MailFixIt

SPF dependency error

SPF include has no SPF record

An SPF include: or redirect= target can disappear, be misspelled or stop publishing its own v=spf1 policy. The fix is to identify that exact dependency and confirm which sending service it was meant to authorize—not to paste a generic SPF record.

Find the missing SPF dependency

Safe result: MailFixIt names the exact include or redirect target that currently has no selected SPF policy. It does not infer a replacement provider value or remove the dependency automatically.

How to repair it safely

  1. Confirm the sending service that introduced the include or redirect term.
  2. Check that the target name was copied exactly from that provider's current documentation or tenant settings.
  3. If the service is still legitimate, obtain its current SPF authorization from the provider before changing the parent record.
  4. If the service is retired, remove its dependency only after confirming it no longer sends mail for the domain.
  5. Keep exactly one selected SPF record and preserve all other valid sending authorizations.

Do not confuse this with an unrelated TXT record

Several TXT records can coexist at a domain, but SPF record selection only considers records whose first term is v=spf1. A generic verification TXT record does not make an SPF dependency valid.

What a successful recheck means

It means the analyzed dependency now publishes one selected SPF policy. It does not prove a particular email passed SPF: that needs a sending IP and envelope sender identity, and recipient delivery depends on other factors too.

Technical reference: RFC 7208, Sender Policy Framework.