SPF Record in Gandi

Gandi is a popular domain registrar, especially in Europe, known for its straightforward approach to domain management. Adding an SPF record in Gandi's interface takes just a few minutes. This guide walks you through every step using Gandi's current dashboard (sometimes called Gandi v5). No technical experience required. For background on SPF records, see our complete SPF guide.

Before You Start

You need two things:

Your Gandi account login. You need access to the account that manages DNS for your domain.
Your SPF record value. This is the text string that authorizes your email services. If you are not sure what it should contain, SPF Creator can build the correct record based on the services you use.

A typical SPF record looks like this:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Your record will be different depending on what services send email for your domain. Common includes are _spf.google.com for Google Workspace, spf.protection.outlook.com for Microsoft 365, and sendgrid.net for SendGrid. New to SPF? Read What is SPF? for an introduction, or see SPF record examples for ready-to-use configurations.

Check for an existing SPF record first

Your domain can only have one SPF record. Adding a second one causes a PermError and breaks email authentication. Gandi may have already created a default SPF record if you use Gandi's email hosting — always check first.

Step-by-Step: Adding an SPF Record in Gandi

Log into the Gandi dashboard

Go to admin.gandi.net and sign in with your Gandi credentials. You will land on the main dashboard showing your products and domains.

Navigate to your domain

Click "Domain" in the left sidebar (or find it under your organization's menu). You will see a list of domains in your account. Click on the domain you want to add the SPF record to.

Open DNS Records

On the domain's overview page, click the "DNS Records" tab (Gandi DNS docs). This shows all the DNS records managed by Gandi's LiveDNS system for your domain. Scroll through to check if an SPF record (a TXT record containing v=spf1) already exists.

Click Add Record

If no SPF record exists, click the "Add Record" button. If one already exists, click on it to edit it instead of creating a new one.

Fill in the record fields

Configure the record with these exact settings:

Type: Select TXT
Name: Enter @ (this represents your root domain, like yourdomain.com)
TTL: You can leave this at the default (which is typically 10800 seconds, or 3 hours, in Gandi). For initial setup, you may want to set it to 300 seconds (5 minutes) so changes propagate faster.
Text Value: Enter your full SPF record value, for example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Save the record

Click "Create" (or "Save" if editing an existing record) to publish. Gandi's LiveDNS system typically applies changes within a few minutes on Gandi's own servers, but full propagation across the internet can take up to a few hours depending on TTL settings and DNS caching.

Verify the record is live

After saving, use the checker tool above to confirm your SPF record is published and valid. The tool shows the record contents, validates the syntax, and counts your DNS lookups to make sure you are within the 10 lookup limit.

Gandi-Specific Details

Gandi's LiveDNS System

Gandi uses a DNS management system called LiveDNS. When you register a domain with Gandi or transfer one in, it is automatically configured to use LiveDNS nameservers. This means your DNS records are managed directly in Gandi's interface without needing a separate DNS provider.

If you have changed your nameservers to another DNS provider (like Cloudflare), you will need to add the SPF record there instead, since Gandi's DNS zone will not be active.

Gandi's Interface (Gandi v5)

Gandi's current interface (Gandi v5) places DNS management under the "Domain" section with a "DNS Records" tab. Older guides may reference different navigation paths — the steps in this guide reflect the current layout.

Gandi Email and Default SPF Records

If you use Gandi's built-in email hosting (Gandi Mail), your domain may already have a default SPF record that authorizes Gandi's mail servers. This typically looks like:

v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net ~all

If you see this record and you also use other email services, you need to edit it to include those services — not create a second record. For example, if you use both Gandi email and Google Workspace:

v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net include:_spf.google.com ~all

Keep Gandi's include if you use Gandi email

If you use Gandi's email hosting, keep include:_mailcust.gandi.net in your SPF record. Removing it will cause emails sent through Gandi's mail servers to fail SPF authentication.

Gandi SPF Record Examples

Here are common SPF record configurations for domains registered at Gandi:

Gandi email only:

v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net ~all

Google Workspace only (no Gandi email):

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Gandi email + Microsoft 365:

v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

Gandi email + Brevo (formerly Sendinblue):

v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net include:spf.sendinblue.com ~all

Domain that does not send email:

v=spf1 -all

Editing an Existing SPF Record in Gandi

To add a new email service to an existing SPF record, find the TXT record containing v=spf1 in your DNS Records list, click on it, and add the new include: before ~all. For example, to add Mailchimp, change v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net ~all to v=spf1 include:_mailcust.gandi.net include:servers.mcsv.net ~all.

After saving, verify with the checker tool to confirm the syntax is correct and you remain within the 10 DNS lookup limit. Use SPF Creator to build your record if you need help with the syntax.

Common Mistakes

Creating a second TXT record with v=spf1. This is the most common mistake. You can only have one SPF record per domain. If you need to authorize an additional service, edit the existing record.

Using the wrong Name field. For your root domain, the Name should be @. Entering your full domain name (like yourdomain.com) may cause issues or create the record on a subdomain.

Forgetting to include Gandi's mail servers. If you use Gandi email and replace the default SPF record without keeping include:_mailcust.gandi.net, your Gandi-hosted email will fail SPF checks.

Verifying Your Setup

After adding your SPF record in Gandi:

1. Check the record with the tool above. Confirm it shows the correct value, passes syntax validation, and stays within the lookup limit.

2. Send a test email. Send an email from your domain to a Gmail address. Open the message, click the three dots, and select "Show original." Look for spf=pass in the authentication results.

3. Set up full authentication. SPF is one layer of email authentication. Also add DKIM and DMARC as TXT records in Gandi's DNS Records. The Email Deliverability Suite can check all three protocols at once.

References

RFC 7208: Sender Policy Framework (SPF) — The current SPF specification
Gandi: DNS records — Official Gandi DNS documentation

Never miss an SPF issue

Monitor your SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MX records daily. Get alerts when something breaks.

Start Monitoring

How to Add an SPF Record in Gandi: Step-by-Step Guide