SPF Lookup

Check SPF records of a given domain (Using Forward DNS Lookup)

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What is an SPF Record ?

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. An SPF record is a type of DNS record that is used to specify which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of a specific domain name. In other words, an SPF record is used to verify that an email message claiming to be from a particular domain actually came from an authorized server associated with that domain.

An SPF record contains a list of IP addresses or hostnames that are allowed to send email on behalf of a specific domain. When an email message is sent, the receiving mail server can check the SPF record for the sender's domain to see if the message came from an authorized server. If the message came from an unauthorized server, the receiving mail server can mark the message as spam or reject it altogether.

SPF records help to prevent email spoofing, which is a common tactic used by spammers to send messages that appear to come from a legitimate sender. By verifying that email messages are coming from authorized servers, SPF records can help to reduce the amount of spam and fraudulent email messages that are sent.

SPF records are a type of TXT record in DNS, and they are published in the DNS zone file for the domain. SPF records can be configured with various settings, such as the type of SPF record, the IP address or hostname of the authorized server, and the policy to apply if the message fails the SPF check.

What is an SPF Records Lookup Tool ?

An SPF Records Lookup Tool is a web-based or command-line tool that allows you to check the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record for a specific domain name. This tool can be used to verify whether the domain name has an SPF record, and if so, what servers are authorized to send email on behalf of that domain.

To use an SPF Records Lookup Tool, simply enter the domain name for which you want to check the SPF record. The tool will then query the domain's DNS server to retrieve the SPF record, and display the results in a readable format.

The output of an SPF Records Lookup Tool typically includes information such as the SPF record version, the authorized servers or IP addresses, and the policy to apply if the message fails the SPF check. This information can be useful for verifying the validity of email messages, as well as for troubleshooting email delivery issues.

SPF Records Lookup Tools are commonly used by system administrators, email marketers, and other professionals who need to verify the authenticity of email messages or ensure that their own email messages are being delivered successfully. By using an SPF Records Lookup Tool, you can quickly and easily verify the SPF record for a domain, and take appropriate action if necessary to ensure that email messages are being sent and received as intended.

What can an SPF Records Lookup Tool be used for ?

An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used for several purposes, including:

Email Authentication: An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used to verify the authenticity of email messages. By checking the SPF record for a domain, the tool can determine whether the email message came from an authorized server or not. This can help to prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks, which are common tactics used by spammers to trick recipients into opening malicious emails.
Troubleshooting Email Delivery Issues: An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used to diagnose email delivery issues. If an email message is not being delivered as expected, checking the SPF record for the sender's domain can help to identify whether the problem is related to an invalid SPF record or unauthorized email servers.
Email Marketing: An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used by email marketers to verify that their email campaigns are compliant with anti-spam policies. Many email service providers require that marketers include a valid SPF record in their DNS configuration to ensure that email messages are being sent from authorized servers.
Security Auditing: An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used as part of a security audit to identify potential vulnerabilities in a domain's email authentication setup. By checking the SPF record for a domain, security auditors can determine whether the domain has properly configured email servers and whether there are any unauthorized servers sending email on behalf of the domain.
DNS Configuration Management: An SPF Records Lookup Tool can be used to manage the DNS configuration for a domain. By checking the SPF record for a domain, administrators can ensure that the record is properly configured and up-to-date, and make any necessary changes to ensure that email messages are being delivered successfully.

List of Commonly Used DNS Record types:

Type	Description	Function
A	IPv4 Address record	Returns a 32-bit IPv4 address, most commonly used to map hostnames to an IP address of the host, but it is also used for DNSBLs, storing subnet masks in RFC 1101, etc.
AAAA	IPv6 address record	Returns a 128-bit IPv6 address, most commonly used to map hostnames to an IP address of the host.
AFSDB	AFS database record	Location of database servers of an AFS cell. This record is commonly used by AFS clients to contact AFS cells outside their local domain. A subtype of this record is used by the obsolete DCE/DFS file system.
APL	APL
CAA	Certification Authority Authorization	DNS Certification Authority Authorization, constraining acceptable CAs for a host/domain
CERT	Certificate record	Stores PKIX, SPKI, PGP, etc.
CNAME	Canonical name record	Alias of one name to another: the DNS lookup will continue by retrying the lookup with the new name.
DHCID	DHCP identifier	Used in conjunction with the FQDN option to DHCP
DNAME	Delegation name record	Alias for a name and all its subnames, unlike CNAME, which is an alias for only the exact name. Like a CNAME record, the DNS lookup will continue by retrying the lookup with the new name.
DNSKEY	DNS Key record	The key record used in DNSSEC. Uses the same format as the KEY record.
DS	Delegation signer	The record used to identify the DNSSEC signing key of a delegated zone
IPSECKEY	IPsec Key	Key record that can be used with IPsec
LOC	Location record	Specifies a geographical location associated with a domain name
MX	Mail exchange record	Maps a domain name to a list of message transfer agents for that domain
NAPTR	Naming Authority Pointer	Allows regular-expression-based rewriting of domain names which can then be used as URIs, further domain names to lookups, etc.
NS	Name server record	Delegates a DNS zone to use the given authoritative name servers
NSEC	Next Secure record	Part of DNSSEC—used to prove a name does not exist. Uses the same format as the (obsolete) NXT record.
NSEC3	Next Secure record version 3	An extension to DNSSEC that allows proof of nonexistence for a name without permitting zonewalking
NSEC3PARAM	NSEC3 parameters	Parameter record for use with NSEC3
PTR	PTR Resource Record	Pointer to a canonical name. Unlike a CNAME, DNS processing stops and just the name is returned. The most common use is for implementing reverse DNS lookups, but other uses include such things as DNS-SD.
RP	Responsible Person	Information about the responsible person(s) for the domain. Usually an email address with the @ replaced by a .
RRSIG	DNSSEC signature	Signature for a DNSSEC-secured record set. Uses the same format as the SIG record.
SOA	Start of [a zone of] authority record	Specifies authoritative information about a DNS zone, including the primary name server, the email of the domain administrator, the domain serial number, and several timers relating to refreshing the zone.
SRV	Service locator	Generalized service location record, used for newer protocols instead of creating protocol-specific records such as MX.
SSHFP	SSH Public Key Fingerprint	Resource record for publishing SSH public host key fingerprints in the DNS System, in order to aid in verifying the authenticity of the host. RFC 6594 defines ECC SSH keys and SHA-256 hashes. See the IANA SSHFP RR parameters registry for details.
TLSA	TLSA certificate association	A record for DANE. RFC 6698 defines "The TLSA DNS resource record is used to associate a TLS server certificate or public key with the domain name where the record is found, thus forming a 'TLSA certificate association'".
TSIG	Transaction Signature	Can be used to authenticate dynamic updates as coming from an approved client, or to authenticate responses as coming from an approved recursive name server[13] similar to DNSSEC.
TXT	Text record	Originally for arbitrary human-readable text in a DNS record. Since the early 1990s, however, this record more often carries machine-readable data, such as specified by RFC 1464, opportunistic encryption, Sender Policy Framework, DKIM, DMARC, DNS-SD, etc.
URI	Uniform Resource Identifier	Can be used for publishing mappings from hostnames to URIs.