Combat Spam With Volusion SPF Records

Email hacks show up in the news every day. Don�t let your business fall victim, protect your outgoing email with SPF records.

Written by�Jared K

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Nobody likes spam and besides being annoying, some of it is actually intended to con the recipient into revealing personal identity information or sending money. This is known as phishing.�

This often happens when an email account is hacked and the hacker then sends out emails to everyone in the account�s address book that look legit, but are anything but.�
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To prevent this, SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records are optional records used to verify sender IP addresses and protect it from sending out spam. By adding an SPF record, you can specify which hosts are allowed to send mail from your domain email addresses (for example, youremail@yourvolusionstore.com).

Volusion-Hosted Email

If you set up your mailboxes through Volusion, your can use the following information to set up an SPF record in your MyVolusion account at Manage DNS. If you have more than one order, select your hosting plan from the Choose a Domain menu and click Add New Record below your list of records. Then fill out the following fields with this info:

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Record Name: [yourdomainname.com.] (exclude the "www." portion and include a trailing period character)

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Record Type*: TXT

v=spf1 include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com include:emailsrvr.com ~all

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Record Value: v=spf1 include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com include:emailsrvr.com ~all

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Before saving, your record entry should look something like this:

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Using this SPF record will ensure that all emails sent from your Volusion-hosted email boxes are verified. Be sure to replace "[yourdomainname.com]" with your Volusion store's domain name or servertrust address.

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*Note: Although there is an "SPF" record type in the drop-down menu, be sure to use the "TXT" record type. The SPF option is a legacy record type that no longer functions.

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Non-Volusion-Hosted Email

If your email is hosted somewhere other than Volusion, then your SPF record will vary based on the information provided by your email host.
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If your Email Address From config variable is set to an @yourdomain.com email address, you can retrieve a copy of what the record needs to include from within your store admin following the steps below:
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1. Log into your Volusion Admin.
2. Go to Design > Email Templates.
3. Click the three dot setting icon in the upper right.�
4. A pop up window will appear and the spam prevention records can be copied from that window.

Format example:�
Record Name: Domain.com.
Record Type: TXT
Hostname: v=spf1 (Place include servers here based off who your email provider is) a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all
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(The format of the record could change depending on your DNS host. To ensure the record is entered correctly ,we always recommend consulting the third party that host's your DNS. The information provided in the record will display only what is recommended. It is possible to customize these records, and additional formatting requirements may exist from your third party mail host.)��
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Examples of SPF Records from Third Parties�

SPF Record for Volusion / RackSpace email:
v=spf1 include:emailsrvr.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF for inmotion hosting email:
v=spf1 include:spf.inmotionhosting.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record for Outlook / Office 365 email:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record for Google Mail:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record for GoDaddy email but Not Office 365:
v=spf1 include:spf.secureserver.net include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record for Network Solutions email:
v=spf1 include:spf.registeredsite.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record For NEWTEK emails
v=spf1 include:spf.newtekgateway.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record For Yahoo emails
v=spf1 include:mail.yahoo.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all

SPF Record For Hotmail Emails
v=spf1 include:spf-a.hotmail.com include:spf-b.hotmail.com include:volusion.email a:smtp5.volusion.com ~all
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Additional Third Party SPF Notes to Consider:

Record name value should always include your domain without www in the beginning.

You will always want to add a period at the end of the record name value(as seen in the examples above.)

We do not support @ values in the record name field, If you have a record that needs it set to the @ level please change that to the domain.
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SPF Records For Email Marketing Partners

If you are using an email marketing service to send newsletters or customer notifications, the third-party service may request that you add their hostname or IP address to your SPF record. The specific email marketing company should be able to provide you with information on configuring an SPF record that verifies their sent emails.

Prevent Hack Attacks

By taking proper precautions with SPF records, you can prevent an email crisis for your business. The last thing you need as a business owner is someone tarnishing your spotless reputation. Set up yours today.

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