After you connect an email address, Dubsado automatically checks whether your domain has a valid SPF record. If it can't confirm one, you'll see an "SPF record could not be verified" warning in your email settings. This guide walks you through adding or updating your SPF record with your domain host so Dubsado can verify it.
Where you'll see this warning
Navigate to Settings ➔ Emails, or Messages ➔ Settings, then scroll to the Email Deliverability section and find the SPF subsection. Dubsado checks your SPF status as soon as the page loads, and the result appears as a colored banner inside the SPF subsection.
If you're not familiar with what an SPF record does, learn more about SPF records before you get started.
The SPF subsection only appears once you've connected an email account. If you don't see it, connect your email first.
Two ways Dubsado shows your SPF status
What you see next depends on how your email account is connected, but you don't need to know the technical details. Just look at what's on the page.
If Dubsado displays record fields for you (labeled Type, Host / Name, and Value), copy those straight into your domain host's DNS settings. If instead you only see a warning banner and a Verify button with no record fields, you'll need to get your SPF value from your email provider first, then add it yourself.
Step 1: Get your SPF value
If Dubsado already displayed a suggested record for you in the SPF subsection, you can skip ahead to adding it at your domain host. The Type, Host / Name, and Value fields are ready to copy.
Otherwise, your SPF value comes from your email provider, not from Dubsado. Each provider has its own value, formatted as a TXT record:
Google:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~allMicrosoft:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all
For both, use Host = @ and Type = TXT.
Each email provider has its own SPF value. If yours isn't listed above, search your provider's help center for "SPF record."
Step 2: Create the TXT record with your domain host
Each domain host has its own DNS settings page and its own process for adding a TXT record, so look for your domain host's DNS settings page and an option to create a new TXT record. Enter Host = @ and set the Value to your SPF record.
A domain can only have one SPF record. If you already have an existing SPF record, don't create a second one. Instead, you'll need to merge multiple SPF records into one.
Each domain host's interface is a little different, so it's best to follow your host's own instructions:
If your domain host isn't listed above, go to your host's help center and search for "TXT" or "SPF record."
Step 3: Verify in Dubsado
Once you've added or updated the TXT record with your domain host, return to the SPF subsection (Settings ➔ Emails or Messages ➔ Settings) and click Verify.
If the record is recognized, the banner turns green and confirms your SPF record is verified. If nothing changes, Dubsado shows a message letting you know no changes were detected yet and to allow time for the update to take effect.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. A "no changes detected" message after clicking Verify usually just means the record hasn't propagated yet. Periodically click Verify again until it's recognized.
If it's been more than 48 hours and verification still fails, double-check the record at your domain host:
The SPF value matches what your email provider or Dubsado gave you
The record is entered as a TXT type, not an SPF type
Spelling and capitalization are exact (TXT records are case-sensitive)
There are no missing or incorrect symbols
FAQ
I clicked Verify but nothing changed. Did I do something wrong?
Usually not. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, so Dubsado lets you know no changes have been detected yet rather than showing an error. Keep re-clicking Verify periodically. If it's been more than 48 hours, go back and double-check the record at your domain host. The value, record type, and exact spelling all matter.
Dubsado isn't showing me an SPF record to copy. Where do I get it?
Dubsado only displays a ready-to-copy record for some connection types. If you don't see record fields, get the SPF value from your email provider instead. For Google, that's v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all; for Microsoft, it's v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all. Add it as a TXT record at your domain host, then come back and click Verify.
I already have an SPF record. Can I just add another one?
No. A domain can only have one SPF record, so adding a second one causes problems rather than fixing them. Instead, merge the new value into your existing record.
I see a red error instead of the yellow "could not be verified" warning. What's the difference?
A yellow warning means Dubsado couldn't find an SPF record on your domain at all, which is what this article covers. A red error means a record exists but has a problem, like multiple SPF records or an invalid entry. See invalid SPF records for how to fix those.
If I change domain hosts, do I need to set up SPF again?
Yes. Moving your domain to a new host means setting up and verifying your SPF record again with the new host.