---
title: "Validate an SPF include"
method: GET
path: "/tools/validate-include"
tags: ["Tool"]
---

# Validate an SPF include

`GET /tools/validate-include`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.palisade.email`
- URL: `https://api.palisade.email/tools/validate-include`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer
  - HTTP basic

Check that a domain is usable as an SPF `include:` and count the DNS lookups it costs, so you can tell before adding it whether it will push a record past the ten-lookup limit. The count includes the include itself. Callable with an API key or a dashboard session. The browser tool reaches this same endpoint with a captcha token instead, which is why you may see it called without credentials; a captcha is not something an API client can produce, so it is not part of this contract.

## Query parameters

- `domain` string, required: The domain to test as an SPF `include:` target, e.g. `_spf.google.com`.

## Response `200`

Success

- ValidateIncludeResult
  - `valid` boolean, required
  - `lookup_count` number: DNS lookups the include costs, counting the include itself. Only present when `valid` is true.
  - `error` string: Why the domain is not usable as an SPF include. Only present when `valid` is false.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/palisade/apis/palisade-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/palisade/apis/palisade-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/palisade/apis/palisade-api/revisions/37b4ae5a7766?raw)