set Google Apps SPF record in Amazon AWS Route 53

Question

I'm using the new AWS GUI for Route 53 to setup my domain records. However, the AWS console won't accept the recommended Google Apps SPF record, v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all (found here).

It keeps giving me an error stating

The record set could not be saved because:
- The Value field contains invalid characters or is in an invalid format.

This happens when saving as SPF and TXT. Any ideas?

Solution 1

I had to wrap my SPF record in quotation marks for it to work.

"v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

Solution 2

It's a new feature for the console. Chances are it's the console part that is rejecting the 'invalid' characters, rather than the underlying system.

I'd try setting it with one of the many tools available for configuring Route 53 and if that doesn't work, contact Amazon

Solution 3

My fix was to wrap the record in quotation marks and replace the ~ with a -.

Here is the value that works:

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

Comments

[Andy Ray]

You have to quote it, which threw me off too. Google's instructions are terrible, which is why i wrote up a complete guide on this: blog.andrewray.me/…

[Sean Bannister]

According to support.google.com/a/answer/178723?hl=en you should use ~all not -all for Google Apps.

[Jacques Snyman]

The only reason I replaced the ~ with - was to get Route 53 to accept it, but to my surprise, it was also accepted by Google Apps as valid.

[Justin Goldberg]

To clarify, he meant to say ""double quotes"", which bypasses the checks for invalid characters.