SPF auditor that solves the 10-DNS lookup limit
Deep-scan your SPF record, resolve recursive includes, and fix PermErrors before they trigger authentication failures. Gain total visibility into your DNS lookup budget
Lookup budget
Validate your SPF record against the 10-lookup limit by expanding recursive includes and measuring total DNS query cost
- Full mechanism expansion
- Per-source lookup accounting
- Limit breach early warning
Precision SPF auditor engineering
Built for technical teams managing multi-vendor infrastructures who require deterministic SPF outcomes under strict RFC 7208 constraints. Our auditor helps you fix PermErrors and solve lookup limit issues
Recursive expansion
Resolve deep include chains
Syntax integrity
Stop record errors early
Full macro support
Validate macro-based SPF
Authorized IP inventory
Export effective sender scope
Source attribution
Map includes to owners
Historical audit log
Track record drift over time
Optimize SPF in 3 steps
Prevent SPF authentication failures caused by lookup limits and record drift. Deploy monitoring in minutes
Recursive analysis
Enter your domain to expand your SPF evaluation path, resolving all nested includes and redirects into a single validated view
Audit lookup budget
Analyze total DNS lookup usage and identify which mechanisms consume the most budget to mitigate PermError risks
Deploy drift alerts
Activate continuous monitoring to receive instant notifications when records change, validation fails, or lookup usage nears the limit
SPF infrastructure FAQ
Common questions about SPF validation, the 10-lookup limit, and professional record maintenance
A PermError occurs when SPF evaluation cannot complete, most commonly because the 10-lookup limit is exceeded or the record is syntactically malformed. When this happens, SPF authentication fails and mail is often rejected or marked as spam.
Each include and redirect mechanism triggers additional DNS queries. Nested includes compound these queries quickly, so a record that appears short can easily exceed the 10-lookup limit once fully expanded across third-party vendor chains. RUA•Watcher solves this complexity by providing full visibility into the evaluation path.
A void lookup is a DNS query that returns no usable result like NXDOMAIN. RFC 7208 imposes strict limits on void lookups, typically allowing only two. Exceeding this limit triggers a PermError, making it critical to prune dead records and inactive vendors.
Flattening replaces DNS-based mechanisms with their resolved IP addresses and ranges. This drastically reduces lookup usage but requires automated management, as vendor IP ranges change frequently. Flattening is recommended when your legitimate sender list naturally exceeds 10 lookups.
SPF infrastructure is dynamic. Third-party vendors can update their own include records at any time, which might push your domain over the lookup limit or introduce syntax errors without your knowledge. Monitoring ensures you catch these shifts before they impact deliverability.
Secure your SPF infrastructure today
Use us to audit your lookup budget, resolve recursive include chains, and mitigate record drift before it impacts your mail deliverability