In an effort to protect you as a business owner and a sender of emails, your web host uses Sender Policy Framework (SPF) as a method to prevent unauthorized senders from forging your email address, or “spoofing”. In short, SPF protects you by validating the sending server to confirm that the emails appearing to come from you are authorized.
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) require SPF records to be published under your domain name in order to accept your email.
Regardless of what service provider you use to send email, you need to ensure that your SPF record is configured to authorize that provider (in this case, Infusionsoft) to send email from your sender address.
Below is a list of the top web hosting providers, their contact numbers, and examples of their default SPF records (where we could get them) so that you can easily accomplish setting up your SPF Record.
As you read these instructions, if you have concerns about updating your SPF record. Please call your hosting provider (aka - the company you purchased your website from or the private domain that you send email from). We have provide the support numbers for the most popular hosting providers below.
Table of Contents:
How-to Steps
- When you edit your SPF record, you will be modifying or adding a TXT record.
- You may also be asked for a Host. You want to type in the “@” sign or edit the existing row with the “@” sign so that the authorization applies to your entire domain.
- Your SPF will then look something like this
v=sp1 a mx ptr include:mydomain.com ~all
or
v=sp1 a mx ptr Ip4:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ~all
- If you don’t have an SPF record listed, you will want to create the following TXT entry:
TXT | @ | v=spf1 mx include:infusionmail.com ~all
- If you do have an SPF record listed, you will want to append the entry so that it looks something like this:
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ptr include:mydomain.com include:infusionmail.com ~all
or
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ptr Ip4:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx include:infusionmail.com ~all
- You may also be asked about TTL. Most of the time there is a default value here, but if not set it for 1 hour.
Example SPF records for the more popular Web Hosting Services
If you have any questions regarding your specific SPF setup on your hosting pages, please call your hosting service as they are the resident experts of their default SPF settings.
GoDaddy- Support: 1-866-463-2339
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ptr include:secureserver.net include:infusionmail.com ~all
Bluehost- Support: 1-888-401-4678
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ptr include:bluehost.com include:infusionmail.com ~all
HostGator- Support: 1-866-964-2867
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx include:websitewelcome.com include:infusionmail.com ~all
1 and 1 - Support: 1-866-991-2637
TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:1und1.com include:infusionmail.com ~all
DreamHost- Support: Chatting in for support may be most effective
TXT | @ | v=spf1 ip4:208.97.132.0/24 ip4:66.33.201.0/24 ip4:64.111.100.0/24 ip4:66.33.216.0/24
ip4:208.113.175.0/24 mx include:infusionmail.com ~a
Liquidweb- Support: 1-800-580-4985 x1 or 1-517-322-0434 (int’l)
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ip4:XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX include:infusionmail.com ~all
(make sure that you replace the X’s with the actual IP address in the default entry)
MediaTemple - Support: 1-877-578-4000 or documentation
TXT | @ | v=spf1 a mx ip4:XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX include:infusionmail.com -all
(make sure that you replace the X’s with the actual IP address in the default entry)
Siteground- Support: 1-800-828-9231
TXT | @ | v=spf1 +a +mx +ip4:37.60.224.72 include:infusionmail.com ~all
Hostwinds- Support: 1-918-960-0191
You'll need to call in directly and ask them how to append mx include:infusionmail.com to your SPF record.
InMotion Hosting - Support: 1-888-321-4678 x2
You'll need to call in directly and ask them how to append mx include:infusionmail.com to your SPF record.
Bonus Tools
Tools to help your deliverability and maintain/monitor domain health
MXToolBox Domain Health: If you’d like to check the health of your domain, please enter your domain on this page. Your results will tell you where you need to tighten up for domain reputation and improved deliverability (other helpful mx tools can be found here)
DMARCIAN SPF Survey: This tool will look specifically at your SPF record and let you know if there are any concerns. You can use this information when you call your webhost to ensure that you are setting yourself up for success.