---
title: "Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era? | DMARC Report"
description: "DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header."
image: "https://dmarcreport.com/og/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era.png"
canonical: "https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/"
---

Quick Answer

DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible \`From\` header. According to Google's February 2024 bulk sender requirements, a DMARC policy of at least \`p=none\` is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail users. DMARC Report

Related: [Free DMARC Checker](/tools/dmarc-checker/) ·[How to Create an SPF Record](/tools/spf-record-generator/) ·[SPF Record Format](/blog/spf-format-checker-dos-and-donts-for-email-authentication/) 

Share 

[ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdoes-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Does%20SPF%20hold%20importance%20in%20the%20DKIM-DMARC%20era%3F&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdoes-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdoes-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdoes-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era%2F&title=Does%20SPF%20hold%20importance%20in%20the%20DKIM-DMARC%20era%3F "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Does%20SPF%20hold%20importance%20in%20the%20DKIM-DMARC%20era%3F&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fdoes-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era%2F "Share via Email") 

![Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg) 

## Try Our Free DMARC Checker

Validate your DMARC policy, check alignment settings, and verify reporting configuration.

[ Check DMARC Record → ](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

![Create dmarc record 9535 150x150](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/create-dmarc-record-9535-150x150.jpg) 

> The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost.

DMARC ([RFC 7489](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible `From` header. According to Google’s February 2024 bulk sender requirements, a DMARC policy of at least `p=none` is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail users. DMARC Report

Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?

```
					<button title="Play" aria-label="Play Episode" aria-pressed="false" class="play-btn">
						
```

Play Episode

```
					</button>
					<button title="Pause" aria-label="Pause Episode" aria-pressed="false" class="pause-btn hide">
						
```

Pause Episode

```
					</button>
				

					<audio preload="none" class="clip clip-23804">
						<source src="https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/Does-SPF-hold-importance-in-the-DKIM-DMARC-era.mp3">
					</audio>
						

							<button class="player-btn player-btn__volume" title="Mute/Unmute">
								
```

Mute/Unmute Episode

```
							</button>
							<button data-skip="-10" class="player-btn player-btn__rwd" title="Rewind 10 seconds">
								
```

Rewind 10 Seconds

```
							</button>
							<button data-speed="1" class="player-btn player-btn__speed" title="Playback Speed" aria-label="Playback Speed">1x</button>
							<button data-skip="30" class="player-btn player-btn__fwd" title="Fast Forward 30 seconds">
								
```

Fast Forward 30 seconds

```
							</button>
						

							<time class="ssp-timer">00:00</time>
							
```

/

```
							<!-- We need actual duration here from the server -->
							<time class="ssp-duration" datetime="PT0H2M9S">2:09</time>
			

								<nav class="player-panels-nav">
												<button class="subscribe-btn" id="subscribe-btn-23804" title="Subscribe">Subscribe</button>
																		<button class="share-btn" id="share-btn-23804" title="Share">Share</button>
										</nav>

						
```

RSS Feed

```
							<input value="https://dmarcreport.com/feed/podcast/dmarc-report" class="input-rss input-rss-23804" title="RSS Feed URL" readonly />
						

						<button class="copy-rss copy-rss-23804" title="Copy RSS Feed URL" aria-label="Copy RSS Feed URL"></button>
					

						Share						
					

						<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://dmarcreport.com/blog/podcast/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/&t=Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="share-icon facebook" title="Share on Facebook">
							

						</a>
						<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=https://dmarcreport.com/blog/podcast/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/&url=Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="share-icon twitter" title="Share on Twitter">
							

						</a>
						<a href="https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/Does-SPF-hold-importance-in-the-DKIM-DMARC-era.mp3" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="share-icon download" title="Download" download>
							

						</a>
					

						Link						
					

						<input value="https://dmarcreport.com/blog/podcast/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/" class="input-link input-link-23804" title="Episode URL" readonly />
					

					<button class="copy-link copy-link-23804" title="Copy Episode URL" aria-label="Copy Episode URL" readonly=""></button>
					

						Embed						

					
```

/\*! This file is auto-generated \*/ ’ title=“Embed Code” class=“input-embed input-embed-23804” readonly/>

```
					<button class="copy-embed copy-embed-23804" title="Copy Embed Code" aria-label="Copy Embed Code"></button>


```

For the longest time ever, emails were just a means of communication. It had no security systems and no safety protocols. That’s how emails became an easy target for [cybercriminals](https://www.voanews.com/a/alleged-leader-of-cybercriminals-extradited-to-us/7741605.html). Soon, they started attacking [emails with spoofing, phishing](https://thehackernews.com/2024/07/proofpoint-email-routing-flaw-exploited.html), and spam tactics from left, right, and center. In the last couple of decades, the email threat landscape has evolved manifold. But so have the [security mechanisms](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/types-of-security-mechanism/). So, \*\*authentication systems entered the scene to verify the identity of the sender and safeguard the recipients from potential scams.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is the first ever authentication policy introduced in the early 2000s to secure email communications. It enables domain owners to enlist the exact [IP addresses](https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/what-is-ip-address) that are allowed to send emails on their behalf. SPF is widely used but yet has certain shortcomings.

![Dmarc check](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/dmarc-check-5566.jpg) 

In order to overcome these limitations, DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) was introduced. It is based on cryptographic signatures . These signatures help recipient email servers verify the authenticity of the sender’s domain and ensure the integrity of the email content. SPF and DKIM work well together and \*\*protect emails from [threat actors](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/us-treasury-says-computers-hacked-chinese-threat-actor-rcna185809).

_Then, DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) policy entered the scene in 2012_. It works closely alongside [SPF](https://autospf.com/blog/spf-guide-understanding-sender-policy-framework/) and DMARC, and enables domain owners to offer specific instructions to recipient email servers regarding the emails that fail authentication checks.

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to form the strong backbone of the **modern email authentication system**. But here’s the million-dollar question: Is SPF still relevant now that we have DKIM and DMARC?

Read on to find out!

![Dmarc record generator](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/dmarc-record-generator-7651.jpg) 

## SPF- How does it work?

SPF helps in preventing phishing and [email spoofing](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-now-blocks-spoofed-emails-for-better-phishing-protection/). The domain owner is required to publish an SPF record in the DNS. This SPF record consists of a list of [email servers](https://www.one.com/en/email/what-is-an-email-server) that are authorized to send out emails on behalf of the domain owner. Next time, if someone sends an email from your domain, the recipient’s email server checks the SPF record. If the sending server’s IP matches the list in the **SPF record**, then the email is safe and good to go. If it doesn’t match, the same is [marked as spam](https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/digital-journalism/facebook-spam-posts-independent-small-news-publishers/) (flagged) or rejected by the receiving mailbox.

## DKIM- The extra layer of security

DKIM’s cryptographic signature creates a great difference. _Once you deploy DKIM, the DKIM signature gets generated automatically when you send an email from your domain_. This unique, [private encryption key](https://www.1kosmos.com/authentication/private-key/) is then attached to the [email header](https://proton.me/blog/what-are-email-headers). It enables the recipient email server to verify whether or not the email content has been tampered with during transit. They use the [public key](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/public-key.asp) via \*\*DNS and use the same to decrypt the [cryptographic signature](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/food-trust?topic=automation-cryptographic-signatures) to check content integrity and send the domain’s authority. To pass the authentication check, the decrypted signature must match the email content.

![Dmarc record](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/dmarc-record-1239.jpg) 

## DMARC- The bridge between DKIM and SPF

SPF and DKIM work independently to offer protection to email systems against threat attacks. However, DMARC brings together SPF and DKIM. To do so, DMARC:

- Needs alignment between the domain used in the “From” address and the domain validated by SPF or [DKIM](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-explained-how-dkim-works-and-why-is-dkim-important-for-organizations/).
- Requires \*\*domain owners to come up with clear instructions on what to do when emails fail authentication checks.
- Offers detailed reports so that the domain owner can closely \*\*track and monitor every email that is being sent out from their domain.

## How does SPF stand out in the DMARC era?

Email authentication is incomplete without DKIM and [DMARC](https://dmarcreport.com/). But SPF is the ultimate foundation of an authentication system. It plays a crucial role in strengthening your [email security](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-security-matters-and-how-to-get-it-right/) systems. Here’s what makes SPF relevant even in DKIM and DMARC’s era:

![What is dmarc](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/what-is-dmarc-7763.jpg) 

## Stands strong against IP spoofing

SPF is especially designed to combat IP spoofing. It ensures that only specific IP addresses are allowed to send emails on your behalf. Thus, SPF turns out to be effective even in legacy environments\*\*. SPF also successfully ensures that only the authorized [third-party service](https://www.websitepolicies.com/blog/third-party-service-provider) providers will be sending emails on your domain’s behalf.

## Plays a key role in a layered defense strategy

DMARC offers the best defense when backed by both DKIM and SPF. So, if DKIM fails because of message modification or forwarding, SPF can secure your \*\*email system alongside DMARC.

![What is dmarc](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/04/what-is-dmarc-9321.jpg) 

## Easy to integrate and use

The learning curve is less steep when it comes to SPF as compared to DKIM. Also, SPF is considered the very first step for any organization that is \*\*planning to secure its [email communication](https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-e-mail-communication/) systems. _Since it is majorly DNS-based, IT teams find it convenient to integrate without facing any kind of technical hassles. Thus, it leads to swift implementation and widespread adoption_.

## Final thoughts

With the increase in the sophistication of threat attacks, relying solely on any one [email authentication](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-vs-dkim-vs-dmarc-difference-explained-2026/) policy will be highly risky. It is therefore advisable that organizations embrace a \*\*layered security system where SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to provide holistic security to their overall email communications system.

## Topics

[ dkim ](/tags/dkim/)[ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ email security ](/tags/email-security/)[ SPF ](/tags/spf/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead for DMARC Report's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Take control of your DMARC reports

Turn raw XML into actionable dashboards. Start free - no credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://app.dmarcreport.com/) [Check Your DMARC Record](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

## Related Articles

[  Foundational 8m  10 Critical Learnings From Verizon’s 2021 DBIR - A DMARCReport Perspective  Nov 25, 2025 ](/blog/10-critical-learnings-from-verizons-2021-dbir-a-dmarcreport-perspective/)[  Foundational 12m  10 DNS Blacklist Insights That Improve Email Security And Deliverability Fast  Nov 14, 2025 ](/blog/10-dns-blacklist-insights-to-improve-email-security-and-deliverability/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Email Spoofing Detection Tools That Dramatically Improve Brand Protection  Nov 11, 2025 ](/blog/10-email-spoofing-detection-tools-that-dramatically-improve-brand-protection/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Reasons SPF Filtering Is Critical For Email Security  Nov 19, 2025 ](/blog/10-reasons-spf-filtering-is-critical-for-email-security/)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.trustradius.com/products/duocircle/reviews"],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"470","bestRating":"5","worstRating":"1","url":"https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews"},"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/support/"},"knowsAbout":["DMARC","DMARC Reporting","DMARC Aggregate Reports","DMARC Forensic Reports","Sender Policy Framework","DKIM","Email Authentication","Email Security","DNS Management","Email Deliverability"]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebSite","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]}}}
```

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?","description":"DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header.","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/","datePublished":"2025-04-17T10:43:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-16T15:53:43.000Z","dateCreated":"2025-04-17T10:43:13.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://dmarcreport.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin is the founder and General Manager of DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. He founded DuoCircle in 2014 and has led the company's growth to 2,000+ customers across its email security product family. Brad's focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.trustradius.com/products/duocircle/reviews"],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"470","bestRating":"5","worstRating":"1","url":"https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews"},"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/support/"},"knowsAbout":["DMARC","DMARC Reporting","DMARC Aggregate Reports","DMARC Forensic Reports","Sender Policy Framework","DKIM","Email Authentication","Email Security","DNS Management","Email Deliverability"]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/"},"articleSection":"foundational","keywords":"dkim, DMARC, email security, SPF","wordCount":1129,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg","caption":"Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}}]
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Foundational","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/foundational/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era?","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/"}]}
```