Domain & IP Blacklists
Blacklists record IP addresses and sending domains where they are considered to be sources of malicious Spam and are maintained by inbox providers such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! or other third-party services like Spamhaus or SpamCop.
Commonly, they will utilise a combination of Spam traps, spam complaints, and other proprietary data sources as criteria for listing a domain or IP address.
Sender Reputation Damage
Being blacklisted will have an impact upon email delivery and engagement because of an increase in rejected and filtered emails.
It is not uncommon for email marketers to have a domain or IP address listed at some point in time and when that happens it is critical to investigate and resolve any issues promptly in order to limit the extent of damage to sender reputation.
Changing IP or Domain
Blacklists are intelligent and will very quickly detect where there's been a change to IP addresses or domains in order to side-step being listed.
Changing IP addresses or domains once listed is not a good tactic and should be avoided because in some circumstances it can lead to almost irreversible blocks with services like Spamhaus.
Common Questions
What do I do when a domain or IP address gets listed?
- Read the additional information provided within System Monitor about the listing
- Follow any link to the blacklist service included in the response
- If no link has been provided click the blacklist name to locate the service on Google
- Follow the specific instructions on the website to request removal
What is a DNS blacklist?
DNS blacklists allow receiving mail servers to lookup the IP address of the sending mail server prior to accepting mail, if a listing is found the mail server may automatically reject your mail message.
What is a domain blacklist?
Domain blacklists are used to test sending domains and any other domains that appear in the content of emails received by mail servers. Domains that are listed are more likely to generate higher levels of rejected or filtered email.
Why have I been listed?
Given the nature of blacklists, it's not always possible to accurately determine the reason why domains and IPs get listed and once they are a thorough investigation is required to resolve the issue. Common reasons why listings occur include:
- Sending email to an automated spam trap / honey pot
- Sending email to old abandoned email accounts
- Sending unsolicited emails
- Higher than normal number of complaints
- Incorrectly configured domain (broken SPF and / or DKIM)
- Sending content that sounds like Spam