Modifiers are evaluated on the second pass and can occur anywhere in the record.Mechanisms are evaluated from left to right.SPF records are evaluated in a two-pass process: First, all mechanisms and qualifiers are evaluated. Each modifier, however, can appear only once. SPF records may also define 1 of 2 modifiers or, no modifier at all. If a qualifier is not included, the + qualifier is implied. Neutral = The address did not pass or fail the test do whatever (probably accept the mail). Soft Fail = The address failed the test, but the result is not definitive accept & tag any non-compliant mail. (Hard) Fail = The address failed the test bounce any e-mail that does not comply. Pass = The address passed the test accept the message. Mechanisms can be prefixed with one of four qualifiers: Qualifier The following list are common mechanisms included in an SPF record:Īll | ip4 | ip6 | a | mx | ptr | exists | include Mechanisms can be used to describe the set of hosts which are designated as authorized, outbound mailers for the domain. SPF records may define zero or more mechanisms. SPF clients ignore TXT records that do not start with the version string 'v=spf1. Identifies the TXT record as an SPF record, utilizing SPF Version 1Īuthorizes the host(s) identified in the domain's A record(s) to send e-mailĪuthorizes mail to be sent on behalf of the domain from ĭenotes that this list is all inclusive, and no other servers are allowed to send e-mailĪn SPF record consists of the SPF version number followed by strings comprised of (i) mechanisms, (ii) qualifiers, and (sometimes) (iii) modifiers. The DNS zone record type SPF records are written as TXT a DNS file, the symbol is a placeholder used to represent 'the current domain' The following table provides an explanation of the various components of the Example SPF Record: Components If you are utilizing the DigitalOcean DNS Manager, make sure to wrap the SPF record with quotes. Example SPF RecordĪn SPF record is added to your domain's DNS zone file as a TXT record and it identifies authorized SMTP servers for your domain. Many do, however, so you should notice a significant decrease in the amount of bounce-backs you receive. The SPF record is not 100% effective, unfortunately, because not all mail providers check for it. In addition, an SPF Record will reduce the number of legitimate e-mail messages that are flagged as spam or bounced back by your recipients' mail servers. BenefitsĪdding an SPF record to your DNS zone file is the best way to stop spammers from spoofing your domain. Mail exchangers use DNS records to check that mail from a given domain is being sent by a host sanctioned by that domain's administrators. SPF allows administrators to specify which hosts are allowed to send mail on behalf of a given domain by creating a specific SPF record (or TXT record) in the Domain Name System (DNS). The SPF is an open standard specifying a technical method to prevent sender-address forgery. The victims whose addresses are being abused often suffer from the consequences, because their reputation gets diminished, they have to waste their time sorting out misdirected bounce messages, or (worse) their IP addresses get blacklisted. Today, nearly all abusive e-mail messages carry fake sender addresses. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email validation system designed to prevent spam by detecting email spoofing. A number of measures to address spoofing, however, have developed over the years: SPF, Spam and phishing emails typically use such spoofing to mislead the recipient about the origin of the message. Email spoofing is the creation of email messages with a forged sender address something that is simple to do because many mail servers do not perform authentication. Messages from getting flagged as spam before they reach your recipients. A carefully tailored SPF record will reduce the likelihood of your domain name getting fraudulently spoofed and keep your

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