Sending permissions

Free SPF record checker.

Your website, newsletter service and team may all send mail using one domain. SPF is the public list of sources your domain allows. Look up that list, spot common mistakes and compare it with the services you really use.

Find your domain’s sending list and spot common mistakes.

  • Free to use
  • No sign-up
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Look up an SPF record

Paste a domain or website link. We’ll use the domain automatically.

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Your email address.
Your domain.
A proper setup.

Give your business an inbox that belongs to you. Create mailboxes on your own domain and manage them together in TrekMail.

We generate the DNS records your domain needs for receiving and sending, including SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Follow the setup guide, or publish through a supported Cloudflare connection, then check the result in your dashboard.

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The TrekMail domain dashboard. Example account shown.

Bring your domainKeep your business identity.

Follow the setupGet the records and check them.

A new newsletter service is sending mail. Is it listed?

You connected a newsletter service, but it may need permission to send for your domain. Look up your current SPF policy before adding or removing a sending service.

What should I look for?

The record lists an older provider but no entry for the one you just connected.

Follow the new provider’s SPF instructions and combine approved sources into one record. Check every service that still sends before removing an existing entry.

This check highlights duplicate policies and rules that are obviously too open. It counts only the direct DNS terms in a record, so it cannot certify the complete SPF lookup limit or say whether one message passed.

Check SPF

Make your sending policy easier to understand.

Adding a sending service? Start by finding out what your domain already allows.

Publish one SPF record

If several providers send for a domain, combine their approved mechanisms into one v=spf1 TXT record. Two separate SPF records are not a safe way to add a provider.

Read the final policy

-all requests a fail for unlisted sources; ~all requests a softfail. +all permits every source. Choose a policy only after identifying all legitimate senders.

Know the lookup limit

SPF evaluation allows at most 10 DNS lookup terms, including nested policies. We count direct terms only. Includes, redirects, macros and void lookups require a complete evaluator.

A little knowledge. A better setup.

How to check an SPF record and read the result

Find your current sending policy before adding a newsletter service, changing email hosts or troubleshooting a missing SPF record.

Check SPF

Look up the sending domain

Enter the domain used for your sending service’s return-path, also called the envelope sender. It may differ from the address people see in From. The SPF checker retrieves its public TXT record and highlights common problems, including multiple SPF policies and a policy that permits every sender.

What it looks like · example
v=spf1 ip4:192.0.2.10 -all

Example only. 192.0.2.10 is a documentation address, not a mail server you should authorize.

Understand a simple SPF record

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. A record begins with v=spf1 and lists mechanisms such as ip4, ip6 or include. In the example below, the reserved documentation IP address is allowed; -all requests an SPF fail for other sources. Your provider will supply the values appropriate for its servers.

An include points to another SPF policy. That policy may contain further includes, which is why a short-looking record can still involve many DNS lookups. This tool counts direct lookup terms; it does not expand the entire chain or evaluate a particular sending IP.

Fix duplicates without dropping a real sender

Publish one SPF TXT record for each sending domain. When two services give you different records, combine the mechanisms according to their instructions rather than publishing both as separate SPF records. List every service that still sends before deleting an older entry.

After publishing the change, run the SPF lookup again. To understand a real message’s outcome, inspect its Authentication-Results header and check DMARC alignment as well. A valid SPF record alone is not an inbox delivery guarantee.

Read the SPF specification

Understand the result. Take the next step.

Practical guides from TrekMail, with setup instructions and deeper explanations for this tool.

Start free. Give your email room to grow.

Choose a free inbox to get started, or a paid plan for sending through TrekMail. One plan covers your account, with no per-seat fees.

Free for now

Nano

$0/month

Your own domain, your first mailboxes, no credit card.

  • 10 domains
  • 10 mailboxes per domain
  • 5 GB shared storage
  • Receive email and use webmail

Sending through TrekMail is included in paid plans. Nano can use your own SMTP service.

Send and receive with TrekMail.

Try an eligible paid email plan for 14 days.

Starter

For a small business

$4/month

  • 50 domains
  • 100 mailboxes per domain
  • 15 GB shared storage
  • Sending included

Pro

For a growing team

$10/month

  • 100 domains
  • 300 mailboxes per domain
  • 50 GB shared storage
  • Sending included

Agency

For client domains

$29/month

  • 1000 domains
  • 1000 mailboxes per domain
  • 200 GB shared storage
  • Sending included
Compare plans & start a trial

USD prices, billed monthly. Annual options available. Trials require a card and convert to the selected paid plan on the date shown at checkout. Cancel before that date to avoid a charge.

More from TrekMail

An inbox is just the beginning.

Read your business email in TrekMail webmail, or connect your favorite email app. Explore the other products when you need more from your workspace.

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TrekMail webmail. Example inbox shown.

Good questions. Clear answers.

Questions about allowed senders

Find the details you need, then return to the tool when you’re ready.

Check SPF
Does this tool give an SPF pass or fail?

No. A message SPF result needs a sender IP and envelope domain. This checker looks up DNS and highlights common record issues.

Is a low direct lookup count enough?

No. An include can lead to several more lookups. The displayed count is a starting point and does not prove that evaluation stays within the limit.

Why does SPF pass while DMARC fails?

SPF may pass for a return-path domain that is not aligned with the visible From domain. DMARC needs aligned SPF or aligned DKIM.

Where is an SPF record published?

SPF is published as a TXT record at the sending domain. A domain may have other TXT records, but it should have only one applicable TXT policy beginning with v=spf1.

Can I use this SPF lookup for free?

Yes. Enter a domain and run the check without creating an account. It reads public DNS records; it does not make changes to your domain.

Put your name on your email.

Create your TrekMail account, bring your domain and follow the setup. Start with free Nano, or try an eligible paid email plan for 14 days.

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