How to flatten TXT records safely?

Flattening replaces SPF include statements with the actual IP addresses they resolve to:

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

After: v=spf1 ip4:209.85.128.0/17 ip4:... ~all

Benefits: Reduces DNS lookups toward the 10-lookup limit.

Risks:

Provider IPs change. You must monitor and update.

Flattened records become stale without maintenance.

Manual flattening is error-prone.

Safe flattening:

Use automated tools that monitor for changes.

Set up alerts when source records change.

Test after every update.

Document your flattening process.

Copying addresses from another ledger into yours. But when the source ledger updates, your copy is outdated.