Suped

Why am I seeing Gmail SPF error messages and how do I fix it?

10 Marketer opinions2 Expert opinions4 Technical articles2 Resources

Summary

Gmail SPF errors arise from several sources, including DNS issues, incorrect SPF syntax, exceeding DNS lookup limits, unauthorized sending servers, use of third-party senders not included in the SPF record, IP address changes, and forwarding. Fixing these errors involves addressing DNS issues, using SPF validators for syntax correction, optimizing DNS lookups with SPF flattening, including all authorized sending sources (including third-party senders) in the SPF record, updating SPF records after IP changes, using SRS for forwarding issues, properly configuring SPF records including 'hard fails', and leveraging tools like dmarcian's SPF Surveyor for visualization.

Key findings

  • DNS Problems: DNS server issues or incorrect DNS settings can lead to SPF failures.
  • Syntax Errors: Incorrect syntax in the SPF record is a common cause of failures.
  • Lookup Limits: Exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit in SPF records triggers errors.
  • Unauthorized Servers: SPF failures occur when the sending server isn't authorized by the SPF record.
  • Third-Party Senders: Using third-party senders without including them in the SPF record causes failures.
  • IP Changes: SPF records not updated after IP address changes will cause authentication to fail.
  • Forwarding Issues: Email forwarding can break SPF authentication.
  • Complexity of Configuration: The complexity of SPF records and their configurations can cause misconfiguration

Key considerations

  • Check DNS: Verify DNS settings are correct and DNS servers are functioning properly.
  • Validate Syntax: Use SPF validators to check for and correct syntax errors.
  • Optimize Lookups: Employ SPF flattening or carefully manage include mechanisms to avoid exceeding lookup limits.
  • Include All Sources: Ensure all authorized sending sources, including third-party senders, are in the SPF record.
  • Update Records: Update SPF records whenever there are changes to sending server IP addresses.
  • Implement SRS: Use Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) to handle forwarding issues.
  • Configure Correctly: Ensure hard fails are used to reduce spoofing, and that all IP addresses are correctly entered
  • Visualize SPF Record: Use tools like dmarcian's SPF Surveyor to visualize and understand your SPF record.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

Gmail SPF errors can arise from various issues, including DNS problems, incorrect SPF record syntax, exceeding DNS lookup limits, using third-party senders without proper SPF inclusion, IP address changes, and forwarding. Solutions involve correcting DNS configurations, validating SPF syntax, optimizing include mechanisms with SPF flattening, adding third-party senders to SPF records, updating SPF records after IP changes, implementing SRS for forwarding, and utilizing online SPF validation tools.

Key opinions

  • DNS Issues: DNS server problems, such as holding outdated zone information, can cause SPF failures.
  • SPF Syntax Errors: Incorrect syntax in the SPF record, like missing quotes or incorrect mechanisms, can lead to SPF failures.
  • DNS Lookup Limits: Exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit in SPF records can trigger SPF failures.
  • Third-Party Senders: Using third-party email senders not included in the SPF record causes SPF failures.
  • IP Address Changes: SPF failures can occur when sending server IP addresses change and the SPF record is not updated.
  • Forwarding Issues: Email forwarding can break SPF authentication if not handled correctly.

Key considerations

  • Validate SPF Record: Regularly validate the SPF record for correct syntax and ensure all sending sources are included.
  • Optimize DNS Lookups: Use SPF flattening or limit include mechanisms to avoid exceeding the DNS lookup limit.
  • Incorporate Third-Party Senders: Add include mechanisms for all authorized third-party email senders to the SPF record.
  • Update SPF After Changes: Update the SPF record whenever there are changes to sending server IP addresses.
  • Implement SRS: Consider implementing Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) to handle forwarding issues.
  • Use SPF Testing Tools: Utilize online tools to test SPF records and identify potential problems.
Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerLite explains to ensure you are checking your SPF records are valid using online validation tools.

June 2023 - MailerLite
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the Gmail error message related to SPF was due to a DNS server issue holding the zone information for the corporate email servers.

November 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EasyDMARC explains that incorrect SPF record syntax is a common cause of SPF failures. They suggest using an SPF record validator to check for syntax errors, such as missing quotes or incorrect mechanisms.

February 2023 - EasyDMARC
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps shares that SPF flattening can help avoid exceeding the DNS lookup limit. SPF flattening replaces include mechanisms with the actual IP addresses, reducing the number of DNS lookups.

July 2021 - GlockApps
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests using AboutMy.email to troubleshoot SPF issues.

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that SPF failures can result from exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit in SPF records. They recommend using include mechanisms wisely or using SPF flattening to optimize the record.

July 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailExpert shares that SPF failures often occur when using third-party email senders that aren't included in the SPF record. They recommend adding the third-party sender's include mechanism to the SPF record.

July 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost explains that common SPF mistakes include not including all sending sources and forgetting to update the record when IPs change.

September 2022 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Email marketer from DNSQueries shares that you can use online tools to test whether your SPF record is working correctly and identify any errors.

February 2023 - DNSQueries
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Deliverability Forum user User42 responds that SPF failures can happen after IP address changes. They advise updating the SPF record to reflect the new IP addresses of the sending servers.

June 2021 - Email Deliverability Forum

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

SPF errors in Gmail can stem from complex SPF configurations and issues related to email forwarding. It's advised to visualize and understand your SPF record with tools like dmarcian's SPF Surveyor. Furthermore, email forwarding often breaks SPF, necessitating the implementation of SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) to ensure successful authentication.

Key opinions

  • SPF Configuration Complexity: Complex SPF configurations, particularly with multiple sending sources, can lead to SPF errors.
  • Forwarding Issues: Email forwarding is a common cause of SPF failures.

Key considerations

  • Visualize SPF Record: Use tools like dmarcian's SPF Surveyor to visualize and understand your SPF record.
  • Implement SRS: Implement Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) to handle forwarding issues and ensure SPF authentication passes.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that SPF configuration can be complex, especially with multiple sending sources. He suggests utilizing a tool like dmarcian's SPF Surveyor to visualize and understand your SPF record and identify potential issues.

March 2021 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that forwarding is a common cause of SPF failures. She recommends implementing SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) to ensure that SPF authentication passes even when emails are forwarded.

November 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Gmail SPF errors occur when the sending server isn't authorized by the domain's SPF record. Reasons include incorrect SPF syntax, exceeding DNS lookup limits, omitting sending IPs/domains, and forwarding. Solutions involve correct SPF configuration with all authorized sources, using SPF checkers to identify errors, SPF flattening or SRS to address forwarding, and always ending with a hard fail while including all possible sending IP addresses.

Key findings

  • Unauthorized Sending Server: SPF failures happen when the sending server is not authorized to send email on behalf of the domain, according to the SPF record.
  • Incorrect SPF Syntax: Incorrect SPF record syntax can cause SPF failures.
  • DNS Lookup Limit: Exceeding the DNS lookup limit in the SPF record can lead to SPF failures.
  • Missing IPs/Domains: Not including all sending IPs and domains in the SPF record results in SPF failures.
  • Forwarding Breaks SPF: Email forwarding can break SPF authentication.

Key considerations

  • Correct SPF Configuration: Ensure the SPF record is correctly configured to include all authorized sending sources.
  • Use SPF Checker: Use an SPF record checker to identify and correct any errors in the SPF record.
  • Address Forwarding Issues: Use SPF flattening or Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) to address forwarding issues.
  • Include All IPs: Make sure to include all possible sending IP addresses in your SPF record.
  • Hard Fail: Always end with a hard fail in your SPF record.
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that to create SPF records correctly you must consider what you are including, always end with a hard fail and make sure to include all possible sending IP addresses.

April 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Valimail explains that SPF failures can happen due to various reasons, including incorrect SPF record syntax, exceeding the DNS lookup limit, or not including all sending IPs/domains. They recommend using an SPF record checker to identify and correct errors.

November 2021 - Valimail
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that SPF failures occur when the sending server isn't authorized to send email on behalf of the domain according to the SPF record. It advises ensuring the SPF record is correctly configured to include all authorized sending sources.

April 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from Dmarcian explains that SPF failures can be caused by forwarding, which breaks SPF authentication. They suggest using SPF flattening or SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) to address forwarding issues.

August 2024 - Dmarcian

Related resources
2Resources

Email Routing and Vacation responders - Email Routing - Cloudflare ...
Email Routing and Vacation responders - Email Routing - Cloudflare ...

I have noticed that I am having an issue with the Gmail Vacation Responder. I was wondering if anyone had noticed the same issues. First - for diagnostic purposes - my configuration is as follows: Mail for my domain (morlitz.com) arrives via the Cloudflare mail exchangers linda, amir and isaac. The mail in question is forwarded to a Gmail account Outbound mail is done via a 3rd party SMTP - which I do not think is involved in this situation. As a summary, the problem I am having is that aut...

Cloudflare Community
Gmail Blocking Email? Find Out Why and How to Fix It
Gmail Blocking Email? Find Out Why and How to Fix It

Is Gmail blocking email you send to users with a @gmail or @googlemail address? Follow our troubleshooting guide to learn about Gmail email authentication.

SendLayer - Reliable Email Deliverability Made Easy

Related questions