Question

Why does the SPF record fail to verify?

Answer

A validation error happens if your SPF record doesn't allow Zendesk to send emails on your behalf.

The most common common causes are:

  • include:mail.zendesk.com is not added in your domain SPF record

  • The support address is not added to your Zendesk account as an external support address

  • The record was published but has not propagated yet due to a short TTL (time to live).

Use a third-party tool like MXtoolbox, Dmarcian, or similar tools to verify your SPF record. Common SPF errors include:

  • Too many DNS lookups
  • Multiple SPF records
  • Type 99 deprecated
  • IP address not supported
  • Propagation issues
  • Flattened SPF record
  • Invalid Syntax

Zendesk updates its public IP addresses, which can lead to SPF errors and delivery issues. Therefore, using IPs in your SPF record is not recommended or supported.

For more information on how to set up records for your domain, see the article: Allowing Zendesk to send email on behalf of your email domain.

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