In today’s digital world, securing your email domain against spoofing, phishing, and spam isn’t just a technical best practice — it’s essential for protecting brand reputation, ensuring deliverability, and preserving trust with your customers and partners. One of the foundational email authentication protocols that every domain owner should implement is SPF, or Sender Policy Framework.
At AutoSPF, we help individuals and businesses confidently author and deploy SPF records that improve email security and deliverability. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the why, what, and how of adding an SPF record to your domain hosted on Namecheap, step by step. By the end of this article, you’ll understand not only how to add SPF, but also how it works, how to test it, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
What Is an SPF Record and Why It Matters
An SPF record is a type of DNS TXT record that lists the mail servers authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. It functions as a verification system: when a recipient mail server receives an email from your domain, it checks the SPF record to confirm whether that server was permitted to send that message. If the sender isn’t listed, the message may be tagged as spam or rejected entirely.
This prevents malicious actors from forging your domain in email headers — a tactic known as email spoofing, which is often used in phishing and scam campaigns.
At its core, an SPF record helps receiving mail servers decide: “Is this email really coming from where it claims to be coming from?” If it is, SPF passes; if it isn’t, SPF fails.
Understanding the Structure of an SPF Record
Before we jump into the Namecheap steps, let’s briefly understand what an SPF record looks like.
A typical SPF TXT record follows this format:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ip4:192.0.2.0/24 -allHere’s what the main parts mean:
- v=spf1 – This declares that the TXT record is an SPF record using SPF version 1.
- include: – This allows third-party mail services (like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, etc.) to send mail on your behalf.
- ip4: / ip6: – These tags authorize specific IPv4 or IPv6 addresses as valid mail senders.
-
-all – This is the policy qualifier indicating that any server not listed should fail SPF (hard fail). Alternatively, ~all signals soft fail, which is less strict.
Only one SPF record should exist per domain — if you create more than one, mail servers may interpret them incorrectly, leading to authentication failures.
Before You Begin: What You Need
Before adding an SPF record in Namecheap, make sure you:
-
Know all email senders on your domain.
List every email service or server that sends email using your domain (e.g., your web host, CRM, email marketing tool, transactional mail service, GSuite, Microsoft 365, etc.). You will need this list to build an accurate SPF record. -
Have a correctly formatted SPF string ready.
If you’re unsure how to construct this string, AutoSPF can generate one for you. -
Ensure only one SPF TXT record exists.
If you already have an SPF TXT record, you’ll either update it or merge additional senders into a single record.
Step-by-Step: Adding an SPF Record in Namecheap
1. Log In to Your Namecheap Account
Start by going to the Namecheap dashboard and signing in with your credentials.
2. Go to Your Domain List
Once logged in:
- Click Domain List in the left-hand navigation panel.
- Find the domain where you want to add the SPF record.
- Click the Manage button next to that domain.
This brings you to the management interface for your domain.
3. Navigate to Advanced DNS Settings
- At the top menu in your domain settings area, click Advanced DNS.
- This section allows you to view and edit all DNS records associated with your domain, including TXT records.
4. Add a New DNS Record
In the Advanced DNS section:
- Click the Add New Record button.
- From the dropdown list, choose TXT Record as the type of the record.
Even though SPF is technically its own protocol, it is stored in DNS as a TXT record.
5. Enter Record Data
You’ll now fill in the fields for your new SPF record:
| Field | What to Enter |
| Type | TXT Record |
| Host | @ (this represents your root domain) |
| Value | Your SPF string, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all |
| TTL | Leave as default (Automatic or 300) |
Example Value:
v=spf1 include:spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all⚠️ Important: Only one TXT record for SPF should exist. If you already have an SPF record, locate it and edit instead of adding a second one. Namecheap
6. Save and Confirm
After pasting your SPF string into the “Value” field, click Save All Changes.
DNS changes aren’t always instant — they may propagate throughout the internet within minutes, but in some cases can take up to 24–48 hours to fully update.
Testing and Validating Your SPF Record
Once added in your Namecheap DNS panel, it’s essential to make sure your record is working correctly. You can use external tools such as:
- SPF record lookup tools — search for your domain’s SPF record to verify it shows the correct contents.
- AutoSPF tools — AutoSPF provides validation and recommendations if the record has errors or missing includes.
-
MX Toolbox or similar DNS utilities — check your SPF syntax and propagation status.
Verification lets you confirm that mail servers reading your DNS can correctly interpret your SPF policy — and that no syntax errors will trigger SPF failures and unintended deliverability issues.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting Tips
Even experienced admins sometimes run into SPF issues. Here are some common scenarios and how to address them:
❌ Multiple SPF Records
Having more than one SPF record for your domain causes authentication to fail because mail servers don’t know which one to evaluate. If you see this happening, merge the contents into a single SPF string.
🚫 Exceeding DNS Lookup Limits
SPF has a technical limit of 10 DNS lookups during evaluation. Too many include: statements can push you over this limit and break SPF. If you authorize many services, consolidate where possible or use mechanisms wisely.
🕒 DNS Propagation Delays
If your SPF isn’t being detected immediately after adding it, wait a few hours and recheck. DNS caching sometimes delays propagation.
🧠 Incorrect Hostname or Formatting
Make sure the Host field is set correctly — typically @ for the root domain — and that you haven’t accidentally included your domain name inside the host field itself
