{"id":30415,"date":"2022-10-07T13:55:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T13:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=30415"},"modified":"2026-03-17T18:57:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:57:54","slug":"spf-start-your-journey-toward-dmarc-compliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/spf-start-your-journey-toward-dmarc-compliance\/","title":{"rendered":"SPF: Start Your Journey Toward DMARC Compliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you 100% sure that your domain isn\u2019t getting compromised or exploited by cybercriminals? What if we tell you that <\/span>one in every 99 emails is a phishing email<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent per day<\/span><\/a>? Could your domain be the next one to be misused by threat actors for attempting malicious activities?<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the solution?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can take the first step toward a secure email infrastructure by achieving Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance or <\/span>DMARC compliance<\/b>. But the journey starts with SPF or the Sender Policy Framework.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin by understanding <\/span>what SPF is<\/span><\/a> in brief.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is SPF?<\/b><\/h3>\n

SPF is an email authentication protocol that detects and prevents email spoofing. It allows only authorized IPs to deliver emails from your domain. SPF authentication fails when an unauthorized entity tries to send emails using your domain. It lets mail exchangers verify whether incoming emails belong to the list of specified IP addresses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SPF compliance<\/b> depends on an SPF record, which is a TXT record submitted to DNS by domain owners. <\/span>Creating an SPF record<\/span><\/a> is essential as it enlists all the IP addresses allowed to use your domain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, <\/span>how does an SPF record work<\/span>? Once an email is sent, its return-path is verified, and the IP address of the sender is compared with the IPs listed in the SPF record. If authentication passes, the email will be reflected in the \u2018inbox.\u2019 Failed SPF authentication means the email will be marked as \u2018spam.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to regularly <\/span>check SPF records<\/span><\/a> to ensure they\u2019re updated and correctly configured.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If emails sent from your domain are frequently labeled as spam or bounce back, your<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>email deliverability<\/span><\/a> rate worsens. In that case, test email deliverability<\/a> to confirm whether authentication or alignment is the cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

DMARC Compliance: What SPF Has to Do With It<\/b><\/h2>\n

Now, let\u2019s see <\/span>what DMARC compliance is<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

DMARC is a robust email authentication<\/a> protocol that uses SPF and DKIM<\/a> (DomainKeys Identified Mails) to allow only authorized emails to land in recipients\u2019 inboxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While SPF relies on the return-path address, DKIM uses cryptographic techniques for email verification. Authorized emails are signed with a private cryptographic key (DKIM signature). Recipient servers then verify the email by matching the private key with a public key published in the DNS via a DKIM record. However, neither SPF nor DKIM uses the visible \u201cFrom:\u201d field of an email for authentication, so bad actors can still trick recipients using fraudulent \u201cFrom:\u201d addresses. That\u2019s where DMARC comes in. It requires that the (invisible) return-path domain verified by SPF or the verified DKIM signature header matches the \u201cFrom:\u201d address that users see.<\/span><\/p>\n

This process is known as<\/span> DMARC<\/span> alignment and ensures that the visible \u201cFrom:\u201d field contains an authenticated domain. While technically, only SPF or DKIM need to be set up for DMARC compliance, it\u2019s best practice to implement both protocols.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, implementation alone isn\u2019t enough. Without alignment, DMARC compliance isn\u2019t possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a positive <\/span>DMARC compliance test<\/b>, both SPF, and DKIM must PASS and at least one of them must ALIGN, where:<\/span><\/p>\n