How to Set up TLS-RPT?

Setting up TLS-RPT might look a little technical from the outside, but once you understand what it does, it actually makes your email security much easier to manage. TLS-RPT is basically a system that tells you when something goes wrong with the encryption of your emails during delivery. Instead of guessing why a message failed, you get clear reports that point out the real issue. 

This helps you spot problems early, fix them faster, and keep your domain running smoothly. In this guide, we’ll walk through how TLS-RPT works, how you can set up your TLS-RPT record, and why it matters for your overall email security.

What is TLS?

Before we learn about TLS-RPT and how to set it up, let’s first understand what TLS actually means. TLS stands for Transport Layer Security. It’s a protocol that protects your emails while they travel from one mail server to another. In simple words, it locks your messages so no one else can read or change them on the way. When TLS is working properly, your email stays private and secure. But if it’s not set up correctly, your emails might be sent without encryption, making them easier to intercept or misuse. So, having TLS in place is like giving your emails a safe tunnel to travel through.

What is TLS-RPT?

TLS-RPT, or TLS reporting, is a standard that helps mail servers share reports when something goes wrong during the TLS encryption process. Basically, it tells you if there are any delivery issues or failures while your emails are being sent securely. The TLS RPT system usually works with other security protocols like MTA-STS, DANE, and STARTTLS, which make sure your emails are always encrypted during delivery.

Every email you send passes through a few mail servers before reaching the final inbox. To keep that whole path safe, protocols like MTA-STS make TLS encryption mandatory. The TLS-RPT record then helps you keep an eye on how everything is working and alerts you when there is a problem.

For example, let’s say you’ve set up both MTA-STS and TLS-RPT, and suddenly some emails aren’t getting delivered. You might check the reports and realize one of your mail servers has an expired certificate. Once you fix or update it, the issue goes away.

So, setting up a TLS RPT record is basically like having a reporting system that helps you find and fix delivery problems fast, while keeping your emails secure and properly encrypted.

How Does TLS-RPT Work?

If you’ve enabled TLS reporting on your domain, you’ll start receiving TLS reports whenever there’s a problem with your domain’s TLS setup and another mail server fails to deliver messages to you. These reports are shared in JSON format and sent to the email address you’ve added in your TLS-RPT record. Here’s how the process usually works:

Step 1: TLS Handshake

The process begins with a TLS handshake, in which two mail servers (the sender and receiver) try to establish a secure connection. Both servers check if they support TLS encryption. If everything looks good, the connection is secured.

Step 2: Error Detection

If something goes wrong while creating this secure connection, the sending server detects it as an error. Some common TLS errors include:

Error type	Description
Certificate mismatch	The certificate shown by the receiving server doesn’t match the expected domain.
Expired certificate	The certificate is outdated and no longer valid.
Untrusted root	The certificate wasn’t issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
Weak cipher	The connection is using a weak or outdated encryption method.
Protocol downgrade	Someone tries to force a weaker encryption level during transmission.
TLS version mismatch	The sending and receiving servers don’t support the same TLS version.

Step 3: Report Generation

Once the error is identified, the sending server automatically creates a TLS report that explains what went wrong. Each TLS report includes:

• Report metadata: Information about the organization that sent the report, including name, report ID, date range, and contact details.

• Policy details: Your domain name, the mail server (MX host) involved, and the TLS policy that was applied.

• Summary information: Stats like total successful connections, failed attempts, and the failure percentage.

• Failure details: A detailed breakdown of the issue, including the failure type, sender’s IP, receiving MX host and DNS, and how many sessions failed.

Steps to Set Up TLS-RPT

You can turn on TLS reporting for your domain by adding a TXT record for TLS-RPT in your DNS settings. To make it work, this record should be created under the subdomain smtp._tls.yourdomain.com.

Here are the steps to go about it-

Step 1: Generate a TLS-RPT Record

You can sign up on EasyDMARC and use the TLS-RPT record generator to create your record easily. It’s a simple tool that automatically builds the correct syntax for your domain. It also helps you in avoiding syntax and specification issues during record creation.

Step 2: Enter Your Reporting Email Address

Add the email address where you want to receive your SMTP TLS reports. This should be an active inbox that you or your IT team can monitor regularly.

Step 3: Publish the TLS Record on Your DNS

If you don’t manage your DNS yourself, contact your domain registrar to create a new TXT record for TLS-RPT. If you do manage your own DNS, go to your DNS settings and add the new record manually. You can also use EasyDMARC’s TLS-RPT record lookup tool to confirm that it’s correctly published.

TLS RPT Record Syntax and Example

Here is a generic example of a TLS-RPT record-

v=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:[email protected];

Let’s understand the two parts of this record:

• v=TLSRPTv1: Defines the version of the TLS-RPT protocol being used. Here, “TLSRPTv1” represents version 1.

• rua=mailto:[email protected]: “rua” stands for Reporting URI for Aggregate Data. It tells receiving mail servers where to send your aggregated TLS reports.

You can also add multiple report destinations, separated by commas. For example, you can send reports to both an email address and an HTTPS endpoint.

Best Practices for TLS-RPT Implementation

Sticking to the following best practices will help you maintain a healthy TLS RPT record.

1. Regularly Monitor TLS Reports

Keep a close watch on your TLS reports to ensure no delivery problems go unnoticed. These reports give you insights into failed TLS connections and encryption errors. You can manually review the JSON files sent to your reporting email address, or use tools to make the process easier. Regular monitoring helps you detect issues early and maintain consistent email deliverability.

2. Ensure MTA-STS Policy is Properly Configured

For TLS-RPT to work smoothly, your MTA-STS policy must be correctly set up and error-free. Even a small syntax issue in your MTA-STS record can stop reports from generating or cause encryption failures. You can verify your record using MTA-STS checker to confirm that your TLS and MTA-STS configurations align and your domain remains compliant with encryption standards.

3. Address Encryption Failures Promptly

When your TLS-RPT reports highlight encryption or certificate issues, it’s crucial to act fast. These problems can lead to message delivery failures or leave your emails unencrypted. Investigate each failure, update expired certificates, and fix configuration errors immediately.

4. Use Secure TLS Protocol Versions

Always use supported and updated TLS protocol versions to avoid encryption problems and compatibility issues. Older TLS versions may have security flaws that attackers can exploit. By enforcing the latest TLS versions and regularly checking your TLS RPT record, you reduce the risk of failed transmissions and strengthen your domain’s overall email security posture.

Keep Your Emails Safe and Sound

Setting up TLS-RPT might sound technical, but it’s one of the simplest ways to improve the reliability and security of your email delivery. By creating TLS-RPT records, generating monitoring reports, and quickly fixing encryption errors, you ensure your messages always reach where they’re supposed to. It also helps you avoid future delivery failures and maintain your domain’s reputation.

If you want to skip the manual work, try EasyDMARC’s set of tools. They help you create and validate your TLS-RPT records (along with other records) in minutes; no confusion, no errors, just smooth email delivery. You can also start your free 14-day trial and improve email deliverability to effectively reach inboxes