Google Cuts SPF Lookups from Four to One: What This Means for Your Email Deliverability
In a welcome update for anyone wrestling with Sender Policy Framework (SPF) limits, Google has simplified its SPF record so that it now only requires one DNS lookup rather than four . This change is a big deal for deliverability and a win for organisations tired of hitting the SPF lookup ceiling. For context, SPF records can include references to many different services. Each include or mechanism that causes a DNS TXT lookup counts against the hard limit of ten lookups that RFC standards impose. If this limit is exceeded the result is a permanent SPF error, and many mail receivers will reject the message outright. The problem is real. Even commonly used providers on their own can almost single handedly push you over the ten lookup limit. For example: Google Workspace Mailgun Freshdesk If all three are included in your SPF record, you can easily exceed ten lookups before you add other services your domain uses for legitimate email sending. That is why Google’s move to reduce ...
