SPF Checker
Email spoofing is one of the most common methods used in phishing attacks—and one of the easiest to prevent with the right tools. An SPF check is a quick and effective way to make sure your domain is protected and properly configured for email authentication.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what SPF is, why it matters, and how to run an SPF record check using a simple SPF record lookup tool.
What Is SPF?
SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. It’s an email authentication method designed to prevent spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain.
SPF works by letting you specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails for your domain. You do this by publishing an SPF record in your domain’s DNS (Domain Name System).
When a receiving server gets an email claiming to be from yourdomain.com, it checks your SPF record to see if the sending server is authorized. If not, the message can be flagged as spam or rejected entirely.
What Is an SPF Check?
An SPF check or SPF record check verifies that:
- A domain has an SPF record published in its DNS
- The SPF record is properly formatted
- The domain’s authorized sending IPs and services (like Mailchimp or SendGrid) are correctly included
Using an SPF record lookup tool, you can instantly inspect any domain’s SPF record to troubleshoot issues or confirm proper setup.
How to Run an SPF Record Check
To run an SPF record lookup, all you need is the domain name.
The tool will:
- Look up the TXT record at
yourdomain.com - Check for a string that starts with
v=spf1 - Parse the mechanisms (e.g.,
ip4,include,a,mx,all) - Return whether the SPF record is valid and what servers are authorized
Example SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ip4:203.0.113.5 -all
This means:
- Emails from Google Workspace are allowed
- IP address
203.0.113.5is allowed - All others should be rejected (
-all)
Why Is SPF Important?
A properly configured SPF record helps:
- Prevent spoofing and phishing
- Improve email deliverability
- Avoid spam folder issues
- Build trust with mail providers like Gmail and Outlook
But if your SPF record is missing or misconfigured, legitimate emails might be rejected—or worse, attackers could impersonate your domain.
Common SPF Misconfigurations
Running a regular SPF check can help you spot issues like:
- Missing SPF record
- Syntax errors or unsupported mechanisms
- Too many DNS lookups (exceeding the 10-lookup limit)
- Overlapping or duplicate entries
- Improper use of the
+,~, and-qualifiers
Automate Checks with an SPF API
If you’re managing multiple domains or building tools that rely on email validation, an SPF record check API can help.
An SPF API allows you to:
- Programmatically validate SPF records
- Monitor changes to DNS settings
- Detect deliverability risks in real time
- Integrate SPF checks into email validation flows or security dashboards
Try Our Free SPF Record Lookup Tool
Our SPF Check Tool makes it easy to:
- Instantly fetch any domain’s SPF record
- Validate the record’s syntax and structure
- See which mail servers are authorized
- Detect configuration issues before they affect deliverability
No login required. Just enter your domain and get results in seconds.
Final Thoughts
Setting up SPF is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your domain from being misused. But setup isn’t enough—you need to regularly run SPF checks to ensure everything’s still working as expected.
Use our Email Reputation API into your workflow to safeguard your domain, your customers, and your email reputation.
