---
title: "Protect a parked domain without email"
date: 2023-01-05T19:15:00+01:00
draft: false
tags: ["how-to","tech","email"]
author: "Olivier Falcoz"
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cover:
  image: "/images/"
  alt: "<alt text>"
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---
## DNS entries for a parked domain that does not send emails but has a website

| Hostname | Type | TTL | Data |
|:------------:|:----:|:----:|:-------------:|
|      `@`     | `MX` |`1800`|`0 .`          |
|      `@`     | `TXT`|`1800`|`"v=spf1 -all"`|
|`*._domainkey`| `TXT`|`1800`|`"v=DKIM1; p="`|
|    `_dmarc`  | `TXT`|`1800`|`"v=DMARC1;p=reject;sp=reject;adkim=s;aspf=s;fo=1;"`|

### DNS entries explained

#### Null MX
Explicitly configure an 'empty' MX record according to [RFC7505](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7505).
```
@ 1800 IN MX 0 .
```

#### SPF
Set an an empty policy and a hard fail.

```
@ 1800 IN TXT "v=spf1 -all"
```

#### DKIM

```
*._domainkey 1800 IN TXT "v=DKIM1; p="
```

#### DMARC

Set DMARC policy to reject emails[^1]
```
_dmarc 1800 IN TXT "v=DMARC1;p=reject;sp=reject;adkim=s;aspf=s;fo=1;"
```
or

Set DMARC policy to reject mails, but allow reporting to take place[^2] 
```
_dmarc 1800 IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:rua@example.com; ruf=mailto:ruf@example.com"
```

## DNS entries for a parked domain that does not send emails

* Don't use an `A` or `AAAA` record for parked domains;
* Don't redirect from parked domain `example.com` to the used domain `example.org`, since this encourages users to keep using the parked `example.com`. If a redirect is desirable, make sure to use the proper redirect order in order for HSTS headers to remain effective:
	* redirect `http://example.com` to `https://example.com`
	* when using `HTTPS`, redirect `https://example.com` to `https://example.org`.

[^1]: **Credit:** akc3n’s [page of notes](https://akc3n.page/gists/#dns) 
[^2]: **Credit:** the [Dutch Internet Standards Platform](https://github.com/internetstandards/toolbox-wiki/blob/main/parked-domain-how-to.md#what-is-a-parked-domain-)
