Adding an SPF Record

Why use one?

Setting up the SPF record to authorize our domain to send emails as yours:

1. Helps your company's e-marketing campaigns work to their fullest potential. Adding this record will help with YOUR email delivery.
2. Helps prevent emails from going to spam. When a server receives a message appearing to come from one domain but coming from another without an SPF record authorizing the actual sender, emails can easily be flagged as Spam/Junk.
3. Helps our email servers' reputation. The success of email campaigns and other messaging somewhat depends on our servers' reputation throughout the internet. The more emails go to Spam and Junk, the poorer our reputation. Since having our clients add an SPF record helps, it is to everyone's advantage to use the CRM to have their SPF records updated, as advised below.

What do I do?

You will need to add the SPF TXT record with your domain hoster. The company hosting your domain should have support information explaining how to update or add DNS records.

For example, you can visit GoDaddy's article on setting up a TXT record. This process is usually fairly simple: You navigate to the section in the host's domain management portal and cut and paste the information we've provided in this article into the record.

What exactly am I adding?

This depends on your current record. You can look up the current record by clicking here. Once you determine which is your case, take the following steps:

If you have no SPF record

You must add the below to your DNS Records as a new TXT record.

v=spf1 a mx ptr include:client_spf.setforth.com

If you have an existing SPF record

You will want to alter the current record so setforth.com is included as authorized to send emails. Add "include:client_spf.setforth.com" to the current record.

Example 1:

Current Record: v=spf1 a mx ptr include:client_spf.outlook.com

Change to: v=spf1 a mx ptr include:client_spf.outlook.com include:client_spf.setforth.com

Example 2:

In cases where the SPF record includes ~all or -all, update the record IMMEDIATELY. The -all portion of the record says any domain not listed is NOT AUTHORIZED to send emails as the domain. This needs to be fixed immediately since each time a message comes from setforth.com; it causes further damage to our reputation and likely causes most of your emails to end up marked as spam or junk with your clients.

~all must be placed at the end of the SPF record.

Current Record: v=spf1 a mx ptr include:client_spf.outlook.com ~all

Change to: v=spf1 a mx ptr include:client_spf.outlook.com include:client_spf.setforth.com ~all

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SSL Certificates

In addition to the DNS changes listed above, you may have to perform an update to your SSL Certificate. In that event, please follow the steps below:

You must renew your SSL Certificate for your Domain Name from within your domain hosting account. There are three different types of certificates:

• Standard SSL Certificate: SSL Certificate good for one domain address.
• WildCard SSL Certificate: SSL Certificate that covers all CNAME's under your root domain.
  or the less commonly used:
• Premier SSL Certificate: Adds green color to the URL bar and requires authentication of your corporation documents and company physical office location. IMPORTANT: If you plan to use a custom domain for both the CRM and the portal, you must purchase a WildCard SSL Certificate.

***You cannot purchase a single domain certificate and change it later. If you try, you will have to start the whole process again.

You must paste the CSR code that Forth provides you into the appropriate text box on the registrar's website so they can generate and provide us with the SSL Certificate.

IMPORTANT: If you receive an error regarding the CSR code, you can verify it using GoDaddy's SSL decoder website (https://ssltools.godaddy.com/views/csrDecoder). This website can also fix any irregularities in the file itself and will provide a fixed file if issues are found.

After the domain hosting account registrar has accepted the CSR file, download a zip file containing the SSL certificate file. When prompted to download this file, please choose the option for server type 'Other.' Once you have the SSL certificate file, clients must send us the SSL certificate file they generated with our CSR Code to Support@setforth.com.

NOTE: Different registrars will use slightly different terminology when presenting the option to download your certificate;

While sending it back to us on the same ZenDesk ticket is preferred, you can send it separately.

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