SPF Decision Queue
How to process pending source approvals
SPF Decision Queue
The Decision Queue is a prioritised list of email sources detected in your DMARC reports that have not yet been added to (or excluded from) your SPF record. Working through this queue is the primary way you improve your DMARC compliance rate.
Queue Status Categories
Ready to Approve
High-confidence sources (70%+) with strong authentication history. The AI recommends adding these to your SPF record. You can approve individually or use Approve All for sources the AI marks as safe.
On Watchlist (Monitoring)
Sources you've placed on a 7-day monitoring period, or that the AI has flagged for observation. After the watchlist period, they'll be re-evaluated and promoted to "Ready to Approve" or kept for manual review.
Needs Review
Lower confidence sources where the AI cannot make a clear recommendation. Typically unknown IPs or services without enough authentication history. You should investigate before approving.
Suspected Threat
Sources with very low confidence (<30%), zero authentication, or anomalous behaviour. Reject these immediately unless you have a specific reason to investigate further.
The Three Actions
| Action | Effect | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Approve | Adds source to your managed SPF record. The "Include in SPF" checkbox is checked and the record updates automatically. | You recognise and authorise this sender |
| Monitor | Places source on 7-day watchlist. Not added to SPF. Re-evaluated at end of period. | Not sure — needs more data before deciding |
| Reject | Marks source as rejected. Never added to SPF. Moved to the Hidden tab. | Suspicious, unrecognised, or unwanted sender |
Working Through the Queue Efficiently
- Start with Suspected Threats — reject any source you don't recognise with zero authentication
- Review Ready to Approve — approve high-volume, high-confidence sources first for maximum compliance impact
- Place borderline sources on Monitor and revisit in a week
- Check Needs Review sources against your list of email tools and services
Autopilot Handles This Automatically
If you're on the Autopilot or Managed automation level, high-confidence sources are approved automatically and threats are rejected without manual intervention. The decision queue is primarily for Manual and Maintenance levels.