What is SPF and why does it complicate my life?

Answer to the question from the area: General

What is SPF and why does it make my life difficult?

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a technique to detect fake e-mails. So SPF is nothing to stop spam. It should only give domain owners the opportunity to determine which senders are allowed to send emails in the name of their domain.

Although not all spam e-mails are fake, practically all fakes are spam. SPF is therefore no more spam protection than flour is a food, but part of the solution. SPF was developed in 2003 to address gaps in the e-mail delivery system that spammers can use to "spoof" or steal their e-mail address to illegally send hundreds, thousands, or even millions of e-mails. SPF is a protocol developed by a group of motivated volunteers with the aim of improving the use of the Internet.

 SPF is not a commercial product offered by a profit-making company, but the SPF protocol is being used by a growing number of domain hosts and Internet service providers (ISPs) and as in Any technological development will also face some problems along the way give. The people behind this website and the people working at the Contributing to the development of SPF may be able to help you Solving problems that arise are not for the occurrence of these problems responsible. At the moment, SPF is a very new technology and not yet user-friendly if you are not familiar with e-mail protocols. We know that and we're working on it, but in the meantime we're there to help you when you need help.