At AutoSPF, we know that email authentication isn’t an optional add-on — it’s a foundational requirement for any business that wants reliable inbox delivery and protection from fraud, spoofing, and malicious impersonation. When you’re using an email security service like SpamHero, proper setup of Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) records is…
For Office 365 (Microsoft 365 Exchange Online), your SPF record should at minimum be v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all (or include:spf.protection.office365.us for US Government GCC High/DoD and include:spf.protection.partner.outlook.cn for 21Vianet China), plus ip4/ip6 entries for any on-premises/hybrid relays and include mechanisms or explicit IPs for any other authorized third-party senders. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) tells receiving servers…
The correct way to implement common SPF records is to publish a single TXT record per sending domain or subdomain that begins with v=spf1, enumerates authorized senders using mechanisms such as a, mx, ip4, ip6, include, and exists with appropriate qualifiers (+, -, ~, ?), remains under the 10-DNS-lookup limit, is validated with CLI/online tools,…
To detect errors before they impact email deliverability, an SPF validator must execute a fully RFC-7208–compliant DNS and macro evaluation (including include, redirect, a/mx/ptr/exists, exp, and macros), enforce and explain the 10-lookup and void-lookup limits with loop detection, cache and rate-limit queries intelligently, produce role-aware, prioritized guidance, integrate with CI/CD and monitoring, simulate third-party flows,…
Email deliverability is not a guessing game. When organizations use third-party email platforms like Mailjet, proper SPF and DKIM configuration becomes a non-negotiable requirement for inbox placement, brand trust, and domain reputation. At AutoSPF, we routinely see legitimate Mailjet emails fail authentication—not because Mailjet is misconfigured, but because SPF and DKIM were implemented incorrectly at…
Kitterman’s initial troubleshooting steps are to read the receiver’s Authentication-Results to identify the precise SPF result (fail, softfail, neutral, permerror, temperror), verify that a single, syntactically valid TXT-based “v=spf1 …” record exists for the domain, test DNS resolution and recent-change propagation (authoritative vs. recursive, TTLs), expand and validate include/redirect/mx/a/ptr mechanisms while counting DNS lookups to…
In today’s email-driven world, securing your domain’s email communication is non-negotiable. Cyber threats like spoofing, phishing, and unauthorized senders are constantly evolving, and relying on default email systems without proper authentication puts your business reputation, deliverability, and customer trust at risk. At AutoSPF, we specialize in empowering IT teams, MSPs, and domain owners with clear,…
SPF record checkers report “too many DNS lookups” because the SPF standard (RFC 7208) limits SPF evaluation to 10 DNS-querying mechanisms (include, a, mx, ptr, exists, and redirect), and exceeding that cap typically produces an SPF permerror at receivers, which invalidates SPF for that message and can degrade deliverability or cause DMARC failure. Sender Policy…
Email is a critical communication channel for every organization today. As email usage has grown, so too has the threat of malicious actors forging and spoofing legitimate domains. Protecting your mail stream is no longer optional — it’s essential to safeguarding brand trust, reducing fraud, and maintaining consistent delivery. At AutoSPF, we’re passionate about helping…
An SPF record example can cause legitimate emails to be marked as spam when it includes syntax errors, duplicated or misordered mechanisms, overly strict or misapplied ~all/-all policies, exceeds SPF’s 10-DNS-lookup limit via include chains, omits sender IPs (IPv4/IPv6), fails under forwarding/mailing lists without SRS, lacks DKIM/DMARC alignment, suffers from DNS length/propagation issues, or triggers…
