How to Create SPF Record For a Domain

1. How to Create SPF Record For a Domain? You are aware that email phishing and spoofing pose a serious threat to the integrity of email communications. Without building a wall of proper protection, spammers and cybercriminals can send emails that appear to be from trusted organizations or individuals. Imagine this happening to your organization! This can lead to distrust among recipients, resulting in financial loss and data breaches, which can damage your domain's reputation. Creating an SPF record for a domain becomes necessary to prevent such a situation. But how can the creation of an SPF record play a role in this? Well, in this article, we will learn that and also help you create SPF records for your mail server in simple steps. What is SPF Record? SPF is an abbreviation for Sender Policy Framework record. This is a DNS (Domain Name System) record that helps prevent email spoofing and phishing. This is done by specifying a mail server that is authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. The benefit of adding this is to improve your email deliverability and protect your domain's reputation. From this explanation, it's clear why creating an SPF record for your domain should be a priority. Now, let's move on to the steps: Detailed Process to Create SPF Record For Your Domain 1. Gather All IP addresses Utilized For Sending Emails

2. To start creating SPF records, first, you need to gather all the mail servers that are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Remember that, along with your own mail server, all of this will also include third-party services used to send email. 2. Understand SPF Syntax Have you created a list of IP addresses as mentioned above? Before we begin creating an SPF record, it's important to understand the SPF syntax. These records are defined using a simple syntax. Each SPF record begins with the “v=spf1” tag. After that, it is followed by mechanisms and qualifiers that define how email should be handled. Now what are these mechanisms & qualifiers? Mechanisms specify rules for handling specific scenarios, while qualifiers set the result for those mechanisms. Still confused about mechanisms & qualifiers? Don't worry, just remember that SPF records start with the “v=spf1” tag. 3. Understand SPF Mechanisms & Qualifies Saying again, don't worry if you are still confused about mechanisms and qualifiers. Just take a look at the common mechanisms mentioned below: include: This allows you to include SPF records from other domains, such as using third-party email services.  a: This allows IP addresses found in the A records of your domain to send email.  mx: This authorizes a list of IP addresses in the MX record for your domain to send email.  ip4 and ip6: This allows you to specify your specific IP address or range explicitly. 

3. all: This defines the default action for any IP address not covered by any of the preceding mechanisms.  Now have a look at the common qualifies mentioned below: + (Pass): If the SPF check passes and the sender's IP address is found within the allowed list, which is specified in the SPF record, then an email will be accepted and delivered to the recipient's inbox.  - (Fail): If the SPF check fails when the sender's IP address is not within the allowed list specified in the SPF record, the email will be rejected and not delivered to the recipient.  ~ (SoftFail): If the SPF check soft fails, the email might still be accepted but marked as suspicious.  ? (Neutral): The neutral qualifier leaves the handling decision of the email to the receiving server's discretion.  4. Create a SPF Record Let’s understand its creation process by taking an example: Imagine you have a website, "example.com" and you want to set up an SPF record for it. You simply create a simple text file that lists all email servers authorized to send email for "example.com". Here's what the SPF record might look like: "v=spf1 mx include:ip4:192.0.2.100 ip4:203.0.113.50 ~all" Here, It’s break down is: “v=spf1” means it's an SPF version 1 record. “Mx” means the list of servers' IP addresses handling your domain's emails that are allowed to send emails. “Include”: ip4:192.0.2.100, ip4:203.0.113.50" means these email servers are authorized to send emails from your domain. “~all” means any other IPs that try to send emails claiming to be from “example.com” should be treated with suspicion but not rejected outright. Congrats! You have successfully created your own SPF record!

4. 5. It’s Time to Publish SPF Record Now it’s time to publish the SPF record by accessing your domain's DNS management panel, which is typically provided by your domain registrar or hosting provider. There, you have to find the section where you can manage your DNS records. There, all you need to do is create a new TXT record for your domain and enter the SPF policy you created. 6. Test Your SPF Record It’s time to test the SPF Record you created! It's always wise to test it first to ensure everything is correct. Many SPF record testing tools are available online that allow you to check the validity of your SPF policy. Some of the best tools are: MX toolbox Spfrecord EasyDMARC PowerDMARC DMARCLY      7. Monitor Your SPF Record It is advised to regularly review the SPF records created by you and make necessary updates as per the changes in the email infrastructure. For example, if your email service provider has changed or if you add new authorized mail servers, it is necessary to update the SPF record accordingly. Conclusion We hope you understand why setting up an SPF record for your mail server helps protect your email reputation while creating an SPF record for your domain. Source - https://www.hostitsmart.com/manage/knowledgebase/283/How-to-Create-SPF- Record-For-a-Domain.html