How to Set Up/Modify SPF for HostGator
The following description addresses how to update a Domain Name Service (DNS) record to use SPF with your custom domain in HostGator.
To utilize a custom domain, the HostGator provider requires an SPF TXT record be added to the DNS record. This TXT record is then used by DNS to recognize email servers allowed to send messages on behalf of your custom/third-party domain. To determine whether a correspondence from the specified domain comes from an authorized messaging server, the recipient system relies on the implemented SPF TXT record. At that point, the message is either accepted, quarantined, or rejected by the email receiving system.
To implement SPF authentication for your domain, you will need access to your DNS records in the domain hosting account. Important: If you already have an SPF record, then you should modify that existing record. You must not have more than one SPF record.
For convenience, be sure to log in to your HostGator account to verify your domain and copy your TXT records. HostGator utilizes an include mechanism during the set-up process. For example, if you do not have an SPF record on your domain, the following scenario is the most common and would pass SPF:
v=spf1 include:websitewelcome.com ~all
If you do already have an SPF record on your domain, simply add the following to it:
include:websitewelcome.com
To create an SPF record for your domain name, follow these steps:
1. Log in to control panel for your domain DNS host
2. Create a TXT record with the following specifications:
v=spf1 include:websitewelcome.com ~all
3. Decide how you want to enforce SPF failures:
~all results in a soft fail (not authorized, but not explicitly unauthorized)
-all results in a hard fail (unauthorized)
?all is neutral (similar to no policy)
As shown above, enter your choice after v=spf1 include:websitewelcome.com
4. Save changes
How to Set Up/Modify DKIM for HostGator
Currently, HostGator fully supports the DKIM outgoing authentication specification. Users with dedicated servers may enable DKIM by following the below steps:
1. Log in to SmarterMail as Admin user (https://server_address:9998)
2. On Domains tab, navigate to specific domain and select Manage
3. Under Settings tab, expand Advanced Settings beneath Domain Settings and select Mail Signing
4. Check Enable DKIM Signing
5. Navigate to Certificate tab, enter default in Selector field, and choose 1024 as Key Size
6. Select Generate Key (auto-populates TXT Record Name and Value)
7. Click Save
8. Open Plesk control panel (https://primary_ip:8443)
9. Find Websites & Domain tab of domain name
10. Expand Advanced Operations menu and select DNS Settings
11. Choose Add Record and provide rules: TXT as Record Type; Domain name is TXT Record Name from SmarterMail; Enter record string is TXT Record Name from SmarterMail
12. Click OK
As a user of this outbound email provider, HostGator customers are afforded DKIM signing because it supports that mechanism. By utilizing HostGator’s self-service portal, you can manually set up DKIM at your convenience via TXT records mentioned above. Overall, this HostGator product provides beneficial components (e.g., DKIM signing, custom DKIM records, self-service set up with TXT records) that result in a streamlined process.