SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is a security measure that helps protect against email spoofing. It is a DNS record that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Adding SPF to your DNS record can help prevent unauthorized users from using your domain to send spam or phishing emails.
Introduction
In the video you will see the name Flowmailer (previous name of Spotler SendPro)
Getting started
Create SPF record
To add SPF to your DNS record, you will need to create a TXT record that includes a list of the mail servers authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. The SPF record should include the "v=spf1" tag, followed by a list of the authorized mail servers' IP addresses or domain names. For example, if your mail server has an IP address of 1.2.3.4, your SPF record might look like this:
v=spf1 ip4:1.2.3.4 ~all
Several other tags can be used in an SPF record, such as "a" for A records, "MX" for MX records, and "include" for including other SPF records. It is important to carefully construct your SPF record to ensure that it accurately reflects the servers authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.
The SPF mechanisms
An SPF record defines the authorized mail servers for a domain. It specifies the IP addresses or hostnames of authorized mail servers allowed to send emails on behalf of that domain.
The following mechanisms are used in an SPF record:
- a: Matches the IP address of the domain's A record.
- mx: Matches the IP address of the domain's MX record.
- include: Includes the SPF record of another domain.
- ptr: Matches a reverse DNS lookup of the IP address.
- ip4: Matches a specific IPv4 address.
- ip6: Matches a specific IPv6 address.
- exists: Matches an address listed in a specified domain.
Add SPF-record to your DNS
Once you have created your SPF record, you need to add it to your DNS configuration. This process will vary depending on your DNS provider but typically involves logging into your account and adding the SPF record to your DNS zone file.
Adding SPF to your DNS record can help protect your domain from being used for spam or phishing campaigns. This can improve the deliverability of your legitimate emails and help protect your reputation and prevent your domain from being blacklisted. So if you haven't done so, consider adding SPF to your DNS record to help protect your domain and improve your email security.
Check SPF in Spotler SendPro
Under Value at Essential DNS records (Sender domain), you can see an example of what the record can look like. For SendPro, set an include:spf.flowmailer.net to the record. You can add more includes if desired. A problem occurs when you have more than 10 includes. That is a technical limit within SPF. Please contact your IT department or our Support department for more information.
If you see a green check mark, web.flowmailer.net is listed in the SPF record. An orange status means it does not contain this address, but it does not stop the sending process and a red cross means there is a problem. When a red cross is the case, contact your IT department to solve the problem.