SPF Checker

Check your domain’s SPF record in seconds. Our free SPF Checker validates syntax, counts DNS lookups, and spots misconfigurations that could hurt your email deliverability. No data is stored and we never send your domain to third parties.

What is an SPF Record

An SPF record is a DNS TXT record that lists which mail servers are allowed to send email from your domain. It works like a guest list for your domain. When an email arrives, the receiving server checks this list. If the sending server is on the list, the email passes authentication. If not, it can be flagged or rejected.

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. It is an email authentication protocol defined in RFC 7208. Domain owners publish SPF records to prevent spammers from sending fake emails that appear to come from their domain. Without a proper SPF record, your domain is vulnerable to spoofing and phishing attacks.

What Our SPF Checker Does

This tool checks your domain’s SPF record and gives you a complete health report. Here is what we look at.

DNS lookup count. SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS lookups per RFC 7208. If you exceed this limit, your emails may fail authentication. Our tool counts every lookup, including those from nested includes and redirects.

Syntax validation. A single typo can break your SPF record. We validate your record against the SPF syntax standard and flag any errors.

Multiple record detection. You can only have one SPF record per domain. If we find more than one, we will warn you to merge them.

Deprecated mechanism warnings. The ptr mechanism and the old SPF record type were deprecated in 2014. We flag these so you can replace them with modern alternatives.

Qualifier analysis. We check how your SPF record ends. The all mechanism determines what happens to emails that don’t match any rule. We tell you whether you are using hard fail (-all), soft fail (~all), neutral (?all), or allow all (+all).

Health score. We give your SPF record a score from 0 to 100. This score reflects how well your record follows best practices. You also get a status badge: Good, Warning, or Critical.

How to Use the SPF Checker

Using this tool is simple. Follow these steps.

Step 1. Enter your domain name in the input field. Use the root domain without www or https://. For example, type example.com instead of www.example.com.

Step 2. Click the Check SPF Record button.

Step 3. Review your results. You will see your SPF record, DNS lookup count, qualifier, health score, and any warnings.

Step 4. Read the recommendations. If we find issues, we explain what they mean and tell you how to fix them.

You can also share your results with a direct link. Just add ?domain=example.com to the page URL. Anyone who opens that link will see the check results for that domain.

Why Choose This SPF Checker

Most SPF checkers send your domain data to external APIs. Ours does not. All DNS lookups happen directly from your browser and our server. We do not store your domain or share it with anyone.

Our tool also goes deeper than most free options. We recursively expand includes to count DNS lookups accurately. We do not just check the surface level. We flag deprecated mechanisms and multiple records that other tools miss.

The interface is clean and straightforward. You get a clear health score and plain English recommendations. You do not need to be a DNS expert to understand the results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an SPF record and why do I need one?

An SPF record is a DNS TXT record that lists the mail servers authorized to send email from your domain. You need one to prevent spammers from sending fake emails that appear to come from your domain. Without an SPF record, your domain is more vulnerable to spoofing and your legitimate emails are more likely to be marked as spam.

What does the DNS lookup limit mean and why does it matter?

RFC 7208 limits SPF evaluations to 10 DNS lookups. Each time your SPF record references another domain through include or redirect, that counts as a lookup. If you exceed 10 lookups, the SPF check fails and your emails may not be authenticated. Our tool counts every lookup so you know if you are close to or over the limit.

Why does my domain have multiple SPF records?

You can only have one SPF record per domain. Multiple records can happen if you added a new record without removing the old one. This is a problem because receiving servers do not know which record to follow. You need to merge all records into a single TXT record starting with v=spf1.

What are deprecated mechanisms and why should I care?

The ptr mechanism and the old SPF record type (SPF RR) were deprecated in 2014. Using them can cause delivery issues because many email providers no longer support them. Replace ptr with ip4 or ip6 mechanisms where possible. Use a standard TXT record instead of an SPF RR.

What is the difference between hard fail and soft fail?

Hard fail (-all) tells receiving servers to reject emails that do not match your SPF record. Soft fail (~all) tells them to accept the email but mark it as suspicious. Neutral (?all) gives no instruction at all. Allow all (+all) says any server can send email from your domain, which is a serious security risk. Hard fail gives the strongest protection, but soft fail is often recommended for testing.

How do I fix an SPF record that has too many DNS lookups?

You can reduce lookups by flattening your SPF record. Replace multiple include statements with direct ip4 or ip6 entries. Some email services offer SPF flattening tools that automate this process. You can also remove unnecessary includes or combine them where possible.

Does this tool store my domain or share it with anyone?

No. All DNS lookups happen directly from our server. We do not store your domain, share it with third parties, or send it to any external API. Your privacy is completely protected.

What is a health score and how is it calculated?

The health score is a number from 0 to 100 that reflects how well your SPF record follows best practices. We deduct points for issues like multiple records, syntax errors, excessive DNS lookups, deprecated mechanisms, and problematic qualifiers. A score above 80 is Good, 50 to 79 is Warning, and below 50 is Critical.

I use multiple email services. How do I manage my SPF record?

List all authorized senders in a single SPF record using multiple include or ip4 mechanisms. For example, if you use Google Workspace and SendGrid, your record might look like v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all. Just keep an eye on the DNS lookup count because each include adds to it.

What happens if I do not have an SPF record?

Without an SPF record, receiving mail servers have no way to verify that an email from your domain is legitimate. Spammers can easily spoof your domain. Your legitimate emails may also be marked as spam because there is no authentication policy to trust.

Learn More About SPF-

SPF is part of a broader email authentication framework that includes DKIM and DMARC. To learn more about how SPF works and why it matters, you can read the Sender Policy Framework article on Wikipedia. The official specification is defined in RFC 7208.

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Disclaimer: Results from this tool are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that every result is complete or error-free. Always verify important findings using additional methods before making security, technical, or business decisions.