SPF Record Generator – Create a Valid SPF Record

Build a correctly formatted SPF record for your domain in seconds, then check it for errors before you publish it to DNS.

Enter your domain

Please enter a valid domain name, without http:// prefix

Use Redirect Redirect hands SPF evaluation over to another domain’s record entirely. Use it when a provider publishes the record for you - it replaces every mechanism, so no other value and no failure policy can be set alongside it.

Manage Mechanisms Values

IncludeAuthorizes all IP addresses listed in another domain’s SPF record. Each include adds one DNS lookup.

Incorrect value

Add more mechanism values

Failure policy The SPF failure policy defines how receiving email servers handle messages that don’t pass SPF checks. Fail (-all) rejects them, Soft-fail (~all) accepts but marks them, and Neutral (?all) leaves the decision to the receiver.

Check and verify your SPF record now

Check SPF

Why Should I Use an SPF Record Generator Tool?

Configuring SPF for your domain with the instant SPF record generator helps receiving MTAs check which IP addresses are allowed to send emails on your behalf. This ensures that unauthorized sending sources cannot send emails posing to be you.

PowerDMARC’s free SPF record generator allows you to:

Instantly create an SPF record for your domain
Generate a valid and error-free SPF record
Directly copy the created SPF record by clicking on the copy button
Configure SPF authentication for your domain by publishing the SPF record in your DNS

Steps to Publish the Generated SPF Record in Your DNS

Log in to your DNS management console
Navigate to your desired domain
Specify your resource type: TXT

Specify your hostname: _spf
Paste the value of your generated SPF record
Save changes to configure SPF for your domain

What Does PowerDMARC’s SPF Record Generator Do?

PowerDMARC’s SPF generator tool helps you set up SPF for your domains to start authorizing your sending sources. Using this automatic SPF creator tool, domain owners can instantly generate a Sender Policy Framework record that is ready to be published on their Domain Name System.

SPF Record Formatting Explained

The typical SPF record format is as follows:

v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all

Protocol version

The format of an SPF record begins with the protocol version, which is always v=spf1.

Authorized senders

Next comes the list of authorized senders. This can be denoted by the “include” mechanism if a domain owner wants to delegate his domain’s SPF policy to another domain. Alternatively, the sender can specify IPv4 and IPv6 ranges to authorize sending servers.

Failure mechanism

The “all” tag refers to the SPF failure mechanism which can be hardfail, softfail, or neutral depending on the qualifier set before it (+, -, ~, ?).

How to Publish Your Generated SPF Record

Log in to Your DNS Provider: Access the DNS management console of your domain registrar or hosting provider.
Locate the DNS Settings: Find the section for managing DNS records (often labeled “DNS Management,” “Zone Editor,” or “Advanced DNS”).
Add a New TXT Record: Select the option to create a new TXT record.
Enter the SPF Record: In the “Host” field, enter your domain (e.g., @ for the root domain). In the “Value” field, paste the generated SPF record.
Set TTL (Optional): Specify a Time-To-Live (TTL) value (default values like 3600 seconds work fine).
Save the Changes: Click “Save” or “Apply” to publish the record.
Verify the SPF Record: Use an SPF record checker to confirm that the record is correctly published.

What are the Limitations of SPF?

Some common SPF limitations include:

SPF records can easily exceed the 10 DNS lookup limit.
They are prone to exceeding the SPF void limit of 2.
They can get excessively lengthy and exceed the recommended length limit.
They can be configured incorrectly or with syntax errors.
SPF alone is not an effective defense against spoofing and phishing attacks and needs to be combined with DMARC enforcement to achieve that.

Troubleshooting SPF Failure

Some common reasons for SPF authentication failures are:

Syntax Errors: Incorrect SPF record syntax can lead to SPF failure. This is usually because of human error, and an online tool like our SPF generator can ensure accuracy.
Configuration Errors: Not publishing your SPF record correctly on your DNS can lead to errors and failures. To avoid this, domain owners can rely on their DNS hosting provider or use an Auto-DNS publishing tool.
Vendor complexities: Too many email vendors add to complications and exceed the permitted DNS lookup limit of 10. Email vendors or service providers often unknowingly add to or change their IP addresses
Traditional Flattening Limitations: Using traditional SPF flattening tools can lead to very lengthy SPF records that may exceed the RFC-specified length limit. Using SPF Macros is a better alternative to resolve this issue.

How to Make Sure Your SPF is Set Up Correctly

To make sure your SPF is set up and operating correctly, you can check your record instantly using an SPF checker tool. This free tool highlights the validity status of your configured record, along with any possible errors.

To help with constant and regular monitoring, combine SPF with DMARC and enable DMARC reporting for your domain. These comprehensive reports contain SPF authentication information, helping you track authentication failures easily.