SPF Settings
The SPF Settings page lets you manage the authorized senders and settings for your domain's SPF record.
Note: Changes take effect only after the SPF record is verified.
Authorized Senders
The Authorized Senders table lists all SPF directives currently configured for your domain, in the order they are evaluated. You can reorder directives by dragging rows.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | The position of this directive in the SPF record. Directives are evaluated in order. |
| Qualifier | How email from this sender is treated: Pass (green), Fail (red), Soft Fail (orange), or Neutral (gray). |
| Type | The SPF mechanism: A Records, MX Records, Include, IPv4 Address/Range, IPv6 Address/Range, or Exists. |
| Address Value | The domain name or IP address for this directive. If linked to a known sender, the sender's name is shown. Directives with errors display a warning message. |
| Lookups | The number of DNS lookups this directive requires. Counts above 6 are shown in orange; counts above 10 are shown in red. Void lookups are also flagged when present. |
| IP | The number of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses this directive resolves to. Click a tag to view the full IP address list. |
The total DNS lookup count and total void lookup count for your entire SPF record are shown above the table. SPF records with more than 10 DNS lookups may fail validation.
Actions
Click Add New SPF Directive to open the directive form. For a full description of each field, see Add New SPF Directive.
Click Import to remove all existing directives and replace them with the directives imported from the domain's current published SPF record in public DNS.
Note: Importing SPF directives removes all existing directives. Review the imported list carefully before saving.
Settings
SPF Flattening
SPF Flattening addresses the 10 DNS lookup limit by converting include, MX, and A directives into IP addresses, creating a single optimised record.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Enabled | SPF flattening is active. The platform optimises the record automatically. |
| Disabled | SPF flattening is off. Manage DNS lookups manually. |
All Term - Default Qualifier
Senders not matched by any directive in the list are handled by the all mechanism at the end of the SPF record. Set the default qualifier to control how unmatched senders are treated.
| Qualifier | Description |
|---|---|
| + Pass (Not Recommended) | All unmatched senders pass SPF authentication. This allows any sender not in your list. |
| - Fail | All unmatched senders fail SPF authentication and should be rejected. |
| ? Neutral (Not Recommended) | Unmatched senders are treated as neither pass nor fail. |
| ~ Soft Fail | Unmatched senders are treated as suspicious. Messages are typically accepted but flagged. |
Related Topics
- Add New SPF Directive: Add an authorized sender directive to your SPF record
- What is SPF?: Introduction to SPF and its purpose
- How Does SPF Work?: Technical details about SPF operation
- Why is SPF Important?: Benefits and significance of SPF
- Limitations of SPF: Current constraints and challenges
- SPF Redirect: Using the redirect modifier
- SPF Syntax: Detailed information about SPF DNS record