Frequently Asked Questions

What problem does AutoSPF solve?

AutoSPF solves the RFC 7208 'too many DNS lookups' problem that breaks SPF email authentication. Email senders are limited to 10 DNS lookups in an SPF record, and organizations using multiple vendors quickly exceed this limit, causing DMARC failures and email deliverability issues. AutoSPF automatically flattens and compresses complex SPF records into a single managed entry, keeping you safely within the 10-lookup limit at all times.

Is AutoSPF a full email security suite or a specialized tool?

AutoSPF is a 100% SPF-focused product — not a broad email security suite. It is purpose-built to solve the DNS lookup limitation in SPF records through automated flattening and real-time management. If you need DMARC reporting, that is handled by AutoSPF's sister product, DMARC Report (dmarcreport.com), which is a separate, dedicated tool.

How many businesses trust AutoSPF?

Over 2,000 businesses worldwide rely on AutoSPF daily, including hundreds of Enterprise clients. AutoSPF has been in business for almost 10 years and is rated 5/5 on G2, earning badges including High Performer, Easiest To Use, Best Support, and Most Likely to Recommend.

What makes AutoSPF different from other SPF management tools?

AutoSPF stands out through its 60-second setup guarantee, 15-minute automated rescan intervals for vendor changes, and a 99.99% uptime SLA served via Cloudflare infrastructure. It is also one of only a handful of SPF management providers offering macro-based SPF, which enables truly unlimited includes with just 1–2 DNS lookups and includes IP obfuscation to hide your authorized senders from competitors.

Is AutoSPF SOC-2 Type II certified?

Yes, AutoSPF is SOC-2 Type II certified. Enterprise plan customers receive access to SOC-2 Type II compliance documentation as part of their plan, along with vendor security questionnaire support for procurement requirements.

What plans does AutoSPF offer and how much do they cost?

AutoSPF offers three paid plans: SMB at $37/month, Premium at $97/month, and Enterprise at $387/month. All plans include automated SPF flattening with no email sending limits, no monthly caps, and no user-based pricing. A 30-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

What is included in the Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan ($387/month) includes automated SPF flattening for up to 5 domains, macro-based SPF management, SOC-2 Type II compliance documentation, Enterprise SSO and SAML, audit logs, subdomain reporting, DMARC reporting, white-glove onboarding, teams and user management, and vendor security questionnaire support. It is designed for organizations with complex multi-domain environments and compliance requirements.

Does AutoSPF charge based on the number of emails sent?

No. AutoSPF's pricing philosophy explicitly includes no email sending limits, no monthly caps, no artificial cutoffs, and no user-based pricing on any plan. You pay a flat monthly fee based on the tier that matches your feature needs, not your email volume.

Is there a free trial available?

Yes, AutoSPF offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can evaluate the service risk-free before committing to a paid plan.

What is the 60-second setup guarantee?

AutoSPF guarantees that you can complete your SPF setup in 60 seconds or less. If your setup takes longer than 60 seconds, AutoSPF will give you the first 12 months of service completely free — making the guarantee one of the strongest in the industry.

How difficult is it to set up AutoSPF?

Setup requires just one DNS record change — copy, paste, and replace your existing SPF record with a single managed include pointing to AutoSPF's infrastructure. The entire process is designed to be completed in 60 seconds or less, and white-glove onboarding is available on SMB and Enterprise plans for teams that prefer guided assistance.

Do I need technical expertise to use AutoSPF?

No advanced technical expertise is required. The setup process is a simple copy-paste-replace of one DNS record, and AutoSPF handles all ongoing management automatically — including rescanning for vendor changes every 15 minutes. Support is available via priority email and chat on all paid plans.

What happens after I set up AutoSPF?

Once set up, AutoSPF operates completely hands-free. It automatically rescans your SPF record every 15 minutes to detect any changes made by your email vendors, flattens the updated record in real time, and ensures your DNS stays within the RFC 7208 10-lookup limit without any action required on your part.

How is AutoSPF's DNS infrastructure hosted?

AutoSPF serves DNS records via Cloudflare, providing a 99.99% uptime SLA. This separation of AutoSPF's DNS infrastructure from standalone DMARC reporting is intentional, specifically to protect the uptime guarantee for the core SPF service.

What happens when one of my email vendors changes their SPF record?

AutoSPF automatically rescans all vendor SPF records every 15 minutes. When a change is detected, the flattened record is updated in real time without any manual intervention needed. This ensures your SPF record remains valid and compliant even as vendors add or remove sending infrastructure.

What kind of support does AutoSPF provide?

All paid plans include priority email and chat support. AutoSPF is known for going above and beyond — verified customer reviews on G2 highlight personalized support videos, hands-on troubleshooting, and rapid response times. Enterprise customers also receive white-glove onboarding.

My SPF record already exceeds 10 DNS lookups — can AutoSPF fix this immediately?

Yes, AutoSPF is specifically designed to fix the 'too many DNS lookups' problem. By flattening all nested SPF include mechanisms into a single managed entry, it reduces your DNS lookups from 10+ down to 2–3, bringing your record into immediate compliance with RFC 7208 and improving email deliverability.

What is macro-based SPF and when do I need it?

Macro-based SPF is an advanced technique that enables truly unlimited email vendor includes while consuming just 1–2 DNS lookups, regardless of how many senders you authorize. It also includes IP obfuscation so competitors cannot enumerate your authorized senders. This feature is available on Premium ($97/mo) and Enterprise ($387/mo) plans and is ideal for organizations with a large or growing number of email service providers.

How does AutoSPF help with DMARC compliance?

DMARC requires that SPF authentication passes, which fails if your SPF record exceeds the 10 DNS lookup limit. AutoSPF ensures your SPF record stays within this limit at all times through automated flattening, which is a foundational requirement for achieving and maintaining DMARC compliance. Note that standalone DMARC reporting is provided by the separate sister product, DMARC Report (dmarcreport.com).

Is AutoSPF suitable for regulated industries or enterprises with strict compliance requirements?

Yes. AutoSPF is SOC-2 Type II certified and the Enterprise plan includes compliance documentation, a vendor security questionnaire, audit logs, and Enterprise SSO/SAML support. Hundreds of Enterprise clients currently rely on AutoSPF, including organizations in financial services and insurance based on verified G2 reviews.

Does AutoSPF expose my list of authorized email senders to competitors?

Not on Premium or Enterprise plans. AutoSPF's macro-based SPF feature includes IP obfuscation, which prevents competitors from querying your SPF record to discover which email vendors and services you have authorized. This feature is described as available from only one of a handful of SPF management providers in the market.