Home > Empowering Tips > Introducing SPF: What, Why, and How

Imagine you’re sending a letter to a friend, but you want to make sure they know it’s really from you and not someone pretending to be you. That’s where SPF (Sender Policy Framework) comes in.

SPF is like a special code that helps email systems verify the authenticity of your emails. It works behind the scenes when you hit “send” on your email.

When you have SPF set up for your email, you’re essentially telling email systems which servers are authorized to send emails on your behalf. So when your email arrives at its destination, the receiving email system checks if the server that sent the email is on your approved list. If it matches, your email is considered trustworthy and is delivered to the recipient’s inbox.

Now, imagine someone tries to send an email pretending to be from your domain using a different server not authorized in your SPF record. The receiving email server performs an SPF check and finds that the sending server’s IP address is not listed in your SPF record. It becomes suspicious because the email is coming from an unauthorized source. Depending on the server’s configuration, it may mark the email as spam, send it to the recipient’s junk folder, or even reject it altogether.

By implementing SPF for your email domain, you’ll gain the following benefits:

• Protection Against Email Spoofing: By specifying the authorized servers allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain, SPF helps prevent unauthorized sources from sending emails that appear to come from your domain. This protects your brand’s identity and reputation, as well as safeguards your recipients from falling victim to phishing or fraudulent emails.
• Improved Email Deliverability: Many email providers and ISPs consider SPF when determining the legitimacy of incoming emails. Having a valid SPF record increases the chances of your emails passing authentication checks, reducing the likelihood of them being marked as spam or blocked. This improves the overall deliverability of your legitimate emails to the recipients’ inboxes.
• Enhanced Reputation and Trust: With SPF in place, you demonstrate a proactive approach to email security. It shows that you take measures to protect your domain and users from email abuse. This helps build trust with recipients, as they can be more confident that emails received from your domain are legitimate and secure.

Overall, SPF is an important email security measure that protects your brand’s reputation, enhances email deliverability, and helps maintain trust with your recipients.