Changes to SPF Requirements With Help Scout - Help Scout Support

Description: Prior to 2024, to send using Help Scout servers from your custom email address, creating an SPF (sender policy framework) record was necessary for email authent

Content: Changes to SPF Requirements With Help ScoutPrior to 2024, to send using Help Scout servers from your custom email address, creating an SPF (sender policy framework) record was necessary for email authentication. This is no longer needed; emails sent from Help Scout servers will now pass SPF validation using a variable envelope return path (VERP) address set to our servers.You should still create the CNAME records for DKIM validation to ensure your emails have the best chance for delivery. Check outUse DKIM to Help With Email Deliveryfor the details on those records.If you're not sure what any of this means, you might want to reach out to your IT team or website developers and have them take a look at this article — they will be familiar with these details!Note: This does not apply to you if you are using the helpscoutapp.com email address directly to send, or if you are using SMTP/OAuth to send from your custom email address. This only applies to Inboxes using a custom addressandsending from Help Scout servers. SeeOutgoing Email Settingsfor more information on the options.What This Means For YouYou Can Remove the Help Scout SPF EntryYou can safely removeinclude:helpscoutemail.comfrom your SPF record if you added it previously.For example, if your SPF record is currently set to:v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:helpscoutemail.com ~allYou can safely remove the Help Scout entry there, which would leave your SPF record as:v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~allEmails Sent Using Custom Email Addresses From Help Scout Servers Are Not DMARC AlignedDMARC only requires alignment for one type of authentication, SPF or DKIM. SPF records will authenticate, but they will no longer align for DMARC because we're sending via a Help Scout domain. To achieve DMARC alignment for your domain, you can create the necessary DKIM records (seeUse DKIM to Help With Email Deliveryfor help with those).You can choose to connect Help Scout to your email provider to send, rather than relying on Help Scout servers, if DMARC alignment for SPF is preferable for your organization.Check outOutgoing Email Settings: Send via Your Email Provider (Use Custom SMTP)for more information and links to further help.

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