SPF Record Checker
Verify domain security.
Loading Smart Logic...
Quick Tip
Enter the domain — just the domain, such as example.com, not an email address.
About This Tool
Why use SPF Record Checker?
Look up a domain's SPF record and read it back mechanism by mechanism. The TXT records are queried live over DNS, the v=spf1 record is parsed, and every include, ip4, ip6, a, mx and all term is listed with what it actually authorises — plus warnings for the mistakes that quietly break authentication.
SPF fails in ways that are invisible until mail starts landing in spam. The one that catches most people is the ten-lookup limit: every include costs a DNS lookup, and the includes inside those includes count too, so a domain running Google Workspace alongside a CRM, a helpdesk and a marketing platform can exceed ten without anyone noticing. Past that limit the record returns permerror and receivers may treat the whole thing as though it were never published. The tool counts your includes against that budget so you can see where you stand.
Key Benefits
Every mechanism explained
include, ip4, ip6, a, mx, ptr, exists and all are each listed with what they authorise, instead of showing you a raw string to decode.
Lookup limit counted
Includes are counted against SPF's ten-lookup budget, which is the failure that most often breaks authentication silently.
Live DNS query
The record is read from DNS at the moment you check, so you see what receiving servers see right now.
How to use SPF Record Checker
- 1
Enter the domain — just the domain, such as example.com, not an email address.
- 2
Check the record; the domain's TXT records are queried live.
- 3
Read each mechanism and what it authorises.
- 4
Work through any warnings, especially the DNS lookup count and the all mechanism at the end.
Best use cases
Diagnose why legitimate mail is landing in spam.
Check SPF after adding a new sending platform.
Confirm a domain is set up before starting an outreach campaign.
Audit a client's or a new employer's email authentication.
SPF Record Checker FAQs
What is the ten DNS lookup limit?
SPF allows at most ten DNS lookups when a record is evaluated, and each include, a, mx and exists counts — including those nested inside your includes. Go over it and the record returns permerror, which receivers may treat as no SPF at all.
Should my record end in -all or ~all?
Start with ~all, a soft fail, while you confirm every legitimate sender is covered. Move to -all, a hard fail, once you are sure. Never use +all: it authorises every server on the internet to send as your domain.
Can I have two SPF records?
No. A domain must publish exactly one v=spf1 record. Two makes the result permerror. Merge them into a single record with all the includes you need.
Is SPF enough on its own?
No. SPF checks the envelope sender, not the from address a recipient sees. You also need DKIM to sign messages and DMARC to tie the two to the visible from address and tell receivers what to do on failure.
Related Email Tools
More free email tools that work well alongside spf record checker.