How to setup correct SPF record

emailemail-servergodaddyspf

I am trying to setup a very basic SPF record. I am hosting my website on Godaddy and using Godaddy's email servers. I am using the php mail() call (I know, I've read a ton of places to use PHP Mailer, or others, but I am choosing to the default mail() function and thats not really my question). Right now the spf record in the email is coming back as neutral with the following lines:

Delivered-To: person@gmail.com
Received: by 10.52.171.166 with SMTP id av6csp133324vdc;
        Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:43:23 -0700 (PDT)
X-Received: by 10.49.104.180 with SMTP id gf20mr2338989qeb.59.1373985802775;
        Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:43:22 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path: <noreply@onlineserver.cc>
Received: from p3nlsmtp14.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net (p3nlsmtp14.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net. [72.167.234.239])
        by mx.google.com with ESMTP id d19si710455qey.143.2013.07.16.07.43.22
        for <person@gmail.com>;
        Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:43:22 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: neutral (google.com: 72.167.234.239 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of noreply@onlineserver.cc) client-ip=72.167.234.239;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
       spf=neutral (google.com: 72.167.234.239 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of noreply@onlineserver.cc) smtp.mail=noreply@onlineserver.cc
Received: from P3NW8SHG339 ([184.168.27.44])
    by p3nlsmtp14.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net with 
    id 12jN1m0080x5yNo012jNyX; Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:43:22 -0700
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:43:21 -0700
Subject: Little Jaws Big Smiles Registration Confirmation
X-PHP-Originating-Id: [10610735]
To: "Person" <person@gmail.com>
From: "Little Jaws Big Smiles" <no-reply@littlejawsbigsmiles.com>
Reply-To: "Little Jaws Big Smiles" <no-reply@littlejawsbigsmiles.com>
Return-Path: "Little Jaws Big Smiles" <no-reply@littlejawsbigsmiles.com>
Message-ID: <51e55c0a.f351310a.61d2.ffffe3a0SMTPIN_ADDED_BROKEN@mx.google.com>
X-Mailer: PHP/5.2.17
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Organization: Little Jaws Big Smiles

The ip 72.167.234.239 corresponds to p3nlsmtp14.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net, which I'm guessing is the mail server actually sending my email.

  • I have an A (Host) record setup with my actual IP address of the domain.
  • I have the default CNAME (alias) list that was supplied
  • I have two MX (Mail Exchanger records) that were supplied
    • mailstore1.secureserver.net
    • smtp.secureserver.net
  • There are two default name servers setup
    • ns45.domaincontrol.com
    • ns46.domaincontrol.com
  • I've setup the TXT SPF record in the following manner (no quotes because thats how godaddy has you enter it):
    • v=spf1 a mx ptr ip4:72.167.234.245 -all

However this still results in a neutral SPF result. I have waited 48 hours for the record to take action. I have also read the SPF Syntax and I think I've set it up appropriately (but I've never done this before, so I could be completely misunderstanding this)

I have also tried kitterman's validation script with the following result:

Found v=spf1 record for littlejawsbigsmiles.com: v=spf1 a mx ptr ip4:72.167.234.245 -all    
evaluating... SPF record passed validation test with pySPF (Python SPF library)!

Does anyone see a problem with my record definition or if I am missing anything else?

I am attempting to send mail from no-reply@littlejawsbigsmiles.com

Let me know if I need to provide any other information.

Update Per @TheCleaner's request, I followed the instructions on Godaddys site to creating the SPF record. Below are the steps and options I choose with why I selected them.

Under To Add an SPF Record

  • Step 4: I selected GoDaddy.com, LLC only
    • I am only sending emails using their servers
  • Step 5: I selected All Inbound Servers May Send Mail
    • I am not sure this applies to me, but I selected it just in case it does
  • Step 6: I did not select Outbound records.
    • My domain is not a mail server
  • Step 7: I did not select PTR
    • My domain is not a mail server
  • Step 8: I added 72.167.234.0/24 since this appears to be the mail servers
    Godaddy uses to send out emails
  • I also selected Exclude all hosts not specified here which adds -all

The result SPF record is below. I will try this and post back if this fixes my issues. Please let me know if my assumptions about my steps above are incorrect.

v=spf1 mx include:72.167.234.0/24 -all

Best Answer

You have entered the wrong IP address in your SPF record.

Here's the current record:

littlejawsbigsmiles.com. 3600   IN      TXT     "v=spf1 a mx ptr ip4:72.167.234.245 -all"

Here's the IP you're sending from:

72.167.234.239

Which is clearly different from 72.167.234.245.

Fix the record so that there's no mistake in it and everything should work fine.

To include a whole address range, use:

"v=spf1 mx ip4:72.167.234.0/24 -all"

By the way, GoDaddy offers a KB article on how to setup an SPF record with them: http://support.godaddy.com/help/article/7926/adding-or-editing-spf-records

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