SPF Multiple Include Guide: Optimize Your SPF Record The Right Way
Analytics Insight, Friday, May 8th, 2026
Guide to managing multiple SPF include mechanisms while staying within DNS lookup limits.
This guide explains how SPF include mechanisms work and the risks of using multiple includes in a single SPF record. Organizations often add include statements for third-party email platforms, but each include can trigger DNS lookups that may exceed the strict 10-DNS-lookup limit, causing SPF failures.
The article covers how to count lookups, manage nested includes, and provides best practices for optimizing SPF records through proper inventory management, choosing between include versus redirect mechanisms, and avoiding costly mechanisms like ptr and exists.