Setting up an SPF record for your domain can help prevent the emails you send out from being flagged as spam and can reduce attempts by spammers to spoof your domain. SPF is a special type of DNS record that designates the servers and hosts that are authorized to send email from a particular domain. When you implement an SPF record for your domain, spammers are less likely to “spoof” the domain, or use the domain in the FROM address of their spam emails. Since the SPF record identifies only the servers or hosts you use as authorized to send email for your domain, emails sent from a spammer’s unauthorized host is far more likely to be captured by spam filters and far less likely to reach their intended audience. This makes your domain less attractive to spammers. As a result, your legitimate email is less likely to be identified as spam and your domain is less likely to be blacklisted by spam filters.
The SPF record is generally configured at your domain provider or registrar. It is a TXT type DNS record. Every domain provider and registrar uses a different method of managing DNS records, so we recommend contacting your own provider for specific instructions on adding or managing the DNS records for your domain. Your SPF record should contain the following data:
v=spf1 include:_spf.securembox.com ~all
• The “v=spf1”entry identifies the record as an SPF record.
• The “include:_spf.securembox.com”mechanism adds the authorization for all of the servers in the network.
• The “~all” qualifier instructs the recipient server to SOFTFAIL, or flag any email that is not sent from a server or host authorized by the SPF record.
If you use a mass-marketing email provider or other service that sends email from your domain, you will likely need to include mechanisms for their services in your SPF record. We recommend contacting your provider to find out what specific settings they need to have included in your SPF record.
It is important to note that while having an SPF record can help ensure your legitimate email is less likely to be flagged as spam, and spammers are less likely to spoof your domain, having a misconfiguration in an SPF record can be the same or worse than having no SPF record at all. An SPF record should only have one “v=spf1” entry and one “all” qualifier. Moreover, SPF records should only have a maximum of 10 entries, mechanisms, or qualifiers. Each item, in the record separated by spaces, counts as a single entry. Your domain should also have only one SPF record. Duplicate items, records, or conflicting contents will invalidate the SPF record and result in the recipient’s spam filter ignoring the record altogether. Omitting a server or host from the record that needs to be able to send email for your domain can cause any email you send from that host to be flagged as spam or rejected altogether.
