An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record allows your mail server to send emails on behalf of your domain. This helps prevent spammers from spoofing your domain by sending fake messages that appear to come from your address.
If you use Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), you can add an SPF record for your domain to improve email authentication.
What to include in the SPF record
- List the IP addresses of your website’s hosting server, in case the site sends emails (e.g., from forms or system notifications)
- Add the line:
include:_spf.google.com ~all
How to configure SPF from cPanel
To set up your SPF record using cPanel, follow these steps:
- Log into cPanel
- Go to the "Authentication" section
- Enable the SPF option
- Add
_spf.google.comto the include list
Example SPF record:
v=spf1 ip4:172.16.254.1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
(where ip4: is your hosting server IP; you can include multiple IPs if needed)
Important
It’s essential to include both the Google SPF record and your website’s server IPs. Otherwise, emails sent from your site (e.g., form submissions) may not be delivered correctly.
