Validate your Sender Policy Framework record and find out if it's blocking your emails
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS TXT record that lists the mail servers authorised to send email on behalf of your domain. When someone receives an email from you, their mail server checks your domain's SPF record to confirm the sending IP is on the approved list. If it isn't, the email may be marked as spam or rejected outright.
Without a valid SPF record, your emails lack a fundamental layer of trust. Gmail, Outlook, and virtually every major mail provider use SPF as one of their primary spam signals. Missing or misconfigured SPF is one of the most common reasons legitimate business emails land in spam folders. SPF is also required for DMARC to work correctly.
Publish a single SPF TXT record on your domain: v=spf1 include:yourmailserver.com ~all. Add an include: mechanism for every service that sends email on your behalf. Keep the total number of DNS lookups under 10 — use tools like dmarcian's SPF flattener if needed. Use ~all (soft fail) to start, then tighten to -all (hard fail) once you're confident your record is complete. Never use +all, which would authorise every server on the internet to send as you.
FixMyEmail checks SPF alongside 13 other signals — authentication, server reputation, and content quality — in one free test. No account needed.
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