How Do Headers Show SPF and DKIM Results?
Understanding SPF and DKIM authentication in email headers
Table of Contents
How Do Headers Show SPF and DKIM Results?
Email headers show SPF and DKIM authentication results in several header fields: Authentication-Results header (comprehensive authentication results), Received-SPF header (SPF authentication result), and DKIM-Signature header (DKIM signature information). Headers show authentication results as 'pass', 'fail', 'softfail', 'neutral', or 'none'.
Analyze headers using our email header analyzer to automatically verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, identify authentication failures, and troubleshoot deliverability issues.
Understanding authentication headers helps verify email authenticity, diagnose deliverability problems, and ensure proper authentication configuration.
SPF Headers
Received-SPF Header
The Received-SPF header shows SPF authentication results. Format: Received-SPF: pass (server.com: domain of sender.com designates IP as permitted sender)
SPF Results
- pass: SPF check passed - IP is authorized
- fail: SPF check failed - IP is not authorized
- softfail: SPF check soft failed - IP may not be authorized
- neutral: SPF check neutral - no policy match
- none: No SPF record found
SPF Verification
Check SPF records if authentication fails. Use our authentication checker to verify SPF configuration.
DKIM Headers
DKIM-Signature Header
The DKIM-Signature header contains DKIM signature information including domain, selector, algorithm, and signature data.
DKIM in Authentication-Results
Authentication-Results headers show DKIM verification results: dkim=pass or dkim=fail
DKIM Results
- pass: DKIM signature verified successfully
- fail: DKIM signature verification failed
- none: No DKIM signature present
DKIM Verification
Check DKIM records if authentication fails. Use our authentication checker to verify DKIM configuration.
Authentication-Results Header
The Authentication-Results header provides comprehensive authentication information:
Header Format
Authentication-Results: server.com; spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=sender.com; dkim=pass header.d=sender.com; dmarc=pass
Authentication Components
- spf= SPF authentication result
- dkim= DKIM authentication result
- dmarc= DMARC policy result
- server.com: Server that performed authentication
Result Values
Results show as pass, fail, softfail, neutral, or none for each authentication method.
Verifying Authentication
1. Extract Headers
Analyze headers using our email header analyzer for comprehensive authentication analysis.
2. Check Authentication-Results
Review Authentication-Results header for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC results.
3. Verify SPF
Check Received-SPF header and verify SPF records if authentication fails.
4. Verify DKIM
Check DKIM-Signature header and verify DKIM records if authentication fails.
5. Comprehensive Check
Use our email authentication checker to verify all authentication protocols.
