Mail Security (SPF & DMARC)

Email authentication records that prevent spoofing and phishing from your domain.

What is Mail Security?

Email authentication protects a domain from being used in phishing and spam. Three main technologies work together: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

A DNS TXT record that lists which servers are allowed to send email for your domain.

Example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

This means: "Only Google's servers can send email as @yourdomain.com. Soft-fail everything else."

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)

Tells receiving mail servers what to do when SPF/DKIM checks fail.

Example: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]

Policies:

p=none — Monitor only (no action)
p=quarantine — Send to spam folder
p=reject — Block the email entirely

Why does it matter?

Without proper mail security:

Anyone can send emails pretending to be from your domain
Your legitimate emails may end up in spam
Your domain reputation can be damaged by spammers

What "Not set" means

If SPF or DMARC shows "Not set", the domain has no email authentication configured. This is a security risk — it means anyone can forge emails from that domain.