SPF Record in Hostinger

Hostinger uses its own control panel called hPanel, which makes DNS management straightforward even if you have never touched a DNS record before. This guide walks you through every step of adding an SPF record in Hostinger, from logging in to confirming the record is working. Not sure what to put in your SPF record? Start with our complete guide.

Before You Start

You need two things:

Your Hostinger account login. You need access to the account that manages the domain.
Your SPF record value. This is the text string that tells email servers which services are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain. If you are not sure what yours should look like, SPF Creator can generate 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 vary depending on which email services you use. Common include values 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, or check the SPF syntax guide to understand each part of the record.

Check for an existing SPF record first

Your domain can only have one SPF record. Adding a second one causes errors and breaks email authentication entirely. Always check whether your domain already has an SPF record before creating a new one.

Step-by-Step: Adding an SPF Record in Hostinger hPanel

Log into your Hostinger account

Go to hostinger.com and sign in. You will land on your main hPanel dashboard.

Navigate to your domain

From the hPanel dashboard, click Domains in the left sidebar. Find the domain you want to configure and click Manage next to it.

Open the DNS Zone Editor

On the domain management page, click DNS / Nameservers in the left sidebar (Hostinger DNS guide). This opens the DNS Zone Editor 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.

Add a new TXT record

In the DNS Zone Editor, find the section for adding new records. Select TXT as the record type.

Fill in the record fields

Set each field as follows:

Type: TXT
Name (Host): Enter @ (this applies the record to your root domain)
TXT Value: Paste your complete SPF record, for example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
TTL: Leave at the default (14400 seconds / 4 hours is typical) or set lower while testing

Save the record

Click Add Record. Hostinger saves the record to your DNS zone. The change needs time to propagate across the internet.

Editing an Existing SPF Record in Hostinger

If your domain already has an SPF record, you need to edit it instead of creating a new one. Two SPF records on the same domain cause a PermError, which means every SPF check fails.

In the DNS Zone Editor, find the TXT record that starts with v=spf1
Click the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the record
In the TXT Value field, add your new include statement before the ~all or -all
Click Update

Example: Adding Microsoft 365 to an existing Google Workspace record.

Before:

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

After:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~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.

Using Hostinger Email? Add Their Include

If you are using Hostinger's own email service (Hostinger Email or Titan Email), you need to include Hostinger's SPF mechanism in your record. Hostinger email typically requires the following include:

v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com ~all

If you also use another email service like Google Workspace, combine both:

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

Check Hostinger's current documentation

Hostinger may update their include value over time. Always check the email setup instructions inside your hPanel for the most current SPF include value for Hostinger Email.

Hostinger-Specific Tips

The Name field uses @ for root domain

In hPanel, the Name or Host field uses @ to represent your root domain. Do not type your full domain name. Just enter @.

Correct: @
Wrong: yourdomain.com

For a subdomain like mail.yourdomain.com, enter just mail in the Name field.

Do not add quotation marks

Paste your SPF record value without quotation marks. hPanel handles DNS formatting automatically. Adding quotes creates a malformed record.

Check your nameservers

If you registered your domain at Hostinger but pointed your nameservers elsewhere (like Cloudflare), the DNS Zone Editor in hPanel will not control your live records. Check the Nameservers section. If the nameservers point to Hostinger (like ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com), you are managing DNS at Hostinger. Otherwise, add your SPF record at your actual DNS provider.

DNS Propagation Expectations

After saving your SPF record in Hostinger, it needs to propagate across DNS servers worldwide. Hostinger's own servers typically update within a few minutes. Most DNS resolvers pick up the change within 30 minutes to 2 hours. Full global propagation can take up to 24 hours in rare cases.

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 and flag any errors.

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. Services like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 include tools to verify your DNS records are set up correctly.

Complete Your Email Authentication

SPF is one part of email authentication. For the strongest protection and best deliverability, set up all three:

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to your outgoing emails, proving they have not been tampered with. Check your DKIM setup 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 give your domain the best protection against spoofing and the best chance of 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
Hostinger: How to manage DNS zone — Official Hostinger DNS documentation

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