How to add an SPF record

An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a DNS record that indicates which mail servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain name. 

SPF records help identify and reduce unauthorised use of your domain by checking whether an email was sent from an approved mail server. When an email is received, the recipient’s mail server can refer to this record to verify that the sending server is authorised to send mail on behalf of your domain.

Recently, email providers such as Gmail/Google Apps have started requiring a valid SPF record on the sending domain in order to accept or reliably deliver email.

On 7 February 2019, neutral SPF records were added to all domain names on our South African name servers, specifying xneelo as the allowed sender. This neutral SPF record will have no effect on the outgoing emails’ potential spam rating for customers sending mail via another SMTP provider. We can assure you that no existing SPF records were altered in any way.


  • SPF qualifiers explained

    SPF records end with a qualifier that tells receiving mail servers what action to take if an email is sent from a server that is not listed in your SPF record.

    Common qualifiers include:

    • ?all (Neutral):
      This has no impact on delivery. Some providers only require that an SPF record exists.
    • ~all (Soft fail):
      Emails sent from unauthorised servers may still be delivered but are more likely to be marked as spam if the sending mail server does not match up to a server or IP listed in your SPF record.
    • -all (Hard fail):
      Emails sent from unauthorised servers are typically rejected (bounced) by receiving mail servers.

    Choosing the correct qualifier depends on how strictly you want receiving mail systems to enforce your SPF policy.





  • Only one SPF record per domain

    A domain should have only one SPF record.

    If you use multiple email services, their SPF information must be merged into a single TXT record. Having more than one SPF record can cause validation failures and may result in emails being rejected or marked as spam.

    Our Control Panel includes validations to help prevent multiple SPF records from being created, but it is still important to ensure all sending services are included in one combined record.





  • Steps to add an SPF record

    1. 1
      Log in to the xneelo Control Panel.
    2. 2
      Select a Product (e.g. Web Hosting) from the side menu.
    3. 3
      Select or search for the domain name.
    4. 4
      Under Domain Tools, select Manage DNS.
    5. 5
      Select + Add record.
    6. 6
      Add  the following information:
    • Type: TXT
    • Host: @
    • Value (also called Destination): As specified by your email provider
      • Example of xneelo’s SPF destination is: 
      • v=spf1 mx a include:spf.host-h.net ~all
    1. 7
      Select Add to save your SPF record.



Assist Note
  • If you use third-party email or mailing services (such as accounting systems, CRM platforms or bulk mailing services), contact those providers first to obtain the correct SPF information. Their sending servers must be included in your SPF record to prevent delivery issues.
  • If your domain’s DNS is not hosted by xneelo, your existing SPF record should be amended via your current DNS provider.
Assist Tip

Using email forwarding together with SPF can sometimes cause emails to fail delivery because forwarded messages may appear to come from an unauthorised server.

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