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SPF lookup budget checker: manual evaluated-path planner
Count supplied DNS-dependent SPF terms against the ten-term budget, including nested terms you have traced yourself.
Prepare your inputs
Paste one DNS-dependent term per line from a single evaluated path. Include nested terms from provider policies. Exclude ip4, ip6 and all because this worksheet counts lookup-causing terms, not every word in an SPF record.
Runs in this browser. Inputs are not sent by this tool or saved in browser storage. Start with the fictional example; use redacted text for reviews.
How it works
The count is compared with ten. This is useful for documenting a traced path alongside the actual DNS evidence, but it does not resolve includes or decide which branches a receiver evaluates.
Worked example
If your supplied path contains four include terms, two a terms and one mx term, the worksheet counts seven. Omitting three nested includes would make that apparent headroom misleading.
Limits and interpretation
No live DNS lookup occurs. Syntax, void answers, recursive paths and mechanism-specific sublimits are not fully validated. Use the deeper SPF guide before changing a policy.
Examples are synthetic, not customer results. RFC 7208: SPF DNS lookup limits