How to know if the SPF config is working (Amazon SES/Route53)?
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I'm using Amazon SES and Route53 and confused how I specify the TXT value to include the proper SPF config. Amazon gave me a SES TXT name/value pair which looks something like this:

    Name: "_amazonses.xxx.com"
    Value: "bInxJfnRbxxxxx9uFXgmxxxxxQHd08UxxxxxxsG+k="

I plugged this into my Route53 Record Set (same as "Zone file" on Godaddy). Sure enough after adding my SMTP credentials to my app and having Amazon verify my account ("grant production access"), it works and I can send email from my site to a variety of accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, my .edu university account).

I know nothing about SPF but hear it is good include in one's email server configuration. By googling about Amazon SES, I keep seeing to include the flowing snippets:

    "v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all"
    "spf2.0/pra include:amazonses.com ~all"

Currently, these 2 snippets are included in the same TXT value field as that big, ugly value above("bInxJfnRb...") and my emails still get sent ok. I just 1) don't know whether this is the right place for these snippets and 2) understand under what circumstances "v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all" comes into play. Might someone offer some advice?

 