Home → 360 → Activity Management - Email → FAQ: SPF Records for Mass Email

18.7. FAQ: SPF Records for Mass Email

What is an SPF record?
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a type of DNS (Domain Name Service) record that identifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. In essence it's a way of announcing to other mail servers that the entity sending email on your behalf is trusted.

 

Why is it important that I create an SPF entry for Aristotle and my Domain?
If you specify a 'sent from' email address from an external mail server without a proper SPF record the likelyhood of the recipient's mail server flaging or rejecting the message as spam is increased.

 

How can I check my SPF records?
You can use the following tool which is provided by Microsoft to check your SPF record: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/safety/content/technologies/senderid/wizard/ http://www.mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx

Simply enter your domain name in the field provided (Your domain name is the text that occurs after the @ in your email address.)

If your setup is correct it should show 'include:aristotle.com' in it somewhere when tested with the tool above.

 

Who can edit my SPF entry?
In order to change your SPF record you will need access to the account that you registered your domain with.  For example, if you registered your domain with GoDaddy then you will need to log into your GoDaddy account to manage your SPF records.

 

What do I need to enter?
The steps to reach the administration area for your SPF records will vary depending on your domain registrar. Consult your registrar directly for step by step instructions.

The SPF record type should be : TXT

The entry that you need ot add is: include:spf.aristotle.com

 

This will allow Aristotle's mail servers to send email on behalf of your domain name without being flagged as suspicious.

 

What if my email address ends in @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, or some other common free email domain?
Modifying the SPF records for free email accounts such as Yahoo or Google is not possible since these domains are shares by many thousands or sometimes millions of users.

 

I'm sending email on behalf of a group that uses one of the above services. If I can't set an SPF record what can I do?

You can use any email address in the 'reply to' area of your email, only the 'sender' line needs to use an email address from a domain with the correct SPF record to avoid being marked as spam.

 

Links to instructions on setting SPF records for the most common domain providers:

1. GoDaddy: http://www.mail-tester.com/spf/godaddy

2. Google Apps: https://support.google.com/a/answer/33786?hl=en

3. YahooDomains: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&id=SLN22170

4. Tell us who you use for your domain and we'll do our best to include instructions here.