SPF Records by DNS Provider: Setup Guides

You've built your SPF record -- now you need to add it to your DNS. The process is different for every DNS provider. Different interfaces, different field names, different quirks. This page covers all 19 major providers with a quick summary of each one's setup process and links to full step-by-step guides.

Why Adding SPF Differs by Provider

An SPF record is just a DNS TXT record. Per RFC 7208, receiving mail servers look up TXT records on the sender's domain, find the one starting with v=spf1, and use it to decide whether the sending IP is authorized. In theory, adding one should be the same everywhere -- create a TXT record, set the host to @, paste your value, and save. In practice, every DNS provider has its own interface and its own way of doing things.

The biggest source of confusion is the Host field. Some providers call it "Name," others call it "Host," "Alias," or "Record Name." Some want you to enter @ for the root domain, others want the field left blank, and some auto-append your domain name to whatever you type. If you enter yourdomain.com when the provider already appends it, your record ends up on yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com -- and does nothing.

TTL (Time to Live) defaults also vary. Some providers set it to 300 seconds, others to 14400. The TTL controls how long DNS resolvers cache your record before checking for updates. A lower TTL means changes propagate faster, but it doesn't affect how SPF itself works.

The table below gives you a quick reference for every provider we cover, followed by short summaries with links to the full guides.

Quick Reference: All 19 Providers

Domain Registrars

These are companies where you buy and manage domain names. If you registered your domain with one of these providers and haven't pointed your nameservers elsewhere, this is where you'll add your SPF record.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy's DNS Manager uses "Name" for the host field. Enter @ for the root domain. GoDaddy Workspace Email may have already created an SPF record -- check for existing TXT records starting with v=spf1 before adding a new one. If one exists, edit it rather than creating a second.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in GoDaddy

Namecheap

Namecheap's Advanced DNS panel uses "Host" for the host field. Enter @ for the root domain. Be careful with the "Value" field -- Namecheap has a character limit that can truncate long SPF records without warning. If your record includes many include: mechanisms, double-check that the full value saved correctly.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Namecheap

Porkbun

Porkbun has a minimal, developer-friendly DNS interface. The host field should be left blank for the root domain -- Porkbun auto-appends your domain name, so entering the domain itself would create a broken subdomain record. Changes propagate relatively quickly.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Porkbun

Hover

Hover's DNS management is found under the "Edit DNS" tab for each domain. Use @ as the hostname for the root domain. Hover keeps the interface simple, but make sure you select "TXT" as the record type -- it defaults to A records on the add screen.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Hover

Gandi

Gandi's DNS Records page is accessible from the domain management dashboard. Use @ in the Name field for the root domain. Gandi uses a 3-hour default TTL, which means changes may take a bit longer to appear in lookups compared to providers with shorter defaults.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Gandi

OVH

OVH's Control Panel provides DNS zone editing under the Web Cloud section. Leave the Subdomain field blank for the root domain. OVH has an older interface that sometimes requires you to confirm changes on a separate screen -- make sure you click through to the final confirmation step or your record won't save.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in OVH

Web Hosting Providers

These providers bundle DNS management with web hosting. If your website and domain are managed through the same hosting account, this is likely where you'll add your SPF record.

Bluehost

Bluehost's DNS Zone Editor is accessible through their control panel. Use @ in the Host Record field for the root domain. Bluehost often pre-creates SPF records for domains using their email services, so check for existing TXT records before adding a new one to avoid duplicates.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Bluehost

SiteGround

SiteGround manages DNS through Site Tools under the Domain section. Leave the Name field blank for the root domain -- SiteGround auto-appends the domain name. Their interface is clean, but propagation can take up to an hour even within their own network.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in SiteGround

Hostinger

Hostinger's DNS Zone Editor uses "Name" for the host field. Enter @ for the root domain. Hostinger's hPanel interface changes occasionally, but the DNS section is consistently located under the domain management area. Their default TTL of 14400 seconds (4 hours) is on the higher side.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Hostinger

cPanel

cPanel's Zone Editor lets you add TXT records directly. The domain is pre-selected from a dropdown, so you typically don't need to enter a host value. If you're using cPanel through a hosting provider like Bluehost or SiteGround, make sure you're editing the right zone -- some hosts manage DNS separately from cPanel.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in cPanel

DNS & Cloud Providers

These providers specialize in DNS hosting or cloud infrastructure. You might be using one of these if you've pointed your domain's nameservers away from your registrar to get better performance, lower TTLs, or tighter integration with cloud services.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare's DNS dashboard is one of the more straightforward interfaces. The proxy toggle doesn't apply to TXT records, so leave it as "DNS only." Cloudflare propagates changes extremely quickly -- usually within a minute -- making it one of the fastest providers for testing SPF changes.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Cloudflare

Route 53

Amazon Route 53 uses "Record Name" and expects the field left blank for the root domain. Values must be enclosed in double quotes -- Route 53 will reject the record otherwise. Route 53 is common for businesses running infrastructure on AWS and offers a 300-second default TTL that ensures fast propagation.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Route 53

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean's DNS is managed through the Networking panel in your project dashboard. Use @ as the hostname for the root domain. DigitalOcean's DNS interface is minimal and developer-oriented -- there's no guided wizard, so you need to know exactly what values to enter.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in DigitalOcean

IONOS

IONOS (formerly 1&1) has a dedicated DNS settings area under Domains & SSL. The interface uses "Host Name" and expects @ for the root domain. IONOS sometimes pre-creates SPF records for their email services, so always check for existing TXT records before adding a new one.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in IONOS

Network Solutions

Network Solutions uses "Alias" for the host field and expects it left blank for the root domain. Their interface is older and can be slow to save changes. Double-check that your record saved correctly after submitting -- it's worth refreshing the page and confirming the record appears in the list.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Network Solutions

Website Builders

These platforms include DNS management as part of their website building service. If you bought your domain through one of these platforms or transferred it there, this is where you'll manage your SPF record.

Wix

Wix's DNS management is found in the Domains section of your account dashboard. Enter @ for the host name. Wix-managed domains sometimes have default TXT records -- make sure you're not creating a duplicate SPF record. Wix also limits the length of TXT record values, so keep your SPF record concise.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Wix

Squarespace

Squarespace Domains has a clean DNS settings panel. Use @ as the host value for the root domain. If you transferred your domain to Squarespace from another registrar, verify that your existing DNS records migrated correctly -- SPF records don't always carry over automatically.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Squarespace

Netlify

Netlify's DNS settings are found in the domain management section of your site dashboard. Use @ in the Name field for the root domain. Netlify DNS is primarily designed for web hosting, so the interface is simpler than dedicated DNS providers. Make sure your domain's nameservers are pointed to Netlify if you want to manage DNS there.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Netlify

Vercel

Vercel's DNS configuration is found in the Domains section of your project settings. Leave the Name field blank for the root domain -- Vercel auto-appends the domain. Vercel uses a very short default TTL of 60 seconds, which means changes propagate almost immediately but also means more frequent DNS lookups.

Full guide: How to Add an SPF Record in Vercel

Common Mistakes Across All Providers

Regardless of which DNS provider you use, the same mistakes come up again and again. Here are the ones we see most often.

Wrong host value. Entering your full domain name when the provider already appends it creates a record on a subdomain like yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com. Your SPF record needs to be on the root domain. For example, if you're setting up SPF for example.com and your provider auto-appends the domain, entering example.com in the host field creates a record at example.com.example.com -- which no mail server will ever check. When in doubt, use @ or leave the field blank.

Duplicate SPF records. RFC 7208 is explicit: a domain must not have multiple SPF records. If your provider or a previous admin already created one, edit it -- don't create a second one. Two SPF records cause a permerror result, which means both records are ignored and your authentication breaks entirely. Read more about this in why multiple SPF records break email.

Missing quotes around the value. Some providers (notably Route 53) require the SPF value to be wrapped in double quotes. Others add the quotes automatically. If your record isn't being recognized, check whether your provider needs the quotes included in the value field or adds them on its own.

Exceeding the 10-lookup limit. Every include:, a:, mx:, and redirect= mechanism in your SPF record counts toward a 10 DNS lookup limit defined in RFC 7208. If you exceed this limit, receiving servers return a permerror and your SPF check fails. This is especially common when you use multiple email services that each require their own include: statement. See our guide on common SPF errors for how to fix this.

Not waiting for propagation. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though most providers are much faster. Don't panic if your record doesn't appear in a lookup tool immediately after saving. Providers with shorter TTLs like Cloudflare and Vercel will show changes within minutes, while those with longer TTLs like cPanel or Hostinger may take several hours. See our SPF record propagation guide for details.

Forgetting to verify. Always confirm your record is live and valid after adding it. A single typo in your SPF value -- a missing colon, an extra space, a misspelled mechanism -- silently breaks authentication without any error in your DNS provider's interface.

Verify Your SPF Record

After adding your SPF record through any DNS provider, verify it's working correctly.

Complete Your Email Authentication

SPF is one piece of a three-part email authentication system. For full protection against spoofing and phishing, you also need DKIM and DMARC.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to every email you send. Receiving servers verify this signature against a public key published in your DNS. Unlike SPF, DKIM survives email forwarding because the signature is attached to the message itself, not the sending server's IP address. Set up DKIM with DKIM Creator.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) ties SPF and DKIM together and tells receiving servers what to do when authentication fails. Without DMARC, servers may still deliver unauthenticated emails. With DMARC, you can instruct them to quarantine or reject those messages. Set up DMARC with DMARC Creator.

All three records are TXT records added to your DNS, so the same provider-specific steps above apply to DKIM and DMARC setup as well.

Monitor Your SPF Record

Your SPF record can break silently -- a DNS change, an expired include, or an accidental deletion. Automated monitoring is the only way to catch these issues before they affect your email deliverability.