Suped

How to troubleshoot SPF authentication issues with multiple ESPs, subdomains, and CNAMEs?

Summary

Troubleshooting SPF authentication issues with multiple Email Service Providers (ESPs), subdomains, and CNAME records can be complex. Often, the core problem lies in DNS misconfigurations, particularly how CNAME records interact with SPF records and the strict 10-lookup limit imposed by the SPF specification. This can lead to authentication failures, even when individual records seem correctly set up.

Suped DMARC monitor
Free forever, no credit card required
Get started for free
Trusted by teams securing millions of inboxes
Company logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logoCompany logo

What email marketers say

Email marketers often face challenges with SPF authentication due to complex inherited setups, the use of multiple ESPs, and the intricate interactions of DNS records like CNAMEs. Their focus is typically on ensuring deliverability for marketing campaigns, which can be hampered by technical authentication failures that are not immediately apparent through surface-level checks. This often leads to frustration and a need for deeper technical insight.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains their SPF isn't authenticating despite enabling HTTPS link tracking and being told SPF would update automatically. They are trying to understand the typical propagation time for such changes.

24 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that they are using Customer.io, and their domain is segment.com, with inbound.segment.com as the subdomain for CNAME.

24 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts highlight that SPF issues often stem from exceeding the 10-DNS-lookup limit or incorrect CNAME configurations. They advocate for strategic subdomain use and leveraging DMARC management services to simplify SPF record maintenance and ensure compliance. Experts also stress the importance of understanding the underlying DNS behavior to diagnose and resolve complex authentication failures, rather than relying solely on ESP interface statuses.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks notes that they do not see a direct connection between HTTPS and SPF, stating that they are two very different things in terms of email authentication and tracking.

24 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises using separate subdomains for different ESPs, for example, one for SendGrid and one for Customer.io. This strategy allows for building custom SPF records for each specific service.

24 Jun 2019 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Official documentation and technical guides consistently emphasize the importance of correct DNS record configuration for SPF authentication. They detail the structure of SPF records, the significance of includes, and crucially, the hard limit on DNS lookups. Furthermore, documentation addresses how CNAME records should (or should not) be used in conjunction with SPF, especially for subdomains, to avoid authentication failures and ensure proper alignment for email deliverability.

Technical article

Documentation from Mailgun states that an SPF record serves to track all sources authorized to send messages from a specific domain name, acting as a crucial component for email authentication and spam prevention.

01 Jan 2024 - Mailgun

Technical article

Documentation from Spiceworks Community highlights that a common SPF record issue involves too many DNS lookups, which leads to authentication failure. This error occurs when the email system attempts to validate the record but exceeds the permitted number of DNS queries.

01 Jan 2024 - Spiceworks Community

14 resources

Start improving your email deliverability today

Get started