Relaxed alignment
The default DMARC alignment mode, in which the authenticated domain and the From domain only need to share the same organizational domain.
What it means
Under relaxed alignment, a DKIM signature from d=mail.example.com, or an SPF pass for bounce.example.com, aligns with mail from news.example.com or example.com: all have the organizational domain example.com. A domain in a different organization, such as example.net, never aligns.
It is the default for both adkim and aspf, and RFC 9989 notes that nearly all domain owners find it sufficient. It lets sending platforms use a subdomain for bounces and signing while the From address stays on the main domain.
Comparisons ignore case.
Related terms
On this site
Sources
What this definition rests on. The wording is ours; the facts are theirs.
All 432 terms in the glossaryThe wiki: blocklists and bounce codes