Make sure your emails land in inboxes, not spam folders. If you see Issue Detected next to SPF in your dashboard or you're worried you have an issue with your SPF, here are some steps you can take.
If you’re having trouble with email deliverability, your SPF record might be the issue. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells email providers which servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf. If it's missing, not configured correctly, or overly complicated, your emails may get flagged or blocked altogether.
Step 1: Check Your SPF Record
Use a free tool like mxtoolbox.com/emailhealth to run a quick scan. You’ll see whether your SPF record is:
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Missing
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Has invalid syntax
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Exceeds the allowed number of “includes”
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Failing to respond in time
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Linked to a domain without its own SPF record
Any of these can cause delivery problems, and the scan will help pinpoint the issue.
Step 2: Get Help from Your Provider or Developer
Fixing SPF usually means editing your domain’s DNS records. If that sounds technical, that's because it is. That’s why we recommend asking your website host, domain provider, or developer to help. Just send them the results from your scan and let them know what needs to be fixed.
Common Issues You Might See
Here are a few examples of what could be wrong:
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No SPF found: You need to add one.
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Invalid syntax: There’s a typo or formatting issue.
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Too many includes or MX records: You’re referencing too many outside services or servers, which breaks the rules.
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Slow DNS or no response: Your server didn’t respond in time.
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Empty lookups (void errors): Your SPF is trying to validate something, but it leads nowhere.
Can diib Help?
We’ll flag common SPF problems for you, but fixing them requires DNS access. If you’re not sure where to start, our dashboard will give you a heads up, then you can take that info to your provider or developer to get it resolved.