How to Add an SPF Record in Hostinger

Hostinger is one of the most popular web hosts, and if your domain is managed through Hostinger's hPanel, adding an SPF record is straightforward. But there's a catch: Hostinger may have already added an SPF record for you if you're using their email hosting. Before you create a new one, you need to check what's already there.

This guide covers everything -- from finding existing records to building the right SPF record for your Hostinger setup.

How Hostinger Handles SPF Records

Unlike many hosting providers, Hostinger sometimes auto-generates DNS records when you enable their email hosting. If you're using Hostinger Email or Titan Email (Hostinger's business email solution), you may already have an SPF record in your DNS that includes Hostinger's mail servers.

The auto-generated record typically looks like this:

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

This authorizes Hostinger's email infrastructure to send email for your domain. If Hostinger email is your only sending service, this record is all you need. But if you also use Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or any other email provider, you need to modify this record to include those services too.

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

SPF Record Examples for Hostinger

Hostinger Email Only

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

If Hostinger's built-in email (or Titan Email) is your only email sender, this is all you need. The include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com authorizes Hostinger's mail servers.

Hostinger Email + Google Workspace

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

A common scenario: you keep Hostinger email for some mailboxes and also use Google Workspace. Both services are authorized in a single record.

Google Workspace Only (No Hostinger Email)

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

If you've disabled Hostinger's email hosting and only use Google Workspace, you don't need the Hostinger include. Remove it to save DNS lookups.

Hostinger Email + Microsoft 365

v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all

Hostinger email for basic addresses, Microsoft 365 for your main business email.

Hostinger Email + Google Workspace + SendGrid

v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net -all

Full stack: Hostinger for some mailboxes, Google for team email, SendGrid for transactional messages. Watch your DNS lookup count -- this combination approaches 7-8 lookups.

Hostinger Hosting, No Email

If you host your website on Hostinger but don't send any email from the domain:

v=spf1 -all

This tells every receiving server that no IP is authorized to send email from your domain. It prevents spoofing on domains that should never send email.

Common Hostinger-Specific Issues

Auto-Generated Records Conflicting with Manual Records

Hostinger sometimes adds DNS records automatically when you enable features like email hosting or SSL. If you add your own SPF record without checking what's already there, you can end up with duplicate records.

Always scroll through your entire DNS zone before making changes. Look for any TXT record containing v=spf1 and edit it instead of adding a new one.

Nameserver Confusion

Hostinger lets you use their nameservers or point to external ones. If you've pointed your nameservers to Cloudflare or another provider, changes you make in hPanel won't take effect. You need to manage DNS records wherever your nameservers are pointing.

To check: go to Domains > DNS / Nameservers in hPanel and see which nameservers are active. If they're not Hostinger's (ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com are Hostinger's default), your DNS is managed elsewhere.

Titan Email SPF Include

If you're using Hostinger's Titan Email product, the SPF include may be different from the standard Hostinger email include. Check your Titan Email setup documentation for the correct value. In most cases, _spf.mail.hostinger.com covers Titan Email too, but verify this in your hPanel email settings.

TTL and Propagation Delays

Hostinger's default TTL is 14400 seconds (4 hours). If you previously had a different SPF record, receivers may cache the old record for up to 4 hours after you make changes. During this window, some email may still authenticate against the old record.

WordPress on Hostinger and Contact Forms

Many Hostinger users run WordPress sites with contact form plugins (WPForms, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms). These forms often send email using PHP's mail() function, which sends from the hosting server's IP. If your SPF record doesn't authorize that IP, form notification emails may fail SPF checks.

Options to fix this:

• Use an SMTP plugin to route form emails through Google Workspace, SendGrid, or another authorized service
• Add the hosting server's IP to your SPF record with ip4: (find your server IP in hPanel under Hosting > Details)
• Use the a mechanism to authorize the IP your domain's A record points to: v=spf1 a include:_spf.google.com -all

Complete Email Authentication for Hostinger Domains

SPF is one of three email authentication protocols. For full protection:

• DKIM -- Cryptographic signatures proving your emails haven't been altered in transit. If you use Hostinger Email, check hPanel for DKIM settings. For Google Workspace or other providers, use DKIM Creator to generate your keys and add the records in hPanel DNS.
• DMARC -- The policy layer that ties SPF and DKIM together. Use DMARC Creator to build your policy, then add it as a TXT record with the host name _dmarc in hPanel.

All three records go in the same hPanel DNS zone editor. Together, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC give mailbox providers full confidence that your emails are legitimate and your domain is protected from spoofing.

Monitor Your New SPF Record

You've created your SPF record — now make sure it keeps working. The Email Deliverability Suite watches your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records daily and alerts you when something breaks.