Using A Robust SPF Record Checker For Protecting Organization’s Reputation And Ensuring Email Deliverability With Error-Free SPF Records

SPF Record Check – The Concept

SPF record check is a diagnostic tool acting as an SPF record lookup and SPF validator. This tool works by looking up the SPF record for the queried domain name and displaying it. Subsequently, it runs a series of diagnostic tests against the SPF record. It highlights any errors found with the document that could impact email delivery, and resultantly, the organization’s reputation.

What Does The SPF Record Checker Look For In The Record?

Let us now discuss the validation process of the SPF record checker. It looks for the following aspects in an SPF record.

• The Existence Of An SPF Record: The SPF record checker ensures that an SPF record exists in the DNS in the first place.
• More Than One SPF Records In DNS: SPF record check does not validate more than one SPF record in each SPF version’s DNS. Hence, there should only be one SPF record, which must be kept adequately updated. Also, there is no point in placing a new record adjacent to the existing one, as it is not valid.
• Maximum Number Of Lookups: SPF record check does not perform more than ten nested DNS lookups.
• Record Termination Missing: The SPF record check ensures that a default fallback mechanism exists at the end of the record. It tells the SPF record checker what to do when other steps fail. It can either be a ‘redirect’ modifier or an ‘all’ setting.
• +all Mechanism: Using the ‘+all’ mechanism entails that a user allows any person to send emails on their behalf. Even if the SPF Record check tries to match the source with another guideline, it will still enable ‘+all’ by default if that alternative fails. Hence, it is recommended not to use this setup.
• PTR Mechanism: The SPF record check can look for a PTR mechanism. PTR is an outdated mechanism and hence discouraged as the senders may ignore it.
• Multiple Fallback: It will check if multiple fallback mechanisms exist. Generally, an SPF record should have one fallback scenario.
• DNS Type SPF Used: As per RFC 7208, SPF records need to be published as DNS TXT (Type 16) RR (Resource Record).
• Invalid Macro: The SPF record checker tries to validate SPF macros, which is a feature that helps you make dynamic SPF policies by allowing various variables to be included, which are later verified by receiving MTAs, which can work based on information such as the sender’s email address and IP address
• Uppercase SPF: Generally, using the lowercase is the ideal practice to publish the SPF records. However, it is not a compulsory requirement.

Though SPF record check is not the ultimate protection against spam and phishing emails, it plays a significant role in assisting the network in identifying malicious intervention that could lead to spoofing and degrading an organization’s reputation. Therefore, defining the SPF record and validating it helps ensure email security to a significant extent.