Unit 9 · Ship it and keep it alive
SPF is a TXT record, not an MX record
MX records say where mail for your domain is delivered. SPF is a rule about which servers may send mail as your domain, and it lives in a TXT record that starts v=spf1.
The mix-up
What people often think
“Anything about email is an MX record.”
What the tutor says
MX says where mail is delivered. The SPF line is a rule about who may send, and it lives in a TXT record.
How it works
Not everything about email is an MX record. Delivery (MX) and permission to send (SPF in TXT, plus DKIM keys) are separate jobs, and mixing them up is a common reason mail lands in spam.
An example
cornerbakery.ca. MX 10 mail.example-mail.com.
cornerbakery.ca. TXT "v=spf1 include:example-mail.com ~all"Practise it with a tutor watching
Domains and DNS
Point a domain at a host, read DNS records, and fix a broken one without panicking about the wait.
Free with an account. The first two units need no account.