What does SPF neutral mean and how do I fix a broken SPF record?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 14 Jul 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
9 min read
Email deliverability can be a complex puzzle, and understanding SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a crucial piece. Sometimes, you might encounter an SPF result that states 'neutral,' which can be perplexing when you're aiming for a 'pass.' This status indicates that the domain owner explicitly stated that they are not asserting whether the sending IP address is authorized to send email on behalf of a domain. It's neither a clear pass nor a definitive fail.
When an email server checks your SPF record and gets a neutral result, it often means the record includes an ?all mechanism. This mechanism tells receiving servers, "I'm not making a strong statement about this sender." While it might seem harmless, a neutral SPF can still impact your email deliverability, especially when combined with a DMARC policy that expects stronger authentication.
Beyond SPF neutral, SPF records can be 'broken' for a variety of reasons, leading to authentication failures or even emails landing in spam folders. A broken SPF record can manifest as a permerror (permanent error) or a temperror (temporary error). These issues directly affect whether recipients' mail servers trust your sending domain. Understanding these statuses and knowing how to diagnose and fix them is fundamental for maintaining good email hygiene and ensuring your messages reach the inbox.
The SPF neutral result (?all) in an SPF record signals that a domain explicitly chooses not to assert whether a given IP address is authorized to send email. This differs from a 'pass' where the IP is explicitly authorized, or a 'fail' (hardfail) where it's explicitly unauthorized. It's essentially a statement of indifference from the domain owner regarding the sender's legitimacy.
While ?all might seem like a safe default, it provides minimal protection against spoofing. If a DMARC policy is in place and set to enforce, a neutral SPF result can lead to emails being rejected or sent to spam, especially if DKIM authentication also fails. This is because ?all does not contribute to DMARC alignment in the same way ~all (softfail) or -all (hardfail) would.
Many email security experts recommend avoiding ?all in production environments because it weakens your domain's email authentication. Instead, using ~all during a monitoring phase or -all for full enforcement provides a clearer signal to receiving mail servers. The ?all mechanism is often used during initial setup or testing where the domain owner isn't ready to explicitly allow or deny certain IPs. However, it's generally not the best practice for long-term use for optimal deliverability and security. You can read more about SPF neutral results from DMARCLY's detailed explanation.
SPF neutral (?all)
Meaning: The sender is not asserting whether the IP address is authorized.
Security: Weakest form of enforcement, provides minimal protection.
DMARC Impact: Does not help SPF alignment for DMARC, potentially leading to quarantine or rejection if DKIM fails. Learn more about SPF alignment for DMARC reports.
Use Case: Rarely recommended for production environments.
SPF softfail (~all) and hardfail (-all)
Softfail (~all): Suggests the IP is probably not authorized, but not definitively. Often results in spam folder delivery.
Hardfail (-all): Explicitly states the IP is NOT authorized. Leads to rejection of the email.
DMARC Impact: Both contribute to DMARC alignment and enforcement based on policy.
Use Case:~all for monitoring or cautious deployment, -all for full enforcement.
Common reasons for a broken SPF record
A broken SPF record can significantly disrupt your email flow, causing messages to be flagged as spam or rejected outright. There are several common culprits behind these issues, ranging from simple typos to exceeding technical limitations. It is important to know how broken SPF records affect deliverability.
One of the most frequent problems is having multiple SPF records on a single domain. SPF mandates that a domain should only have one TXT record starting with v=spf1. If you have more than one, mail servers will likely ignore all of them, resulting in an SPF 'none' or 'permerror' result. This is a common mistake when adding new email service providers without consolidating existing records.
Another pervasive issue is exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit. Your SPF record can contain mechanisms that require DNS lookups, such as a, mx, ptr, exists, and include. If the total number of these lookups exceeds ten, receiving mail servers will return a PermError, rendering your SPF record ineffective. This is particularly problematic for organizations using multiple third-party email services (e.g., a marketing ESP, a transactional ESP, and an office suite like Google Workspace). You can learn how to fix SPF record lookup limits.
Common SPF record errors
Multiple SPF records: Only one TXT record starting with v=spf1 is allowed per domain. Multiple records will lead to a PermError.
DNS lookup limit exceeded: An SPF record cannot contain more than 10 DNS lookups (a, mx, ptr, exists, include). This is a hard limit.
Void lookup limit exceeded: An SPF record cannot result in more than 2 void lookups (DNS queries that return a non-existent domain error or other DNS errors). This is also a hard limit.
Syntax errors: Typos, incorrect mechanisms, or improper formatting can invalidate the record.
SPF record too long: While less common, some DNS systems or mail servers might struggle with TXT records exceeding 255 characters, though they are technically allowed to span multiple strings (concatenated). Read more about SPF record length issues.
How to fix a broken SPF record
Rectifying a broken SPF record typically involves careful review and precise adjustments within your domain's DNS settings. The primary goal is to consolidate all legitimate sending sources into a single, correctly formatted SPF TXT record. This includes IPs, a records, mx records, and include statements for third-party email services.
To start, use an online SPF validation tool to check your current record and identify any errors, such as multiple records or exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit. Once identified, you'll need to edit the TXT record in your DNS management interface. If you have multiple SPF records, merge them into one. For instance, if you use Mailchimp and Microsoft 365, combine their include mechanisms into a single SPF record, for example: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:servers.mcsv.net -all. Remember that you shouldn't add Mailchimp directly to your SPF record.
For the DNS lookup limit, consider SPF flattening services or manually consolidating entries if possible. SPF flattening essentially replaces include mechanisms with the actual IP addresses they resolve to, thus reducing the number of lookups. You can also explore universal SPF solutions to manage complex configurations. After making changes, allow time for DNS propagation (typically 0-48 hours) before re-testing.
The importance of SPF and email authentication
SPF, alongside DKIM and DMARC, forms the backbone of modern email authentication. Properly configured, these standards help receiving mail servers verify that an email claiming to be from your domain actually originates from an authorized source. This verification is crucial for building and maintaining a positive sender reputation, preventing spoofing and phishing attacks, and ultimately ensuring your emails land in the recipient's inbox rather than their spam folder or a blocklist (or blacklist).
Without strong email authentication, your legitimate emails are at higher risk of being flagged as suspicious. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Gmail and Yahoo heavily rely on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to combat spam and protect their users. A broken or weakly configured SPF record (like one with ?all) can lead to email deliverability issues, including messages being filtered, delayed, or even rejected outright.
Regularly monitoring your SPF record and DMARC reports is essential to catch and fix issues promptly. Issues such as SPF TempError or SPF failing even with IP in record can indicate underlying problems that need attention. Proactive management of your email authentication records is a cornerstone of effective email marketing and communication strategies. You can find more troubleshooting steps in the Google Workspace Admin Help.
In addition to improving deliverability, strong authentication helps build trust with your recipients. When they see your emails consistently authenticated, it reinforces your brand's credibility. Conversely, a history of unauthenticated or poorly authenticated emails can damage your domain reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox, and potentially leading to your domain being placed on a blocklist (or blacklist).
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always combine multiple SPF records into a single TXT record for your domain to avoid PermErrors.
Utilize SPF flattening services if you find yourself approaching or exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit.
Regularly validate your SPF record with an online tool to catch syntax errors and limit issues early.
Transition from a neutral or softfail SPF policy to a hardfail once you are confident in your authorized sending sources.
Common pitfalls
Adding a new email service provider's SPF include without merging it into your existing SPF record, creating multiple SPF records.
Not accounting for all includes in your SPF record, which can push you over the 10 DNS lookup limit, causing a PermError.
Using the '?all' (neutral) mechanism in production, which offers minimal protection against email spoofing.
Failing to update your SPF record when changing email service providers or IP addresses.
Expert tips
Understand that SPF authenticates the bounce domain, not necessarily the 'From' address, which is crucial for DMARC alignment.
Be aware that some email service providers, like Google Workspace, use multiple DNS lookups within their SPF record.
DNS propagation delays can affect SPF record updates, so always allow sufficient time before re-testing.
An SPF neutral result might indicate a misconfigured record that needs deeper inspection, even if it's technically valid.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they discovered their internal Google Workspace emails were showing an SPF softfail and their backend developer's fix resulted in SPF neutral. They needed more clarity on what SPF neutral actually meant.
2020-04-23 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that SPF authenticates the bounce domain, and mentioned that Google's SPF record alone accounts for three lookups, which could push a domain over the 10 DNS lookup limit.
2020-04-23 - Email Geeks
Achieving robust email authentication
Understanding SPF neutral and diligently fixing broken SPF records are critical steps towards achieving robust email authentication and maintaining high deliverability rates. A well-configured SPF record, combined with DKIM and DMARC, signals to receiving mail servers that your domain is trustworthy, minimizing the risk of your emails being flagged as spam or rejected.
Regular validation, careful consolidation of records, and proactive management of DNS lookups are essential practices. By taking these steps, you safeguard your sender reputation, ensure your legitimate communications reach their intended recipients, and protect your brand from email spoofing and phishing attempts. Continuous monitoring and swift action on any reported SPF issues will keep your email infrastructure healthy and reliable.
Google Workspace). You can learn how to fix SPF record lookup limits.
Mailchimp and 
Microsoft 365, combine their include mechanisms into a single SPF record, for example: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:servers.mcsv.net -all. Remember that you shouldn't add Mailchimp directly to your SPF record.
Gmail and 
Yahoo heavily rely on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to combat spam and protect their users. A broken or weakly configured SPF record (like one with ?all) can lead to email deliverability issues, including messages being filtered, delayed, or even rejected outright.
