How to set up SPF for bulk email

Updated October 31, 2026 · 2 min read

In this article
  1. Why SPF matters
  2. If the domain has no SPF record yet
  3. If an SPF record already exists
  4. ~all or -all
  5. No more than 10 "include" entries
  6. How to check
  7. If it did not work
  8. What's next

SPF is a DNS record on your domain that lists the servers allowed to send email on its behalf. For campaigns through Estismail, add a TXT record to DNS with the name @ and the value v=spf1 include:estismail.com ~all. If the domain already has an SPF record, do not create a second one: add to the existing record include:estismail.com.

Why SPF matters

  • Mail.ru, Gmail and Yandex check SPF on every message. Without it, emails land in "Spam" more often or get rejected.
  • In Estismail, an SPF record with include:estismail.com verifies your domain (just like a DKIM record).

If the domain has no SPF record yet

  1. Open Sender settings → Domains and select the domain.
  2. Click the SPF row to expand it. Copy the value from the field.
  3. In your domain's DNS panel, create a record:
Type Name Value
TXT @ v=spf1 include:estismail.com ~all

@ means "the domain itself". Some DNS panels leave the name field empty instead of @ or require the full domain name.

If an SPF record already exists

A domain must have one SPF record. If there are two, SPF fails for both (that is how the SPF standard, RFC 7208, works), and your account shows "Multiple SPF records, keep one". So do not create a second record. Add include:estismail.com to the existing one, before the ending ~all or -all. Your account sees your record and suggests the merged value itself.

Before After
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all (Google Workspace) v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:estismail.com ~all
v=spf1 ip4:203.0.113.10 ~all (your own server) v=spf1 ip4:203.0.113.10 include:estismail.com ~all

~all or -all

  • ~all at the end means: mark messages from servers not on the list as suspicious. This is what your account suggests.
  • -all means: reject such messages. Use it only if the record lists everyone who sends on behalf of the domain: corporate mail, CRM, website.
  • +all allows anyone to send, which you must not do. Your account will show an error and ask you to replace the record.

No more than 10 "include" entries

When checking SPF, a provider makes no more than 10 DNS lookups per record (RFC 7208). Each include, a, mx, redirect is a lookup, and nested include count too. If there are more lookups, your account shows how many and asks you to remove the extras. Remove services that no longer send email from your domain.

How to check

  • In your account, the domain's SPF label is green.
  • The "Check again" button checks the records immediately. Estismail itself checks the domain every 10 minutes.
  • A new DNS record is usually visible within an hour, sometimes longer.

If it did not work

  • Two SPF records. Merge them into one, as in the table above.
  • Record created as SPF type, not TXT. The SPF record type is obsolete, use TXT.
  • Quotes and spaces. Some DNS panels wrap the value in quotes themselves, which is fine. Extra spaces inside the value and line breaks break the record.
  • Record on a subdomain. If you added a subdomain to Estismail (news.company.com), your account still shows the name @but it applies to the subdomain. In the DNS panel of the main domain, enter the name news, not @.

What's next

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