The Ultimate SPF Email Authentication Resource
Looking to learn more about Sender Policy Framework (SPF) email authentication? You're in the right place! This is your ultimate resource for SPF authentication. Learn the answer to "What is SPF?", see how SPF works, how it protects your domain from email spoofing, and so much more. You can also access valuable SocketLabs resources so you can get set up quickly!
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Tools and Resources
Additional SocketLabs Authentication Assets
Chapter 1
What is SPF?
What is SPF
SPF, short for Sender Policy Framework, is an email authentication method that helps senders combat malicious sender tactics like spoofing, phishing, and spamming. SPF allows senders to define which email servers are allowed to send email from their domain. It should be used with DKIM and a DMARC policy to help protect your email.
Chapter 2
SPF and Deliverability
Does Implementing SPF Improve My Sender Reputation?
Why You Should Use SPF
SPF (along with DKIM and a DMARC policy) is an essential email authentication standard that should be used by any businesses or brands that send marketing and transactional email to their stakeholders. Not only does using SPF email authentication improve the likelihood of landing in the recipient’s inbox, it helps protect your brand from malicious email tactics like phishing and spoofing.
Chapter 3
SPF Records: At a Glance
What is an SPF Record?
As part of setting up an SPF policy for your domain, the domain administrator needs to publish the policy that will define which servers are allowed to send emails from that domain. This policy that the domain admin publishes in the DNS is known as the SPF record.
How Do SPF Records Work?
The SPF record published in the DNS is the foundation to a successful SPF policy. The receiving server checks the domain of the return path value located in the email header. The receiving server is looking to see if the sending server IP address has pre-defined permission to send email from that domain as defined in the SPF records.
What Does an SPF Record Do?
A TXT DNS entry provides a list of IPs that are allowed to send email from your domain. These entries are set up by your system administrator in your DNS. If the recipient server verifies the email is from a permissible IP, it will pass SPF authentication.
Looking to Learn More About Setting Up SPF and DKIM in Your DNS? Check Out Our Help Center!
Chapter 4
Email Authentication: SPF Vs. DKIM Vs. DMARC
Important SocketLabs Authentication Tools & Resources!
What Sets SocketLabs Apart!
We monitor changes in ISP authentication practices and make ongoing adjustments to our protocols so clients always have the latest authentication methods at their disposal. All of this expertise is applied “behind the scenes” so clients just send their email, and then simply watch it hit the inbox.
Authentication is only part of the many steps we take to ensure top deliverability for your emails.
Contact us today or signup for a free account to try it out for yourself. You’ll be sending authenticated email in minutes!
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