How do I fix an SPF fail when using Hover and Netlify?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests not to `include:hover.com` as it adds corporate includes that are likely unnecessary, recommending that the first include `include:_spf.hostedemail.com` should be sufficient.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that SPF records must be entered as TXT records in your DNS settings. Ensure the syntax is correct (v=spf1...) and includes all services sending emails on your behalf (e.g., include:sendgrid.net).
Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog answers that understand the difference between softfail (~all) and hardfail (-all) in your SPF record. Hardfail can cause deliverability issues if not properly configured.
Email marketer from DNSimple answers that after updating your SPF record, allow time for DNS propagation. It can take up to 48 hours for changes to take effect.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow answers that common SPF failures are often due to incorrect syntax or missing include statements. Double-check your SPF record for typos and ensure all sending services are included.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum answers that for Hover, ensure you include the correct SPF include statement provided by Hover in your record to authorize their sending servers.
Email marketer from Web Hosting Forum answers that using online SPF record testing tools can help diagnose issues. These tools check for syntax errors, DNS lookup limits, and other common problems.
Email marketer from Email Service Support answers that if you're using a third-party email service, make sure to include their SPF record in your DNS settings. Check their documentation for the correct include statement.
Email marketer from Netlify Community answers that when using Netlify DNS, ensure your SPF record is correctly configured in the Netlify DNS settings. Verify that the record is active and properly propagated.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares a link to Hover's help documentation and notes that it doesn't reference `include:hover.com` and agrees that it is corporate and not customer facing, recommending `include:_spf.hostedemail.com`.
Email marketer from Webmaster Forum answers that having multiple SPF records can cause issues. Combine all SPF records into a single TXT record to avoid conflicts.
Email marketer from Cloudflare Community answers that If you're using Cloudflare, make sure that your DNS records are properly configured and proxied. Incorrect Cloudflare settings can sometimes interfere with SPF records.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that SPF records are obsolete and not used, suggesting the use of a TXT record with the same content instead.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that common SPF misconfigurations include exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit and using deprecated mechanisms. To fix SPF fails with Hover and Netlify, optimize your SPF record by minimizing the number of includes and ensuring there are no unnecessary lookups, while still covering all legitimate sending sources.
Expert from Spamresource explains that SPF includes are used to delegate SPF authorization to another domain. When using Hover and Netlify, ensure that the correct `include` mechanisms for both services are present in your SPF record, and that these include statements resolve correctly to authorized sending IPs.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC answers that SPF records have a limit of 10 DNS lookups. Exceeding this limit can cause SPF to fail. Use `include` statements wisely and consider using `ip4` and `ip6` mechanisms where possible.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help answers that SPF records should begin with `v=spf1` and include mechanisms like `include`, `a`, `mx`, `ip4`, and `ip6` to specify authorized sending sources. End with a qualifier such as `~all` or `-all`.
Documentation from MXToolbox explains using tools like MXToolbox to check your SPF record for errors. These tools can help identify syntax issues, missing includes, and other common problems.
Documentation from Netlify Docs explains that SPF records should be created as TXT records and include all authorized sending sources for your domain. It is crucial to ensure the SPF record is correctly formatted to avoid authentication failures.
Documentation from Hover Help answers that to create an SPF record, add a TXT record to your DNS zone file. The value should start with 'v=spf1' followed by include statements for each sending service. Verify the syntax to avoid errors.