SPF record settings
What is an SPF Record and what is it for?
An SPF record is a DNS setting that defines which mail servers and IP addresses are authorized to send emails on behalf of a specific domain.
By configuring an SPF record, it is possible to indicate to the recipient servers which IP addresses are authorized to send emails with their own domain name. This setting helps you increase security and protect you from email scams.
Setting a correct SPF record reduces the likelihood that someone can use your domain to send spam or phishing emails and increases the chance that your message will not be marked as unwanted. Configuring an SPF record is easy and there are no additional costs or impacts on the Webmail performance.
It is strongly recommended to set an SPF record for each active domain on Qboxmail.
Configuring an SPF record
To configure the SPF record on your domain, you must access the DNS management panel of the provider that you used to register the domain and add the following value:
| Type of record | Value |
|---|---|
| TXT | v=spf1 include:spf.qboxmail.com mx a -all |
This setting also authorizes the server hosting your website to send emails.
The verification process for the SPF record is performed by the server receiving email. Once the record is added, it can take up to 24 hours before the DNS change is fully operational.
Set a white label SPF record
SPF White Label Records are available for Resellers to be configured in their user domains. By using the SPF White Label Records, any direct reference to Qboxmail on the interface will be removed. You can download the PDF file with the White Label Parameters for accessing the services from the customer area after logging in.
The White Label configuration is included in the service fee.
Advanced settings to enable SPF records from other providers
If emails containing your domain as sender also depart from other providers (e.g. Mailchimp), you must include their SPF settings by "including" them as shown in the following example:
| Type of record | Value |
|---|---|
| TXT | v=spf1 include:spf.qboxmail.com includes:server.mcsv.net mx a -all |
For example, if the IP address of your mail server (or SMTP dedicated to sending DEM) is 151.2.3.4 DNS, then you must enter:
| Type of record | Value |
|---|---|
| TXT | v=spf1 include:spf.qboxmail.com ip4:151.2.3.4/32 mx a -all |
For the correct setting on the DNS control panel, refer to the technical support of the current DNS service provider.
Make sure you publish only one TXT record that includes all the necessary SPF settings.
Verify the correct settings of the SPF record in the DNS
The Qboxmail servers are able to validate the SPF record for incoming emails and add a header that reports the outcome of this validation. The header can be viewed by opening the message source and it looks like this:
Received-SPF: pass (0: SPF record on spf.qboxmail.com designates 185.97.218.202 as the allowed sender) Received-SPF: pass (0: SPF record on spf.qboxmail.com designates 185.97.218.202 as allowed sender)
When the result is "passed", it means that the SPF Record of the e-mail sender is configured correctly.
To verify the correct setting of the SPF record on your domain, you can run the nslookup command from the terminal:
nslookup -q = txt domainname.com
which should involve:
yourdomain.com text = “v=spf1 includes:spf.qboxmail.com mx a -all”
You can use our toolbox to verify that an IP address is included in your domain SPF record.
The last parameter can be set as HardFail (-all) or as SoftFail (~all). The difference lies in the fact that -all requires that the recipients' servers reject messages from your domain if they are not coming from one of the IPs specified in the SPF record. Meanwhile, with ~ all messages arriving from undefined IPs are equally accepted but could be penalized.
