Reviewed by: QuickDMARC Security Team · Email Authentication Specialists ·

DMARC RUF

RUF is DMARC failure reporting. The ruf tag requests sample failure reports when authentication fails, controlled further by fo (failure options).

Example record

Not all receivers send RUF reports even when requested. Treat RUF as supplementary to aggregate RUA.

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]; ruf=mailto:[email protected]; fo=1

Privacy and redaction

Failure reports may contain message headers or body excerpts. Handle them as sensitive. Many teams skip RUF and rely on aggregate data plus header analysis.

How QuickDMARC helps

Focus on actionable aggregate insights first; use forensic detail only when your compliance process supports it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need ruf to enforce DMARC?

No. Aggregate rua reports are enough for most enforcement programs.

What is fo=1?

Request failure reports if DKIM or SPF fails (subject to receiver support).

Why is ruf volume low?

Many providers limit or omit forensic reports.

Related resources