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SPF Record Validator

Parses your SPF record and flags common configuration errors: missing v=spf1 prefix, wrong all-policy, too many DNS lookups (10-lookup limit), missing required includes.

v=spf1 prefix present
DNS lookups: 1/10
~all (softfail) policy
What it does

Validates v=spf1 prefix, counts DNS-lookup-triggering directives (include, a, mx, ptr — limit 10), checks all-policy (~all, -all, ?all), highlights common syntax errors.

When to use

After updating SPF, before publishing to DNS. When email deliverability drops and SPF is suspected.

FAQ

What's the 10-lookup limit?+

SPF processing must complete in 10 DNS lookups or the record is considered 'permerror' by receivers — which usually means delivery failures. Each include directive counts, plus a/mx/ptr directives. Tools that nest deeply (e.g., Salesforce's include can blow the budget) cause this.

You validated the setup. Want the live monitor that watches it forever?

One-time validation catches today's misconfiguration. Outsolvi watches every send forever and flags the day your record stops passing, the day a sender goes rogue, or the day a bounce pattern shifts. From $7/user/mo yearly.

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Nate SummersCo-Founder, Outsolvi

Nate built Outsolvi after watching every email-tracking tool he had ever used lie to him about opens. Outsolvi runs Tier 1 to 5 confidence scoring on every open, native in Outlook and Gmail, so the number on the dashboard is one a rep can actually act on.

Last reviewed May 25, 2026Editorially independent

We update these pages when the underlying mechanics change — new mailbox-provider rules, new tracker behavior, new measurement gaps. The dates above are real revisions, not auto-touches.