I'm trying to set up email on my sites, but having some trouble.

I'm using Google Apps for sending/receiving emails, but I've also installed Postfix to send emails created by scripts on the server (like contact forms etc.)

That's all working great, but to keep the emails from being spammed, I want to add an SPF record. That's where I'm having the trouble though.

The domain I've been testing this all on is http://www.pliableweb.com/ , and I'm using the Linode DNS manager.

What I've been entering is:

Name: pliableweb.com
Value: v=spf1 a mx include:aspmx.googlemail.com include:_spf.google.com ~all
TTL: Default

Then when I view the zone file through Linode DNS manager, I see it as:

pliableweb.com         TXT   "v=spf1 a mx include:aspmx.googlemail.com include:_spf.google.com ~all"

But if I test out my site's DNS using a tool like http://www.kitterman.com/spf/validate.html , it finds no SPF records. And using another tool, it finds no TXT records at all even: http://www.mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx ... bleweb.com

And I first added the rules 2 days ago now.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? (Putting the wrong things in the Name/Value fields maybe?)

Leave the name blank in the Linode DNS manager. What you are doing now is putting a TXT record in for pliableweb.com.pliableweb.com

$ dig -t txt pliableweb.com.pliableweb.com

; <<>> DiG 9.4.3-P4 <<>> -t txt pliableweb.com.pliableweb.com
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 44405
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 5, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;pliableweb.com.pliableweb.com. IN      TXT

;; ANSWER SECTION:
pliableweb.com.pliableweb.com. 300 IN   TXT     "v=spf1 a mx include:aspmx.googlemail.com include:_spf.google.com ~all"

Ah, thanks very much Stever! That makes a lot more sense now, I'll try that! Thanks again


Edit - That has worked perfectly! Thanks again Stever, you rock!