SPF Inspector

Lookup, parse, and analyze SPF records with DNS lookup counting and evaluation tree.

SPF inspection

DNS lookups and policy retrieval run from the PacketWizard server with SSRF protections and timeout handling.

What is SPF Inspector?

An SPF checker looks up and evaluates a domain’s Sender Policy Framework TXT record so you can see which hosts are authorized to send mail and whether DNS lookup limits are at risk.

How it works

Enter a domain. PacketWizard fetches the SPF record, parses mechanisms and modifiers, counts DNS lookups, and highlights common policy mistakes.

Common issues

  • Too many DNS lookups

    SPF allows a maximum of 10 DNS-causing mechanisms (include, a, mx, etc.). Flatten or redesign includes when you approach the limit.

  • Multiple SPF TXT records

    Domains should publish a single SPF record. Multiple SPF TXT records cause unpredictable authentication failures.

Frequently asked questions

What does a softfail (~all) mean?

~all tells receivers the sender is probably unauthorized but should not hard-fail. Many domains start with ~all while monitoring DMARC before moving to -all.

Does SPF alone stop spoofing?

No. Pair SPF with DKIM and a DMARC policy so receivers know how to treat failed authentication.

Continue with these related PacketWizard tools for adjacent diagnostics.