Summary
A sudden drop in SPF records reported in Gmail Postmaster Tools can be attributed to various factors. Some reports indicate it might be a temporary issue with Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) due to data lag or false positives. However, most sources emphasize the importance of investigating potential underlying problems. These include SPF record misconfigurations, new or failing authentication sources, exceeding DNS lookup limits, and changes made by third-party vendors or ESPs. More serious issues could involve phishing attacks, domain spoofing, or problems with email forwarding. Ensuring proper DMARC alignment and regularly monitoring and updating SPF records are essential for maintaining email deliverability. Aggressive filtering practices by Gmail and unauthorized use of your domain could also contribute to the drop.
Key findings
- GPT Issue: Potential temporary issue with Gmail Postmaster Tools (data lag, false positives).
- SPF Misconfiguration: Incorrect or missing sending sources in SPF records.
- Authentication Problems: New sources not authenticated or existing sources failing authentication.
- DNS Limit Exceeded: SPF records exceeding DNS lookup limits.
- Phishing/Spoofing: Domain targeted by phishing or spoofing attacks.
- Email Forwarding: SPF alignment issues caused by email forwarding.
- Third-Party Changes: Changes by ESPs or third-party vendors affecting SPF.
- Unauthorized Use: Potential unauthorized use of domain for spam sending.
- Gmail Filtering: Aggressive filtering practices by Gmail affecting SPF results.
- DMARC Alignment: Issues with DMARC alignment, impacting deliverability.
Key considerations
- Investigate Records: Thoroughly investigate SPF records for misconfigurations.
- Verify Sending Sources: Verify all legitimate sending sources are included in SPF records.
- Monitor SPF: Regularly monitor SPF records using available tools.
- Update Records: Keep SPF records updated with valid senders.
- Strengthen DMARC: Implement/strengthen DMARC policies to combat phishing/spoofing.
- Consider SRS: Consider SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) for forwarding issues.
- Align Strategy: Align email authentication strategy with vendors/ESPs.
- Check Infrastructure: Examine sending infrastructure for potential problems.
- Monitor Traffic: Monitor email traffic patterns for anomalies.
- Authentication Audit: Conduct a complete email authentication audit.
What email marketers say
14 marketer opinions
A sudden drop in SPF records in Gmail Postmaster Tools can be attributed to various factors. Some sources indicate it might be a temporary Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) issue due to data lag or false positives. However, it is crucial to investigate potential issues such as SPF record misconfigurations, new or failing authentication sources, exceeding DNS lookup limits, or changes made by third-party vendors. It could also indicate more serious issues like phishing attacks, domain spoofing, or problems with email forwarding, necessitating the implementation of DMARC policies or SRS. Regular monitoring and updating of SPF records, as well as ensuring DMARC alignment, are essential for maintaining email deliverability.
Key opinions
- GPT Issue: Gmail Postmaster Tools might report false positives or data lag.
- Misconfiguration: SPF record may be misconfigured, with missing or incorrect sending sources.
- Authentication Failure: New sending sources might not be authenticated, or existing sources may be failing.
- DNS Lookup Limit: SPF records might be exceeding the DNS lookup limit, requiring flattening.
- Phishing/Spoofing: Domain might be targeted by phishing or spoofing attacks.
- Email Forwarding: Email forwarding can cause SPF alignment issues, requiring SRS.
- Third-Party Changes: Changes made by third-party vendors or ESPs may affect SPF pass rates.
Key considerations
- Investigate: Thoroughly investigate potential misconfigurations or changes in SPF records.
- Verify: Verify SPF records to ensure all legitimate sending sources are included.
- Monitor: Regularly monitor SPF records using available tools.
- Update: Regularly update SPF records with all valid senders.
- Implement DMARC: Implement or strengthen DMARC policies to protect against phishing and spoofing.
- Consider SRS: Consider Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) for email forwarding issues.
- Align: Confirm and align email authentication strategy with third-party vendors or ESPs.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks answers explaining that data lag seems to be the explanation.
18 Jun 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that the issue is that GPT starts displaying yesterday's date, without having the data yet, and this is seen in several accounts, different ESPs as just noise again.
13 Jun 2025 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts suggest that a sudden drop in SPF records reported by Gmail Postmaster Tools can stem from issues related to your sending infrastructure, potentially indicating unauthorized use of your domain for sending spam. It could also be a consequence of Gmail's aggressive filtering practices, especially when unexpected shifts in email traffic sources are detected. Therefore, a thorough examination of your sending practices and infrastructure is crucial.
Key opinions
- Unauthorized Use: Drop in SPF pass rates may indicate unauthorized use of your domain for spamming.
- Infrastructure Problem: Points to underlying issues related to the sending infrastructure.
- Aggressive Filtering: Could be due to Gmail's aggressive filtering practices.
- Traffic Shifts: Gmail might be detecting unexpected shifts in email traffic sources.
Key considerations
- Examine Infrastructure: Thoroughly examine the sending infrastructure for potential problems.
- Assess Sending Practices: Re-evaluate your sending practices, especially in response to traffic source changes.
- Check for Unauthorized Use: Investigate whether your domain is being used for unauthorized spam activity.
- Monitor Traffic Patterns: Monitor your email traffic patterns to identify unexpected shifts or anomalies.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that a sudden drop in SPF pass rates can indicate a problem with your sending infrastructure, potentially due to unauthorized use of your domain to send spam which would cause SPF failures.
22 Oct 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that sudden changes in SPF results within Gmail Postmaster Tools could be due to aggressive filtering practices, particularly if Gmail detects unexpected shifts in the source of your email traffic, requiring a thorough examination of your sending practices.
16 Dec 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation from multiple sources indicates that a sudden drop in SPF records in Gmail Postmaster Tools suggests an issue with email authentication. This could mean a higher percentage of your emails are failing SPF checks, potentially due to incorrect DNS records or a lack of authorized sending IPs. A drop could also indicate DMARC alignment issues when SPF is the primary authentication method. Furthermore, it might signify your domain is being spoofed by malicious senders. Therefore, an immediate email authentication audit is essential to identify gaps in your strategy and ensure compliance with email standards.
Key findings
- Increased SPF Failures: A larger percentage of emails are failing SPF checks.
- Incorrect DNS Records: There are likely issues with DNS records.
- Missing Authorized IPs: Authorized sending IPs may not be correctly listed.
- DMARC Alignment Issues: There may be problems with DMARC alignment.
- Domain Spoofing: Your domain might be targeted by spoofing attacks.
Key considerations
- Check Authentication Setup: Review your email authentication setup and DNS records.
- Audit SPF Records: Routinely audit SPF records to ensure authorized sending IPs are listed.
- Ensure DMARC Alignment: Ensure proper DMARC alignment, especially when relying on SPF.
- Email Authentication Audit: Conduct an email authentication audit to identify potential gaps.
- Ensure Compliance: Ensure compliance with email standards to prevent spoofing and phishing.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that a decrease in SPF pass rate, as seen in Postmaster Tools, typically suggests that a larger percentage of your email is failing SPF checks, and to check your authentication setup and DNS records.
10 Jun 2023 - Google Support
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org answers that a sudden drop might also indicate an issue with DMARC alignment if SPF is used as the primary authentication method. Without proper alignment, messages may fail DMARC checks even with a passing SPF result.
26 May 2022 - DMARC.org
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