--- title: "What does the ‘null’ value mean in an SPF record? | AutoSPF" description: "Imagine setting up an SPF record to protect your domain, only to realize it’s as good as not having one!" image: "https://autospf.com/og/blog/what-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record.png" canonical: "https://autospf.com/blog/what-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record/" --- Quick Answer If you check your SPF record using tools like MXToolbox, SPF Record Checker, or your ESP’s built-in SPF validator, you might see errors such as: All these error prompts indicate that your SPF record is not specifying any authorized senders or including invalid characters, which is what having a ‘null’ value in your SPF record essentially means. What does the ‘null’ value mean in an SPF record? Your browser does not support the audio element. [ Download episode](/audio/what-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record.mp3) Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20does%20the%20%E2%80%98null%E2%80%99%20value%20mean%20in%20an%20SPF%20record%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record%2F&title=What%20does%20the%20%E2%80%98null%E2%80%99%20value%20mean%20in%20an%20SPF%20record%3F "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=What%20does%20the%20%E2%80%98null%E2%80%99%20value%20mean%20in%20an%20SPF%20record%3F&body=Check out this article: https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-the-null-value-mean-in-an-spf-record%2F "Share via Email") ![SPF record](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-record-example-1377.jpg) Imagine setting up an SPF record to protect your domain, only to realize it’s as good as not having one! Well, this is precisely what the situation is when your [SPF record](/spf-record-checker/create-spf-record/) has the ‘null’ value. _Per [RFC 7208](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7208), SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a `PermError` that fails authentication for every message from the domain._ What does it mean? If you check your SPF record using tools like [MXToolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com/), SPF Record Checker, or your [ESP’s](https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/glossary/email-service-provider-esp/) built-in SPF validator, you might see errors such as: - No mechanisms found in SPF record - Empty SPF record - SPF record has no valid mechanisms - Null SPF record value detected - Invalid [SPF syntax](/spf-validator/spf-syntax/): no mechanisms defined _All these error prompts indicate that your SPF record is not specifying any authorized senders or including invalid characters, which is what having a ‘null’ value in your SPF record essentially means_. If you regularly review your [DMARC reports](https://dmarcreport.com/understanding-dmarc-reports/), even they can show SPF ‘fail’ results for all emails if your SPF record is null, with no passing IPs listed. ![DMARC reports ](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-lookup-7896.jpg) ## Why does an SPF record become ‘null’? A ‘null’ value in your SPF record isn’t the result of a random technical glitch; it occurs because you have overlooked something crucial, and now your SPF record is not in accordance with the guidelines laid down by [RFC](https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Request-for-Comments-RFC). Here are the common issues triggering it- ### 1\. Misconfiguration during setup This is one of the most common reasons, especially if you have DIYed the setup. Domain owners often miss adding all the senders, especially third-party senders who send emails on their behalf. Another misconfiguration issue arises due to the incorrect or incomplete use of a certain mechanism. ![spam folders ](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-record-office-365-2278.jpg) For example, domain owners often forget to use mechanisms like ‘ip4’ or ‘include.’ _This situation is like sending out a wedding invitation with no venue details; the guests don’t know where to show up_. Similarly, your emails are left wandering in [spam folders](https://cybernews.com/news/microsofts-breach-notification-emails-end-up-in-spam-folder/) or getting rejected again and again. ### 2\. Syntax errors Even a small typo can make your SPF record invalid or interpreted as ‘null’ by [mail servers](https://www.activecampaign.com/glossary/mail-server). For example: ``` v=spf1 null -all ``` ![syntax error](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-validator-7891.jpg) Here, ‘null’ is not a valid SPF mechanism. Maybe you intended to add an include or IP4 entry, but wrote ‘null’ by mistake, leaving your record syntactically incorrect. Other syntax slip-ups include: - Missing spaces between mechanisms - _Incorrect mechanism names (e.g., ip:192.0.2.0 instead of ip4:192.0.2.0)_ - Using unsupported or outdated mechanisms ![SPF mechanism ](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/kitterman-spf-2379.jpg) These syntax errors confuse recipient servers, leading them to treat your SPF record as if it’s empty. ### 3\. DNS entry errors when updating SPF records At times, SPF records get corrupted or become invalid because of some technical glitch at your [DNS host](https://dnsmadeeasy.com/resources/what-is-dns-hosting). The possible situations are- - The record accidentally gets partially deleted while editing. - The DNS provider’s interface truncates long records, leaving only the version tag. - Changes are saved incorrectly, causing an empty [TXT record](https://www.digicert.com/faq/dns/what-is-a-txt-record) to be published. ![DNS host](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-permerror-4697.jpg) These DNS-level errors often go unnoticed until you start seeing delivery failures or authentication errors. ## How to fix a ‘null’ value in your SPF record? ### Step 1: Identify where your SPF record is hosted Here is how you can easily sort the ‘null’ value issue and save your emails from getting [marked as spam](https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/digital-journalism/facebook-spam-posts-independent-small-news-publishers/) or rejected. _First, you need to know where your SPF record lives. Usually, it’s managed by your domain registrar (like GoDaddy),_ _DNS hosting provider_ _(like Cloudflare), or your website hosting provider (like Bluehost)._ ### Step 2: Validate your current SPF record After fetching your current SPF record, check the current set of issues using free tools. If the tool shows errors like- ![SPF record ](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-checker-8810.jpg) - No mechanism found in SPF record - Empty record - SPF record has a null value It means your record isn’t authorizing any senders. ### Step 3: Update your SPF record with valid mechanisms This is the step where you fix the problem. So, see if your SPF record includes the following; if it misses any of these, please add- - It should begin with the version tag, which is v=spf1. - Include at least one mechanism (ip4 or include) to specify authorized senders. - ‘ip4’ mechanism specifies the IP address. - The ‘include’ mechanism is used to authorize third-party services like Mailchimp and [Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/). ![enforcement policy ](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2025/07/spf-record-generator-2378.jpg) ### Step 4: End with an enforcement policy Every valid SPF record ends with either -all or \~all. - _‘-all (fail) tells recipient servers to reject emails not matching your authorised senders._ - _‘\~all’ (soft fail) marks them as suspicious but may still deliver them to spam._ We understand how you may find it difficult to wrap your head around these technical things. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed and need a helping hand, [reach out to us](/contact-us/). Trust us, we are good at what we do; we have helped thousands of domain owners get their SPF right using our [SPF Flattening tool](/). ## Topics [ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ SPF ](/tags/spf/)[ SPF Flattening ](/tags/spf-flattening/)[ SPF Flattening tool ](/tags/spf-flattening-tool/)[ SPF record ](/tags/spf-record/) ![Vasile Diaconu](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/authors/vasile-diaconu.jpg) [ Vasile Diaconu ](/authors/vasile-diaconu/) Operations Lead Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Runs project management, developer coordination, and technical support execution for AutoSPF. [LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasile-diaconu/) ## Ready to get started? Try AutoSPF free — no credit card required. [ Book a Demo ](/book-a-demo/) ## Related Articles [ Foundational 17m Free SPF Flattening Tool: Download the Best Software for Your Needs Mar 26, 2025 ](/blog/free-spf-flattening-tool-download-best-software/)[ Foundational 12m From Zero to Secure: Creating an SPF Record for Your Domain Mar 11, 2026 ](/blog/from-zero-to-secure-creating-spf-record-for-your-domain/)[ Foundational 14m How To Create And Check Your Domain SPF Record Online Easily Sep 2, 2025 ](/blog/how-to-create-and-check-domain-spf-record-online-easily/)[ Foundational 14m IP Address Generator: Create Random IP Addresses for Free Jul 25, 2025 ](/blog/ip-address-generator-create-random-ip-addresses-for-free/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://autospf.com/images/autospf-logo.png"},"description":"Automatic SPF flattening and email authentication management. 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