Why does the SPF record fail to verify?

Question

Why does my SPF record return errors? I see this error: SPF does not include Zendesk Support.

Answer

A validation error happens if your SPF record does not allow Zendesk to send email on your behalf.

Common SPF errors include:

No TXT file for your SPF record exists in your email domain at all. It should look like this: v=spf1 include:mail.zendesk.com ~all

include:mail.zendesk.com is not added to your domain SPF record

More than one SPF records, instead of a single entry. Delete duplicate SPF records and ensure you only have a single SPF record that contains all DNS lookups you need. For example, instead of v=spf1 include:mail.zendesk.com -all and v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all, use only: v=spf1 include:mail.zendesk.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

The SPF record contains invalid entries, such as: a, mx, ip., include or redirect. Delete these.

IP addresses are not supported, do not add any IP addresses in your record

More than 10 DNS lookups within your SPF record

Type 99 deprecated

Propagation issues. The record was published but has not propagated yet due to a short time to live (TTL).

Flattened SPF record

Invalid syntax

The support address is not added to your Zendesk account as an external support address

Use a third-party tool such as MXtoolbox to verify your SPF record.

Zendesk updates its public IP addresses, which can lead to SPF errors and delivery issues. Therefore, IP addresses in your SPF record are not recommended or supported.

For more information on how to set up records for your domain, see: Allowing Zendesk to send email on behalf of your email domain.