How to Set Up an SPF Record for Zoho Mail: Step-by-Step Guide

Can you boost your email open rates by 10% with a simple tweak?

Yes, it’s possible.

By setting up an SPF record for your domain, you can expect to boost your open rate by 5-15%

Once set up, your emails are more likely to avoid spam folders and actually generate sales.

This post will teach you how to set up an SPF record for Zoho mail:

What is SPF, Anyway?

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework.

SPF is an email authentication protocol designed to combat phishing and other cybercrimes.

How?

By implementing a DNS record called an “SPF record,” you can specify which servers can send emails on your domain’s behalf.

Then, receiving email servers can check your domain’s DNS records to verify that an email really came from your domain.

If it did, the email will pass SPF authentication and have a good chance of reaching the recipient’s inbox.

If it doesn’t, the email will get sent to spam or not get delivered at all.

If your domain lacks a well-configured SPF record, your emails will likely go to the dreaded spam folder.

Why Set Up an SPF Record?

A correctly configured SPF record makes your emails more secure.

Email service providers love this added layer of security. It makes them trust your emails more, which leads to better inbox placement for your emails.

The opposite is also true. If ESPs don’t trust your emails as much, they’ll send them to spam.

Emails in spam don’t convert and, as such, are a waste of your time and other resources. Unless your ideal customer is a lonely spam folder, that’s probably not where you want to be. ;-)

In other words, SPF isn’t optional if you use email to grow your business.

What Does an SPF Record Look Like?

An SPF record is a DNS TXT record you add to your domain’s DNS records.

Here’s an example:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

And here’s what each component means:

• The V stands for the SPF version

• The Include holds the servers allowed to send email on behalf of your domain—typically, the sending server(s) of your email-sending tool. In this example, the Include holds the Google sending server, suggesting that this record will be used with Google services like Google Workspace and Gmail.

• The ~all part defines what result should be returned when an email comes from a server not listed in the SPF record. In the example above, it’s a soft fail, which means mail from unauthorized servers should be accepted but marked as suspicious.

In the example above, you can see that only a single server is allowed to send emails. To authorize multiple servers, you simply add more Includes to your SPF record, like this:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:mailgun.org ~all

Instead of a server’s domain, you can also IP addresses to an SPF record:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:mailgun.org ip4:203.0.113.10 ~all

Setting up an SPF record for Zoho Mail

To configure SPF for your domain, you must add an SPF record to your domain’s DNS settings.

These DNS settings can be found in your domain provider’s account. If you use a separate hosting provider, you may have to set up the SPF record with that provider instead.

How to set up your Zoho SPF record for any domain provider

The general instructions for setting up your SPF record are as follows. We give provider-specific instructions lower down the page.

1. ➡️ Log in to your domain provider account

2. ➡️ Look for a page or tab called DNS settings, DNS, or Advanced, and go there

3. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

4. ➡️ If it doesn’t, Add a new record

5. ➡️ For the record’s Type, choose TXT

6. ➡️ Add @ to the Host or Name field (unless you’re setting up an SPF for a subdomain)

7. ➡️ Add your SPF record to the Value field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

8. ➡️ Click save!

How to set up a Zoho Mail SPF on GoDaddy

1. ➡️ Log in to your GoDaddy account

2. ➡️ Click on My Products and choose your domain

3. ➡️ Go to DNS

4. ➡️ On the DNS Management page, check if your domain has an existing SPF record

5. ➡️ If there’s no SPF record, click on Add

6. ➡️ Choose TXT as the record’s Type

7. ➡️ Add @ to the name field (unless you’re setting up an SPF for a subdomain)

8. ➡️ Add Zoho´s SPF record to the Value field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

9. ➡️ Save the record

Setting up a Zoho Mail SPF record on Namecheap

1. ➡️ Log in to Namecheap

2. ➡️ Go to Domain List

3. ➡️ Select your domain

4. ➡️ Go to Advanced DNS

5. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

6. ➡️ If there’s no SPF record, click on Add

7. ➡️ Use TXT as the record’s Type

8. ➡️ Add @ to the Host field (unless you’re configuring an SPF record for a subdomain)

9. ➡️ Add the Zoho SPF record to the Value field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

10. ➡️ Click the checkmark to save your record

Configuring Zoho’s SPF record on Cloudflare

1. ➡️ Log in to Cloudflare

2. ➡️ Choose your domain from the dashboard

3. ➡️ Click on DNS

4. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

5. ➡️ It it doesn’t, create a new DNS record

6. ➡️ Select TXT as the record’s Type

7. ➡️ Add @ to the Name field (unless you’re setting up an SPF for a subdomain)

8. ➡️ Add the Zoho Mail SPF record to the Value field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

9. ➡️ Save the record

How to set up a Zoho SPF record on Dreamhost

1. ➡️ Log in to Dreamhost

2. ➡️ Click on Manage Websites

3. ➡️ Select your domain

4. ➡️ Click on DNS settings

   1. In Grid view: Click the three vertical dots below your domain, then click DNS Settings

   2. In List view: Click the three vertical dots to the right of your domain, then click DNS Settings

5. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

6. ➡️ If there’s none, click on Add Record

7. ➡️ Hover over the TXT record section and click on Add

8. ➡️ Leave the Host field blank unless you’re setting up this SPF record for a subdomain

9. ➡️ Add the Zoho Mail SPF record to the Value TXT field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

10. ➡️ Click Add Record to save

Adding a Zoho SPF to OVHcloud

1. ➡️ Log in to the OVHcloud control panel

2. ➡️ Go to My Products and Services

3. ➡️ Click on See All

4. ➡️ Select your domain

5. ➡️ Go to the DNS Zone

6. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

7. ➡️ If it doesn’t, add an Entry

8. ➡️ For Type, choose TXT

9. ➡️ Add the SPF record to the Target field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain already has an SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

10. ➡️ Note: OVHcloud doesn’t automatically append your domain to the SPF record. You will have to add it manually instead. With your domain appended, the record should look something like this: **yourwebsite.com TXT v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all**

11. ➡️ Click Save

How to set up a Zoho SPF on Bluehost

1. ➡️ Log in to Bluehost

2. ➡️ Go to My Domains

3. ➡️ Pick your domain

4. ➡️ Click on DNS

5. ➡️ Check if your domain has an existing SPF record

6. ➡️ Click on Add New Record if it doesn’t

7. ➡️ For the record’s Type, choose TXT

8. ➡️ Enter @ in the Name or Host field (unless you’re setting up this SPF record for a subdomain)

9. ➡️ Add the SPF record to the Value field: v=spf1 include:zoho.com -all (If your domain has an existing SPF record, simply add another Include to the record for Zoho Mail, e.g.: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:zoho.com -all)

10. ➡️ Click Save

Validating your SPF record

After setting up your SPF record, it can take up to 72 hours for your record to propagate.

But don’t worry; your record usually becomes active in a few hours.

You can use MXToolbox to verify the status of your SPF record. All you have to do is enter your domain, select the SPF Record Lookup option, and click the orange button.

Congrats on setting up your SPF Record 🥳

You’ve made a big step towards better email deliverability and, thus, more revenue for your business.

However, the work isn’t over yet.

To take care of your complete technical setup and boost your deliverability even more, make sure to also set up your:

• DKIM records

• DMARC records

• MX records

• Custom Tracking Domain