Google simplifies its SPF record and that is good news for everyone

Freddie Leeman -

At the start of December 2025, Google quietly made a meaningful change to the SPF record published at _spf.google.com. While the change may look subtle at first glance, it has clear benefits for anyone relying on Google in their own SPF configuration.

A short history of Google’s SPF record

Below is a timeline of the SPF changes, including the effective DNS lookup cost of each version.

2010

v=spf1 ip4:216.239.32.0/19 ip4:64.233.160.0/19 ip4:66.249.80.0/20 ip4:72.14.192.0/18 ip4:209.85.128.0/17 ip4:66.102.0.0/20 ip4:74.125.0.0/16 ip4:64.18.0.0/20 ip4:207.126.144.0/20 ip4:173.194.0.0/16 ?all

  • DNS lookups: 1 total
  • Nested lookups: 0
  • All IP ranges were published directly, no includes.

2013

v=spf1 include:_netblocks.google.com include:_netblocks2.google.com include:_netblocks3.google.com ?all

  • DNS lookups: 4 total
  • Nested lookups: 3
  • Each include: triggered an additional DNS query.

2024

v=spf1 include:_netblocks.google.com include:_netblocks2.google.com include:_netblocks3.google.com ~all

  • DNS lookups: 4 total
  • Nested lookups: 3
  • Same structure as 2013, only the qualifier changed.

December 2025

v=spf1 ip4:74.125.0.0/16 ip4:209.85.128.0/17 ip6:2001:4860:4000::/36 ip6:2404:6800:4000::/36 ip6:2607:f8b0:4000::/36 ip6:2800:3f0:4000::/36 ip6:2a00:1450:4000::/36 ip6:2c0f:fb50:4000::/36 ~all

  • DNS lookups: 1 total
  • Nested lookups: 0
  • All sending ranges are again published directly.

Why this change matters

The biggest improvement is DNS lookup efficiency.

Under the include-based model, _spf.google.com consumed 4 DNS lookups by itself. Any domain that used include:_spf.google.com inherited those costs immediately.

With the December 2025 change:

  • _spf.google.com now consumes just 1 lookup
  • Domains including Google save 3 DNS lookups
  • The risk of hitting the SPF 10-DNS-lookup limit is significantly reduced
  • SPF evaluation becomes faster and more reliable

This is especially valuable for domains with multiple third-party senders, where every lookup matters.

The takeaway

By moving away from nested includes and returning to explicit IP ranges, Google has made SPF simpler, more efficient, and more resilient, not only for their own infrastructure, but for everyone who depends on them.