SPF RECORD

What is an SPF Record?

An SPF record, also known as the SPF TXT record, is a DNS record similar to a DMARC record that is part of a domain’s DNS. It has a list of all the IP addresses that are allowed to send emails on the domain’s behalf.  When a sender attempts to deliver an email to a recipient, the receiving server checks to determine if the sender is on that domain’s list of allowed senders. If it is, then a link between the email and the email domain is formed.

Configuring an SPF record protects the user’s email domain from spoofing and phishing attacks by letting the world know which servers are authorized to send emails on their behalf. If an SPF record has not been set on the user’s domain, the email could be labeled as spam or could bounce back. A properly configured SPF record will increase email delivery while also protecting the domain from malicious emails. SPF and DKIM are linked by the email validation system DMARC.