---
type: "Glossary Term"
title: "What is an SPF record? | Roicool"
description: "What is SPF? The DNS record listing the servers allowed to send email on behalf of your domain: an example record, common mistakes and the 10-lookup limit."
url: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/spf"
lang: "en"
dateModified: "2026-10-20"
resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/spf"
alternates:
  tr: "https://www.roicool.com/sozluk/spf.md"
generated: { by: "process:roicool-cms", at: "2026-10-20T15:58:47.063Z" }
related:
  - { title: "DKIM", resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/dkim.md" }
  - { title: "DMARC", resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/dmarc.md" }
  - { title: "Email deliverability", resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/email-deliverability.md" }
  - { title: "Email deliverability", resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/services/email-deliverability.md" }
  - { title: "Glossary", resource: "https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary.md" }
---

# What is SPF?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method, published as a TXT record in a domain's DNS, that lists which servers and services may send email on behalf of that domain. The receiving server uses this record to check whether an incoming email was sent from an authorized source.

## In short

SPF is one of the three pillars of email deliverability, with DKIM and DMARC; it checks whether the sending server is authorized, not what the message says. For marketers, any sending service left out of the record, such as a newsletter platform or CRM, can push messages into spam. The record lists authorized services with include mechanisms and ends with ~all or -all to say how to treat everyone else. A company adopting a new email tool must add that tool's include value to its SPF record.

## Key points

- SPF lists the servers allowed to send email for a domain in a DNS TXT record.
- Authorized services are added with include; ~all means softfail and -all means fail.
- Having more than one SPF record on a domain causes an error.
- Evaluating the record must not exceed the limit of 10 DNS lookups.
- Together with DKIM and DMARC, it is the foundation of inbox placement.

## Example

v=spf1 include:\_spf.google.com ~all

Authorized services are added with `include`; the `~all` (softfail) or `-all` (fail) at the end says what to do with sources not on the list.

## Common mistakes

- Having more than one SPF record on a domain (SPF returns an error).
- Exceeding the limit of 10 DNS lookups while the record is evaluated.
- Forgetting to add a new sending service to the record.

## Why it matters

Together with DKIM and DMARC, SPF is the foundation for getting your emails into the inbox. More detail: [What are DMARC, SPF and DKIM](https://www.roicool.com/en/blog/what-are-spf-dkim-dmarc), audit: [email deliverability](https://www.roicool.com/en/services/email-deliverability).

## Related terms

- [DKIM](https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/dkim)
- [DMARC](https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/dmarc)
- [Email deliverability](https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/email-deliverability)

## Related service

- [Email deliverability](https://www.roicool.com/en/services/email-deliverability)

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Related pages:

- [Glossary](https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary)

Source: https://www.roicool.com/en/glossary/spf · Last updated: 2026-10-20