What is the potential outcome of failing to verify an SPF record due to incorrect format?

The correct outcome of failing to verify an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record due to incorrect format is represented as "PermError." This result indicates that the SPF record could not be processed because it has fundamental errors, such as syntactical issues or incorrect formatting, rendering it invalid.

When an SPF record is not properly formatted, the server cannot interpret the policy correctly, which may cause the SPF validation process to produce a permanent error. This is a critical failure point because it means that any email sent from that domain will not pass SPF checks, leading to potential email delivery issues since receiving mail servers rely on these records to confirm the legitimacy of email sources.

In contrast, a "Pass" outcome signifies that the SPF record was valid and the source was authorized, while a "Fail" outcome indicates that the source was not authorized by the domain's SPF policy. A "Neutral" result means that the record does not explicitly allow or deny the email’s legitimacy. Therefore, the most significant implication of an incorrectly formatted SPF record is the permanently failing state, denoted as "PermError," which presents severe repercussions for domain reputability and email deliverability.