Adding an SPF record to your DNS zone

To add an SPF record you create a single TXT record at the root of your domain that lists every server allowed to send mail as your domain. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) lets receiving mail servers verify that a message claiming to come from your domain actually left an approved source, which cuts down on spoofing and helps your legitimate mail reach the inbox. On ASEOHosting you add this record from the cPanel Zone Editor in a couple of minutes.

What an SPF record looks like

An SPF record is a plain TXT record. It always begins with v=spf1, followed by mechanisms that authorize senders, and ends with an all mechanism that says what to do with everything else. A typical record for a domain that sends only through its own cPanel mail server looks like this:

v=spf1 a mx include:_spf.yourhost.com ~all

The common pieces are:

• a authorizes the domain's own A record IP address.
• mx authorizes the servers listed in your MX records.
• ip4:203.0.113.10 authorizes a specific IPv4 address, useful when your site has a dedicated Class C IP.
• include:_spf.google.com pulls in another provider's approved senders, for example when you also send through Google Workspace or a marketing platform.
• ~all is a soft fail (mark as suspicious), while -all is a hard fail (reject). Start with ~all and tighten to -all once you are confident every sender is listed.

Add the record in cPanel

Follow these steps to publish the record on a domain hosted with ASEOHosting:

1. Log in to cPanel and, in the Domains section, click Zone Editor.
2. Find the domain you want to edit and click Manage.
3. Click the Add Record dropdown and choose Add TXT Record.
4. In the Name field enter your domain with a trailing dot, for example yourdomain.com. (the zone root, not a subdomain).
5. Leave TTL at the default, such as 14400.
6. In the Record (TXT data) field paste your SPF string, for example v=spf1 a mx ~all.
7. Click Save Record.

Only publish one SPF record per domain. If a record already exists, edit that entry and add the new sender to it rather than creating a second TXT record, because two SPF records cause a permanent error and receivers will ignore both.

Verify and tune the record

DNS changes need time to propagate, usually well within the TTL you set. Once it is live you can confirm the record from a terminal:

dig TXT yourdomain.com +short

Keep the record within the ten DNS lookup limit that SPF allows. Each include, a, and mx mechanism counts toward that limit, so remove providers you no longer use. Pair SPF with DKIM and a DMARC policy for the strongest deliverability, since all three work together to authenticate your mail. If your domain sits on a dedicated Class C IP with us, listing that address with ip4: keeps your sending footprint clean and easy to reason about. For the full mechanism syntax see the SPF specification (RFC 7208).

Need a hand reviewing your zone or moving mail onto a dedicated IP? Browse our DNS and IP management guides, read more about multiple Class C IP hosting, or contact our support team.