SPF Record — SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework TXT)
A TXT record that defines which mail servers and IP addresses are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
SPF
RFC 7208
3600 seconds (1 hour)
Email & Authentication
BIND Zone File Syntax Example
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all"How to Query & Check SPF Records
dig +short TXT example.com | grep "v=spf1"nslookup -type=TXT example.com(Resolve-DnsName -Name example.com -Type TXT).Strings | Select-String "v=spf1"Recommended Best Practices
NEVER publish more than one SPF record for a single domain (combine all `include:` mechanisms into one record). RFC 7208 limits SPF lookups to a maximum of 10 DNS queries.
- •Authorizing Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailgun, or Postmark to send transactional emails
- •Preventing domain spoofing and phishing attacks
- •Ensuring compliance with Gmail & Yahoo 2024 bulk sender deliverability rules
Common Configuration Mistake
Publishing multiple SPF TXT records, causing receivers to evaluate SPF as PermError and route all emails to spam.
DNS SPF Record Questions & Answers
Common questions regarding DNS propagation, TTL settings, and zone file syntax.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) prevents spammers from forging "From:" addresses using your domain. Receiving mail servers check SPF during SMTP handshake; messages sent from unauthorized IPs are marked as spam or rejected.