How to Set Up SPF Records for Your Domain

An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a DNS TXT record that tells receiving mail servers which servers are authorised to send email on behalf of your domain. Without SPF, your emails are more likely to land in spam or get rejected.

How to Add an SPF Record

1. Log in to cPanel from your dotCanada dashboard.
2. Go to Domains > Zone Editor (or Advanced Zone Editor).
3. Select your domain and click Add Record.
4. Set the type to TXT.
5. Set the Name to your domain (e.g., yourdomain.ca or just @).
6. Set the TTL to 3600.
7. In the Value field, enter your SPF record. A basic example: v=spf1 include:yourdomain.com ~all
8. Click Save Record.

Understanding the SPF Record

• v=spf1 - identifies this as an SPF record
• include: - authorises a specific domain's mail servers
• ~all - softfail for any server not listed (recommended)
• -all - hardfail, strictly rejects unlisted servers

Checking Your SPF Record

You can verify your SPF record using tools like MXToolbox (mxtoolbox.com). Changes to DNS can take up to 24 hours to propagate. If you're unsure what to include in your SPF record, contact our support team.