Error message: SPF check failed when uploading an email
Written By Tess Hoogeboom
Last updated 4 months ago
Error message
SPF check failed
Do you see the message “SPF check failed” in TriFact365 for a received email where the attachments haven’t been processed? If so, the email was received by TriFact365.
What does this mean?
TriFact365 performs a security check on incoming emails. If issues regarding the sender’s reliability are detected during this check, the email will be displayed, but the attachments will not be processed automatically.
This check reduces the risk of, for example, fraudulent invoices sent via email by a malicious party posing as one of your suppliers.
If you notice that emails that are actually from your supplier(s) are not being processed by TriFact365 due to this check, action is required to prevent this from happening again.
Most common cause: Automatically forwarded emails
Invoices are automatically forwarded from your own mailbox to the TriFact365 upload address in a way that makes it appear as though the email is coming from the supplier, even though it is sent via your email environment. This creates a “mismatch,” causing the email to look suspicious to TriFact365.
Best long-term solution
Ensure that invoices you forward to TriFact365 are sent in a way that leaves no doubt about the sender. We provide the following guide to help you set this up:
Alternative solution
In TriFact365, you can Disable the sender verification for the upload email address. This may resolve the issue, but it reduces security. We recommend using this only temporarily to limit the risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What usually causes the “SPF check failed” error?
What usually causes the “SPF check failed” error?
This is often caused by automatically forwarding emails from your own mailbox to TriFact365, where the supplier remains visible as the sender, and the email is technically sent via your email environment.
Why does it work for some providers, even though the emails are forwarded in the same way?
Why does it work for some providers, even though the emails are forwarded in the same way?
That depends on how strict the supplier’s email settings are. Some suppliers/systems are “more lenient” and others are stricter. As a result, it may happen to work with one supplier but not with another, even though the forwarding method is the same.
How can I be sure the problem is caused by forwarding?
How can I be sure the problem is caused by forwarding?
You usually see this pattern:
The email arrives with an SPF check failure.
The email was originally sent to your invoices mailbox.
An automatic forwarding rule is active to TriFact365.
The sender visible in TriFact365 is the supplier’s original email address
My supplier sends emails directly to TriFact365, yet I still see this error message. How is that possible?
My supplier sends emails directly to TriFact365, yet I still see this error message. How is that possible?
If the supplier sends their emails directly to your administration’s TriFact365 address, this error message usually means that the supplier’s email settings are not configured correctly. It is advisable to inform the supplier of this.
Was this helpful?
Still need help? Ask the team