What Does an SPF Generator Do for You?

SPF or Sender Policy Framework is an email authentication protocol that ensures only specified IP addresses, belonging to the ipv4 and ipv6 network range, are used to send email messages using your official domain name. All this works using an SPF record that basically carries a list of these IP addresses along with instructions for recipients’ mail servers.

An SPF generator is a tool that instantaneously creates your SPF TXT record by making proper configurations as per your user domain’s nature and your email security preferences. It lets MTAs check whether an IP address is authorized to send emails on your behalf. The whole practice of using an SPF record generator and lookup tool disallows malicious actors from sending fraudulent messages using your official domain name. 

A credible SPF generator takes no time in setting up mechanisms, qualifiers, and modifiers to enable domain owners to specify IP addresses they trust and allow sending emails from.

What to Expect From an SPF Generator?

• Instant SPF record production, asking minimum questions.
• A valid and non-erroneous SPF record.
• Easy-to-collect copy of the created SPF record.
• Correctly configured SPF authentication for your domain by publishing the SPF record on your DNS.

How to Publish the Generated SPF Record to Your DNS?

A DNS manager publishes an SPF record; this can be an internal position in your company, or you may even ask your DNS provider to do that on your behalf. Someone from your IT or security team can handle it by working with your DNS server administrator. Also, please remember that an SPF record isn’t the same as an MX record. 

Here’s what you can follow to publish the record to your DNS-

• Go to your DNS management console.
• Navigate to the domain for which you have to publish the SPF record.
• Mention your source type as TXT.
• Mention the hostname as _spf.
• Paste the value of your generated SPF record.
• Save the changes, and you’re good to go.

Why Adding an SPF Record to your Domain is Important?

You can send emails without deploying SPF and using an SPF generator, but then your email-sending domain won’t be protected from phishing and spamming messages sent as posing you. SPF builds ISPs’ trust in your domain, increasing the email deliverability rate, which means the possibility of your messages reaching the desired recipients’ mailboxes would be high. This gives promising outcomes of email marketing and PR campaigns where you send messages in bulk.

Why domains require SPF record protection

Image sourced from zerobounce.net

SPF alone may not resolve all email delivery issues, but its combination with DKIM and DMARC ensures the best protection against email-based cybercrimes attempted in your brand’s name. 

How Does an SPF Record Work?

The whole process of SPF authentication unfolds in the following steps-

• A server with IP address 3.4.5.6 sends a message with a return-path address as return@example.com.
• The recipient’s mail server uses the return-path domain (here it is example.com) to retrieve the SPF record from the domain’s DNS.
• If the SPF record is successfully retrieved, it checks if the IP address (here it is 3.4.5.6) is listed as an authorized sender or not.
• The email lands in the desired recipient’s primary inbox if the match is successful. If not, then SPF verification fails. You can instruct the recipient’s mailbox to either mark such emails as spam or outrightly reject them from entering the mailbox.

SPF has a few limitations, making its deployment challenging. Nonetheless, we at AutoSPF offer a supporting hand to manage them. So, feel free to reach out to us and combat phishing.