SPF Record in GoDaddy

GoDaddy is one of the world's largest domain registrars, and adding an SPF record there takes just a few minutes. This guide walks you through every click, from logging in to confirming the record is live. No technical experience required. For background on SPF records, see our complete SPF guide.

Before You Start

You need two things:

Your GoDaddy account login. You need access to the account that owns or manages the domain.
Your SPF record value. This is the text string you will add. If you are not sure what it should contain, SPF Creator can build the correct record based on the email services you use.

A typical SPF record looks like this:

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

Your record will be different depending on your email setup. Common includes are _spf.google.com for Google Workspace, spf.protection.outlook.com for Microsoft 365, and sendgrid.net for SendGrid. See SPF record examples for common configurations.

Check for an existing SPF record first

Your domain may already have an SPF record. Adding a second one causes errors because you can only have one SPF record per domain. Check first, and edit the existing record if one is already there.

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

Log into your GoDaddy account

Go to godaddy.com and sign in. You will land on your main account page.

Go to your domain portfolio

From the account page, navigate to My Products or click Domain in the top navigation. Find the domain you want to configure and click on it to open the domain settings.

Open DNS Management

On the domain settings page, look for the DNS section or click Manage DNS (GoDaddy DNS help). This opens the DNS Management page where all your DNS records are listed.

Check for an existing SPF record

Scroll through the list of DNS records and look for any TXT record that starts with v=spf1. If you find one, you need to edit it rather than creating a new record. Skip to the editing section below.

Click Add New Record

Below the list of existing records, click the Add button to create a new DNS record.

Fill in the record fields

Set each field as follows:

Type: Select TXT from the dropdown menu
Name: Enter @ (this applies the record to your main domain)
Value: Paste your complete SPF record, for example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
TTL: Leave at the default (usually 1 hour) or set to 600 (10 minutes) for faster propagation during testing

Save the record

Click Save or Add Record. GoDaddy will save the record to your DNS zone. The change needs time to propagate across the internet before it takes effect everywhere.

Editing an Existing SPF Record in GoDaddy

If your domain already has an SPF record, edit it instead of creating a new one. Two SPF records on the same domain cause a PermError, which means all SPF checks fail.

In DNS Management, find the TXT record that starts with v=spf1
Click the pencil icon (edit) next to it
In the Value field, add your new include statement before the ~all or -all
Click Save

Example: Adding Mailchimp to an existing record.

Before:

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

After:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:servers.mcsv.net ~all

Keep the structure intact

Always keep v=spf1 at the very beginning and ~all (or -all) at the very end. New include statements go in between, separated by spaces.

GoDaddy-Specific UI Quirks

GoDaddy's DNS interface has a few behaviors worth knowing about.

The Name field uses @ for root domain

In GoDaddy, the Name field (sometimes labeled Host) uses @ to represent your root domain. Do not type your full domain name here. Just enter @.

Correct: @
Wrong: yourdomain.com
Wrong: yourdomain.com. (with trailing dot)

If you are adding an SPF record for a subdomain like mail.yourdomain.com, enter just mail in the Name field.

Value field and quotation marks

Do not wrap your SPF record in quotation marks when pasting it into GoDaddy. GoDaddy handles the DNS formatting automatically. If you add quotes, you may end up with double quotes in your published record, which can cause validation errors.

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

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

GoDaddy DNS vs. external nameservers

If you have pointed your nameservers to another provider (like Cloudflare or AWS Route 53), GoDaddy's DNS Management will not control your live records. Check the Nameservers section in your domain settings. If it shows GoDaddy's defaults (like ns1.domaincontrol.com), you are managing DNS at GoDaddy. Otherwise, add the SPF record at your actual DNS provider.

DNS Propagation Expectations

After saving your SPF record, it needs to propagate across DNS servers worldwide. GoDaddy's own servers update within minutes, most major DNS resolvers pick up the change within 15 minutes to 2 hours, and full global propagation can take up to 48 hours in rare cases.

The TTL setting affects propagation speed. GoDaddy defaults to 1 hour, which is reasonable. Set it to 600 seconds (10 minutes) while testing, then increase it after confirming everything works.

Verifying Your SPF Record

Once you have waited for propagation, confirm the record is published and correct.

1. Use the free checker. Enter your domain in the lookup tool at the top of this page. It will show you exactly what SPF record is published, along with any errors or warnings.

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

3. Check from your email provider. Platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 include built-in tools to verify your DNS records.

What to Do If SPF Is Not Working

If the checker does not show your record or shows errors: wait at least 2 hours for propagation, check for multiple SPF records (a common mistake), verify GoDaddy is actually managing your DNS, and look for typos like v=spf 1 (extra space) or inlcude: (misspelled). For a full list of common problems, see our common SPF errors guide.

Complete Your Email Authentication

SPF is one piece of the email authentication puzzle. For the strongest protection and best deliverability, also set up:

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to your outgoing emails, proving they have not been tampered with. Check your DKIM records with DKIM Test.
DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together and tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail authentication. Check yours with DMARC Record Checker.

All three working together protect your domain from email spoofing and improve the chances of your emails reaching the inbox. Learn more in our guide on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained.

References

RFC 7208: Sender Policy Framework (SPF) — The current SPF specification
GoDaddy: Add a TXT record — Official GoDaddy DNS documentation

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