SPF Validation
Verify SPF records for email sending domains
Check SPF policy strings published in DNS TXT records.
Type a domain to validate SPF records.
What is SPF?
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) lets domain owners list authorized mail servers.
How SPF is published
SPF policies are stored in DNS TXT records beginning with v=spf1.
Why SPF matters
Correct SPF records reduce spoofing and help email deliverability.
SPF records explained
SPF policies define allowed senders using mechanisms like include, a, mx, and ip4/ip6.
Receivers use the SPF policy to verify if the sending server is authorized.
Example SPF record
SPF records are published in TXT format on the root domain.
| Host | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|
| @ | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all | 3600 |
The ending qualifier (~all or -all) defines the default policy.
Multiple includes may be used to authorize third-party senders.
Common DNS errors
NXDOMAIN
The domain does not exist in DNS. Check the spelling or registration status.
SERVFAIL
The resolver failed to answer. This can be caused by DNSSEC issues or upstream outages.
Timeout
The DNS server did not respond in time. Try again or check connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a domain have multiple SPF records?
A domain should publish only one SPF record. Multiple SPF records can cause validation to fail.
What does ~all mean?
It indicates a soft fail. Mail from unauthorized servers is accepted but flagged.
Why is my SPF record missing?
The domain may not publish SPF, or the record exists on a subdomain instead.