(Disclaimer: I totally suck at being a sysadmin)
I am sending email for a domain using Gmail. The domain is partyboatcharters.com.au (I hope I am allowed to put domains here). Gmail is configured to send email as that. Emails sent to sales@partyboatcharters are forwarded straight away to partyboatchartersahs@gmail.com by the MX.
The MX is s412.syd5.hostingplatform.net.au (there is only one MX).
I can send email fine. However, sometimes (but only sometimes) emails are not getting through, with this error message (received by the SENDER):
partyboatchartersahs@gmail.com
host gmail-smpt-in.l.google.com [4004:6800:4003:c00::1a]
SMTP error from remote email server after end of data:
550-5.6.26 This message does not pass authentication checks [SPF and DKIM both[
550-5.6.26 SFP checl for [partyboatcharters.com.au] does not pass
550-5.6.26 with IP> [2400:b800:6::52]
I found this document:
https://support.google.com/googlecloud/answer/10756302?hl=en
Which reads:
**Problem**
I need to set up SPF on my domain to send emails with Gmail, not receive.
Environment
MX (mail exchange) entry is set to v=spf1 a mx -all with domain host
Set up a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record to send emails with Gmail interface
Solution
Sign in to the management console for your domain host.
Locate the page where you update TXT records for your domain.
Create a custom TXT record for SPF: It should look like this: v=spf1 [IP ADDRESS] include:_spf.google.com include:[DOMAIN] ~all
I tried adding this TEXT entry to the DNS:
TXT @ v=spf1 [43.250.142.8] include:_spf.google.com include:[partyboatcharters.com.au] ~all
As 43.250.142.8 is the IP address of the MX server...) However, I don't really know what I am doing here. The article seems to cover sending emails with Gmail for another domain... not receiving them.
This other article:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/10685031
Seems to imply that the SPF should be:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
But I am NOT using Google Workspaces (I know, I know, I should...). I am simply 1) Forwarding emails from sales@partyboatcharters.com.au TO partyboatchartersahs@gmail.com 2) Configuring Gmail so that it sends emails from sales@partyboatcharters.com.au.
So, what should SPF be? What about DKIM?
