What SPF Is and Why You Need It
SPF, the sender policy framework, is a small DNS record that lists which mail servers are allowed to send email using your domain. It is one of the first lines of defence against others forging messages that appear to come from you.
Without SPF, anyone can pretend to send from your domain, and your genuine mail is more likely to be filtered as suspicious. With it, receiving servers can verify your mail comes from an approved source.
How SPF Works
When a server receives mail claiming to be from your domain, it looks up your SPF record and checks whether the sending server is on the approved list.
Getting It Right
A correct SPF record names every legitimate sender. Miss one and that service's mail may be rejected.
- Include your email provider, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- Include any newsletter or marketing platform you use.
- Include systems that send transactional mail, like your website.
- Keep to a single SPF record — multiple records break the check.
A Common Pitfall
SPF only checks one part of the message envelope, so on its own it is not enough. It works best alongside DKIM and DMARC, which we cover in their own articles.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.