.
  2. Enter the domain name (e.g., example.com).
  3. Optionally assign the domain to a group for organization.
  4. Click Confirm to add the domain.

Setting Up DNS Records​

After adding a domain, you need to configure its DNS records so Palisade can receive DMARC reports. There are two options:

Hosted DMARC is the easiest approach. Palisade provides a CNAME record that points your _dmarc subdomain to Palisade's servers. This allows you to manage your DMARC policy entirely from the Palisade dashboard without returning to your DNS provider for future changes.

  1. On the domain's setup page, click Configure to launch the automatic DNS configuration flow.
  2. Palisade supports automatic configuration for 60+ DNS providers. Select your provider and follow the guided steps.
  3. The setup will create the necessary CNAME record automatically.

Option 2: Manual DNS Setup​

If you prefer to manage DNS records yourself or your provider is not supported by the automatic flow:

  1. Copy the DMARC TXT record value provided by Palisade.
  2. Log into your DNS provider.
  3. Create a new TXT record:
    • Host/Name: _dmarc
    • Value: The record value copied from Palisade
    • TTL: 3600 (or your provider's default)

Example with Cloudflare:

  1. Go to your domain's DNS settings in Cloudflare.
  2. Click Add Record.
  3. Set the type to TXT.
  4. Set the name to _dmarc.
  5. Paste the record value from Palisade.
warning

If using Cloudflare, ensure the proxy status is set to DNS Only (gray cloud). Cloudflare's proxy does not work with TXT records.

Verifying Domain Setup​

After configuring DNS, return to Palisade and click Verify to confirm the records are detected. DNS propagation typically takes a few minutes but can take up to 24-48 hours in some cases.

Tips​

  • Start with one domain to familiarize yourself with the setup process before adding more.
  • Use bulk import if you need to add many domains at once. See the Bulk Import guide for details.
  • Expect a 24–72 hour wait for data — DMARC reports are sent by receiving mail servers (Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.) once per day. It typically takes 2–3 days after setup before Palisade starts receiving and displaying report data. Low-volume domains may take longer.
  • Verify Hosted DMARC is active — after enabling Hosted DMARC, check back to confirm the status shows Active. If it stays in Verifying for more than an hour, double-check the CNAME record in your DNS provider.
  • Do not modify the CNAME value — the CNAME record Palisade gives you must be added exactly as shown. Changing the target or adding additional records alongside it can break DMARC monitoring.