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SPF Record Analysis

Paste a full SPF record to check the syntax and see descriptions of individual mechanisms.
See our article on SPF records

SPF record analysis – check your domain's SPF configuration

The SPF record (Sender Policy Framework) is one of the fundamental mechanisms protecting email against domain spoofing. It specifies which servers are authorized to send messages on behalf of a given domain.

Using this tool you can paste a full SPF record and check its syntax, mechanisms and potential configuration errors. SPF record analysis helps detect issues that may cause messages to be rejected by recipient servers.

How does an SPF record work?

An SPF record is stored in the domain's DNS as a TXT record. It defines the list of servers or IP addresses that are authorized to send email messages on behalf of the domain.

When receiving a message, the mail server checks the SPF record of the sender's domain and verifies whether the IP address of the sending server is on the list of permitted sources.

  • v=spf1 – identifies the record as SPF
  • ip4 / ip6 – specifies permitted IP addresses
  • include – allows including the SPF record of another domain
  • mx – allows the domain's MX servers to send mail
  • all – defines the default policy for all other servers

SPF record example

An example SPF record may look as follows:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all

The above record allows messages to be sent from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 servers, while all other sources are rejected.

Most common questions about SPF records

What is an SPF record?
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS record that specifies which servers are allowed to send email messages on behalf of a given domain.
Why is an SPF record important?
A correct SPF configuration helps protect the domain against spoofing and increases the credibility of sent messages.
How do you check a domain's SPF record?
You can use the SPF analysis tool, paste the domain's TXT record and check its syntax and mechanisms.