Make SparkPost DMARC-compliant
How to authenticate SparkPost as a sender on your domain - so its mail passes SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and you can safely reach enforcement.
Three steps to authenticate SparkPost
SparkPost needs to pass SPF and DKIM, and align with your domain so DMARC passes. Here’s how – confirm the exact values against SparkPost’s current documentation as you go.
Add SparkPost to your SPF record
SPF lists the services allowed to send as your domain. Add SparkPost’s include to your existing SPF record – don’t create a second SPF record, merge it into the one you have.
Watch the 10-lookup limit: every include counts, and going over makes SPF fail silently. Hosted SPF keeps you safely under it automatically.
Note: EU accounts use include:_spf.eu.sparkpostmail.com. The include passes SPF, but for DMARC alignment rely on DKIM (or configure a custom bounce domain) - the default return path is sparkpostmail.com.
Add this mechanism to your SPF record
include:_spf.sparkpostmail.com
Turn on DKIM signing
DKIM cryptographically signs each message so receivers can prove it really came from you and wasn’t tampered with. In the SparkPost dashboard under Configuration -> Sending Domains, generate a DKIM key and publish the scphNNNN._domainkey TXT record it provides.
DKIM is what keeps you authenticated even when a message is forwarded – so it’s worth getting right. More on how DKIM works →
- Enable DKIM inside SparkPost
- Publish the DNS records it gives you
- Wait for it to verify, then send a test
Confirm alignment, then enforce
With SPF and DKIM set up, check that SparkPost aligns – that the authenticated domain matches your visible From address. Once every legitimate sender aligns, you can move DMARC to p=reject safely.
DMARCER’s enforcement journey shows you exactly when it’s safe to advance – no guesswork.
Good to know
DKIM is the reliable alignment path for SparkPost; the SPF include alone won't make DMARC pass.
Check you got it right
Look up your records instantly, or run a full free check to confirm SparkPost passes SPF, DKIM and DMARC – and get your score out of 100.
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