What does it mean when SPF is not aligned in a DMARC report and how does it affect deliverability?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 18 Jul 2025
Updated 14 Aug 2025
11 min read
Summary
When your DMARC report indicates that SPF is "not aligned," it means that while your Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record may technically pass for the sending IP address, the domain authenticated by SPF does not match the domain in the From header of your email. This distinction is crucial, as DMARC requires alignment between the authenticated domain and the From header domain, not just a passing SPF check. This can happen frequently when using Email Service Providers (ESPs) that send mail on your behalf from their own domains.
Key findings
Alignment vs. pass: SPF can pass (meaning the sending IP is authorized) but still not align with your DMARC policy if the SPF-authenticated domain (the Return-Path or MailFrom) differs from your From header domain (the one your recipients see).
DMARC flexibility: DMARC policy (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) only requires either SPF or DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to pass authentication and achieve alignment for the email to be considered DMARC compliant. This is explained further in our article on DMARC authentication failures.
Deliverability impact: If DKIM is properly configured and aligns, a non-aligned SPF typically has minimal direct negative impact on your deliverability or inbox placement. Mailbox providers prioritize the overall DMARC pass status.
Domain types: The SPF authentication checks the RFC5321.From (envelope sender or MailFrom) domain, while DMARC alignment focuses on its relationship with the RFC5322.From (header From) domain.
Key considerations
DMARC report analysis: Focus on the overall DMARC outcome (pass/fail) rather than individual authentication results in isolation. A DMARC pass, even with SPF non-alignment, means your email is authenticated. You can get a deeper understanding by reviewing your DMARC failure reports.
DKIM alignment: Ensure your DKIM records are correctly configured and aligned, as this is often the primary mechanism for DMARC pass, especially when using ESPs that modify the Return-Path domain.
ESP configuration: Check if your ESP offers custom domain configuration for your Return-Path or bounce domain. Aligning this with your From header domain can resolve SPF alignment issues if desired. Learn more about SPF and DKIM alignment.
User engagement: Ultimately, the most significant factor for deliverability is whether recipients want and interact with your emails. Focus on sending relevant, valuable content to engaged subscribers.
Email marketers often find DMARC reports confusing, especially when they see SPF authentication failing or not aligning, even though they have an SPF record in place. Their primary concern is how these technical details might affect their emails landing in the inbox. While initial reactions might be to immediately fix what appears to be a 'failure,' experienced marketers learn to look closer at the full authentication picture, particularly DKIM's role in DMARC compliance. This often leads to the realization that an SPF non-alignment, when DKIM is aligned, might not be a critical issue for deliverability.
Key opinions
Initial confusion: Many marketers are surprised when their DMARC reports show SPF failures, believing their SPF records are correctly configured. They often confuse an SPF 'pass' with SPF 'alignment'.
Deliverability worries: The main concern is always whether these technical authentication issues, like SPF non-alignment, are causing emails to go to the spam folder or be blocked entirely.
Relying on DKIM: Marketers often learn that as long as DKIM is properly aligned and passing, the email will still pass DMARC, alleviating the immediate pressure to fix SPF alignment if it's complex.
ESP limitations: It is recognized that achieving SPF alignment with certain ESPs can be challenging or impossible, as they use their own sending domains for the Return-Path.
Key considerations
Deciphering reports: Marketers should educate themselves on how to read DMARC reports accurately, distinguishing between SPF authentication results and DMARC alignment status to avoid unnecessary alarm. More information is available about troubleshooting DMARC failures.
Prioritizing DKIM: Ensure DKIM is robustly set up and aligned, as it often acts as the primary DMARC pass mechanism, especially in complex sending environments. The impact of unaligned SPF on Gmail performance and domain reputation is often mitigated by strong DKIM, as discussed in our article does unaligned SPF affect Gmail performance.
ESP collaboration: Work with your ESP to understand their capabilities for custom domain setup for SPF alignment, or to confirm that their DKIM setup is sufficient for DMARC compliance. Find out more about how DMARC helps marketers improve deliverability.
Audience focus: While authentication is important, never lose sight of audience engagement and content quality. These factors ultimately dictate long-term deliverability and inbox placement.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks states their DMARC report shows 100% SPF failures for dedicated IPs, even with SPF records in place for both the sending and main domains. This suggests a disconnect between SPF passing and DMARC alignment criteria.
13 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from GoDMARC Knowledge Base suggests that to fix SPF alignment issues, updates to the SPF record or adjustments to email forwarding settings may be necessary. They also recommend contacting the email service provider for assistance in resolving these problems.
15 Mar 2024 - GoDMARC Knowledge Base
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts frequently encounter confusion regarding SPF 'failures' in DMARC reports. They emphasize that SPF can pass the technical check but still show as 'not aligned' if the domain used for SPF authentication (the Return-Path) does not match the visible From header domain. Experts clarify that as long as DKIM alignment passes, the DMARC record will still pass, and there's often no need for immediate alarm about deliverability. The core message from experts is that while full alignment for both SPF and DKIM is ideal for robustness, user engagement remains the ultimate arbiter of inbox placement.
Key opinions
Clarifying SPF status: The primary issue is often SPF not aligning, rather than SPF failing its check. SPF may indeed pass, but the domains involved in the authentication process are not aligned with the From header.
DMARC pass flexibility: DMARC is designed to pass if either SPF or DKIM authentication passes and aligns. If DKIM is aligned, an unaligned SPF does not automatically mean a DMARC failure.
No immediate action: If DMARC is currently passing based on DKIM alignment, experts typically advise that no immediate corrective action is required for SPF alignment, as it's not affecting deliverability.
Complex SPF alignment: Achieving SPF alignment often requires changing the Return-Path or bounce domain to match the From domain, which can be a complex process, particularly when using third-party ESPs. Our article how SPF alignment works in HubSpot offers more insight.
Robustness of dual alignment: While not strictly required for DMARC pass, having both SPF and DKIM aligned offers a more durable authentication setup, as both protocols have specific fragilities (e.g., SPF with forwarding, DKIM with header modifications).
User engagement is key: Experts consistently stress that the most significant factor influencing deliverability and inbox placement is whether recipients genuinely want and interact with the mail.
Key considerations
Prioritize DKIM: For DMARC compliance, ensure your DKIM setup is flawless. It's often the more reliable method for DMARC pass when SPF alignment is difficult or impossible. Understanding how absence of DKIM affects deliverability is important.
Review DMARC reports thoroughly: Do not just look for 'fail' statuses under SPF. Instead, verify the overall DMARC outcome. If it's a 'pass' due to DKIM, then SPF non-alignment isn't an immediate deliverability threat. For deeper insights into temporary SPF alignment failures look here.
Understand ESP capabilities: Work closely with your ESP to understand their capabilities for white-labeling or customizing the Return-Path domain to achieve SPF alignment if it aligns with your strategy and is feasible. Learn more from SpamResource about authentication best practices.
Focus on user experience: While technical authentication is foundational, sustained deliverability relies on maintaining a positive sender reputation through engaging content and responsible sending practices. This allows ISPs to accurately identify and treat your mailstreams based on user behavior.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that the issue is SPF not aligning, rather than SPF failing outright. They explain that SPF may pass its technical check, but DMARC requires the authenticated domain to align with the 'From' header domain.
13 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from SpamResource highlights that DMARC's purpose is to allow receiving mail servers to validate the legitimacy of email and handle unauthenticated messages according to policy. This includes verifying both SPF and DKIM alignments.
03 Mar 2024 - SpamResource
What the documentation says
Technical documentation (RFCs, industry guides) defines SPF alignment within DMARC as a comparison between the domain asserted by SPF (the Return-Path or MailFrom domain) and the domain in the RFC5322.From header. It clarifies that SPF can pass the authentication check, but if these two domains do not match (or are not closely related under relaxed alignment), SPF alignment for DMARC will fail. However, the documentation also explicitly states that DMARC compliance only requires one of SPF or DKIM to pass authentication and align.
Key findings
Alignment definition: DMARC defines SPF alignment as the domain in the RFC5321.MailFrom (envelope sender) matching or being a subdomain of the RFC5322.From (header From) domain.
DMARC compliance: For an email to pass DMARC, at least one of SPF or DKIM must pass its authentication check and be aligned with the RFC5322.From domain. This is a fundamental concept of DMARC, as outlined in our simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
Relaxed vs. strict: DMARC supports both relaxed (r) and strict (s) alignment modes for SPF. Relaxed mode allows subdomains of the RFC5321.MailFrom to align with the RFC5322.From domain.
Forwarding impact: Email forwarding can cause SPF alignment to fail because the Return-Path domain may be rewritten by the forwarding server, while the From header remains unchanged. This often necessitates reliance on DKIM for DMARC pass in such scenarios.
Key considerations
DNS records: Properly configure your SPF records to include all authorized sending IP addresses and domains, ensuring that the SPF check itself passes. Review our comprehensive list of DMARC tags and their meanings.
Domain ownership: When using an ESP, ensure you understand which domain is being used for SPF authentication (the MailFrom domain) and whether it can be customized to align with your From header domain.
DMARC policy consideration: If SPF consistently fails alignment, but DKIM passes and aligns, your DMARC policy can still be enforced. However, striving for both SPF and DKIM alignment offers redundancy and greater resilience against potential delivery issues. To learn more about this, check out why SPF alignment matters.
Monitoring reports: Regularly review your DMARC aggregate reports to identify SPF non-alignment trends and understand their impact on your email streams. These reports provide valuable insights into how receiving servers are handling your mail.
Technical article
Documentation from AutoSPF states that a successful DMARC alignment indicates the message has passed SPF and/or DKIM authentication checks. This process is crucial for preventing phishing and enhancing email trustworthiness.
20 May 2024 - AutoSPF
Technical article
Documentation from VerifyDMARC notes that mail servers actively check SPF and DKIM authentication. They clarify that accumulated authentication failures over time can negatively affect deliverability, underscoring the importance of consistent authentication.
