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📧 Email Domain: What to Do If You Have More Than 10 SPF Records

Jomar
Updated

If you’re setting up your domain to allow AskNicely (via Mandrill) to send emails on your behalf, you’ll need to add a valid SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record to your DNS settings. However, domains are limited to 10 SPF mechanisms, and exceeding this number prevents proper email authentication.

This article outlines your options if your domain already has more than 10 SPF records and you're unable to add the required Mandrill SPF entry.

📌 SPF Limit: Domains can only include up to 10 mechanisms in their SPF record. If you have more, the SPF check will fail, preventing reliable delivery.

⚙️ Option 1: Delete Pre-Existing SPF Mechanisms

The simplest path is to reduce your SPF record to 9 or fewer mechanisms by removing unused or outdated entries.

Steps:

  • Locate your current SPF TXT record in your domain's DNS.

  • Use an SPF lookup tool to visualize and count mechanisms.

  • Consult your IT or Email Administrator to determine which entries can be safely removed.

⚠️ Be careful: Some entries may be essential for your other email tools and services.

🌐 Option 2: Create a New Subdomain

You can configure a dedicated subdomain (e.g. email.yourcompany.com) to handle AskNicely email traffic. This subdomain will have its own DNS settings with a clean SPF record.

Benefits:

  • Avoids disrupting your main domain's email systems.

  • Offers a clean slate for SPF setup.

⚠️ This option requires DNS and email routing knowledge. It should be handled by an Email Administrator or IT Support resource.

🧰 Option 3: "Flatten" Your SPF Records

SPF Flattening replaces included domain lookups with their resolved IP addresses, reducing the mechanism count.

Steps:

  • Use an SPF Record Flattener Tool to condense your record.

  • Replace the original SPF entry with the flattened version in your DNS.

⚠️ Keep in mind that flattened records can become outdated if IPs change, so periodic reviews are recommended.

⏳ DNS Propagation Time

After making any changes to your DNS or SPF records, please allow up to 24 hours for the changes to fully propagate, depending on your DNS provider.

✅ Next Steps: Resume Setup in AskNicely

Once your SPF record meets the requirements:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Email Domain in AskNicely.

  2. Re-submit your domain under Step 1 of the setup process.

  3. Proceed to Step 2 to complete domain verification and activation.

🙋 Need Help?

Still unsure which option is right for your team? Email our Support Team at support@asknice.ly and we’ll guide you through the next steps.

 

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