I sent an email using my domain hetnet.nl, but the recipient using Outlook is getting an SPF failure message. The SMTP IP addresses I used (195.121.94.135, 195.121.94.185, 195.121.94.138) should be covered by the SPF record according to the DNS lookup I performed. So I'm confused about why this happens, especially since DMARC and DKIM are passing. Does anyone have insights on why SPF would still fail despite these IPs being included? Am I missing something?
3 Answers
It sounds like the issue could be related to the configuration of the SPF record itself. Only the sender's side can control that, so if email is okay for other senders, your friend needs to check with their IT to resolve this. Some companies still have poor SPF setups, which can lead to failures.
You might want to check the SPF include statement for hetnet.nl. It seems like the only IP being included is 195.121.94.185. Make sure that whatever is sending the email falls within the IP range specified in the SPF record.
Good point! If they’re missing entries, that could definitely cause failures.
Also, consider checking if the recipient is using a third-party email filtering service. These can alter the headers and lead to SPF failures. It could be coming from the filter rather than from the sender's server.
True, that often causes confusion. The email may pass through the filter and cause it to be seen as sent from that service instead.
Exactly! Many small businesses neglect proper email authentication and it's frustrating for recipients. They should definitely take this issue seriously.