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Check the status of blacklisting for an IP address, domain, or email server. Enter the IP, domain, or email address to be checked for blacklisting.
You can utilize various online tools and websites that offer free services to check if your domain, IP address, or email server is listed on DNSBL or SURBL systems. This article will guide you on how to perform an IP blacklist lookup or check the blacklisting status of your domain, IP, or email.
Open the Blacklist and Email Verification Tool.
Enter the domain, IP address, or email server IP address in the given blank area that you want to check.
Click the "Submit" button.
The tool will take approximately 20 to 40 seconds to complete the blacklist verification and display the results.
If your IP, domain, or email is listed on a particular blacklist, it will show "Yes" next to that blacklist, otherwise "No."
The blacklist verification tool examines whether a domain, IP address, or email server's IP is listed on DNSBL. Email service providers use this database to filter out spam emails before they reach the end users.
For instance, if your company conducts email marketing campaigns and sends out a large number of promotional emails, some recipients might mark them as spam. This increases the likelihood of your IP address being blacklisted, which should be avoided.
IP address blacklisting involves filtering or blocking illegitimate or malicious IP addresses from accessing your network. It occurs when a web hosting company deliberately ignores your IP address. Consequently, any email you try to send from that IP address is blocked and flagged as spam.
It is estimated that approximately 80% of email traffic comprises spam emails. To combat this overwhelming volume, strict blacklisting practices are implemented to keep inboxes free of spam. Therefore, it is crucial to regularly check if your email is blacklisted.
DNSBL (Domain Name System Blacklist) serves as the first line of defense against spam. It is a domain blacklist check that enables administrators to block messages originating from specific IPs known for sending spam. The list is based on the Internet's Domain Name System, which converts IP addresses into domain names for easier comprehension.
If a blacklist maintainer has previously received spam from a specific domain, they may include that domain's IP address in their blacklist. Consequently, all messages sent from that particular server will be rejected or flagged by websites using that blacklist to prevent spam.
There are numerous DNSBLs available online for domain blacklist checks, each with its own set of rules and categories focused on offensive content. While spam is the most common category, some blacklists prioritize hacking, malware, botnets, etc. Email administrators use these DNSBLs to determine if incoming emails originate from blacklisted IP addresses.
SURBL (Spam URI Real-time Blocklist) is a list of websites that have appeared in unsolicited messages. It serves as the second line of defense against spam, although not all spam filters utilize it.
Spammers have become increasingly sophisticated over time, making it challenging to catch every spam message. Email administrators use SURBLs to scan the body text of email messages and identify any website addresses present. These addresses are then checked against blacklists. If a match is found, the message is treated as spam or handled according to specified instructions.
Interestingly, websites mentioned in unsolicited messages tend to remain more consistent than the rapidly changing botnet IP addresses often used to send spam. If you are involved in email marketing, run email advertisements, or work as an email system administrator and your email server IP address has been blacklisted, you will need to work with various DNSBLs and SURBLs to delist your IP address.
The integration process between an IP blacklist and an email service is straightforward. Here's how it works:
When you send an email from, let's say, advertising@abc.com to a user named Paul:
Paul's mail server resolves the sender's IP address into the corresponding domain name.
Paul's mail server checks the domain and sender's IP address against the IP/domain blacklist database.
If the IP or domain is blacklisted, your email will likely end up in Mike's spam/junk mail folder without being scanned.
If the IP or domain is already listed as a repetitive spam sender, the ISP's spam filters will reject the message, preventing it from reaching Paul's spam folder.
An IP address can end up on a blacklist for various reasons. Blacklists are databases that include IP addresses believed to be associated with sending spam. Emails originating from these IP addresses are either blocked, directed to recipients' spam folders, or handled accordingly.
Your IP address may be listed on a single blacklist or multiple blacklists. There is no centralized authority governing blacklists. Each blacklist is managed independently and has its own criteria for listing or delisting IP addresses.
Running a misconfigured mail server that sends spam unintentionally or deliberately.
Attempting to purchase email lists from third parties containing incorrect or spam email addresses.
Receiving numerous reports from email recipients marking your emails as spam.
Falling victim to an email account hack, resulting in unauthorized spammy activities.
Instances where your IP address was blacklisted despite not engaging in any wrongdoing. This can occur when using a DHCP IP address. Most blacklist maintainers automatically add DHCP-assigned IP addresses to their lists. Even if you are not a spammer, the previous user of the IP address might have engaged in spamming activities. Only your ISP has knowledge of the IP address's previous assignment. You can perform an IP WHOIS to gather information about IP usage details.
Your website might be listed on a search engine's blacklist, which is undesirable for any legitimate website. Several reasons can contribute to such listings, such as having a spammy website or receiving backlinks from spammy websites. Performing a link audit using an external link checker can help assess your website's backlinks. Furthermore, if your website is suspected of being used for hacking purposes, it might be added to a search engine's blacklist, causing it to disappear from search results.
To get removed from a blacklist or clear your IP address's blacklisted status, you should take the following steps:
Ensure that your system is free from viruses or malware and that no unauthorized traffic is being sent out.
Determine which blacklist(s) your IP address is listed on and contact them.
Investigate the reasons behind your IP address being blacklisted. Most blacklists provide general listing reasons that you should review.
Check if the blacklist allows submission of removal requests. Each blacklist has its own procedure for requesting removal.
Submit a removal.
