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Email Blacklists: How to Check, Get Removed and Avoid
An email blacklist is a real-time list containing domains and IP addresses that are perceived to be spammy. These lists are used by ISPs, free mailbox providers, and anti-malware vendors to prevent spam. There are various factors that lead to an ESP ending up in the blacklist -though volume and quality of email are the two major factors.
Blacklisting is the procedure of identifying spam-related IP addresses and disabling them from sharing any sort of content. The purpose of blacklisting is to avoid unnecessary spam content from unverified sources. Blacklisting can be taken as blocking someone on social media: they can no longer interact or send you private messages on your account.
The gathered IP data is compiled into an email list that would then be able to hinder messages from certain boycotted IPs.
Mainly two types of blacklists exist:
- Blacklisted IP address: It is a set of IPs that are accused of sending spam, misleading, or abusive content.
- Domain Blacklisted: This list contains all domains that are discovered to send inappropriate messages and defraud the users deliberately.
- Why Your IP/Domain Is On The Blacklist?
The concept of spam content differs among different ISPs and blacklist vendors. Since each blacklist has its own set of spam identification policies and rules, here are some of the most basic reasons for being blacklisted:
Complaints from receivers
- Emails or IPs that are linked to malicious software, spoofing, hacking, ransomware, etc. and other fraudulent practices.
- IPs that aid bulletproof hosting or scrapers
- Purchase of email addresses
- Being trapped in pits of spam
- Mass emailing through ISPs such as Outlook and Gmail
- A sudden increase in list size
- If the recipient clicks the Spam button, it causes ISPs to believe the content of your email is evil.
- Greater hardbounces
- Ways To Check If Your Email Is Blacklisted
The quickest way to check if your email is on the blacklist is to verify through these popular databases:
- Spamhaus
- Spamcop
- MXToolBox
- MultiRBL
- SURBL
- Involvement
- DNS Stuff
- DNSBL
How To Get Removed From Blacklists
Every database of blacklisted users has explicit principles for debilitating IP's and gathering the list of guilty parties. Those principles can incorporate various listings like specialized, policy, and verification-based.
Since databases exchange blacklisted IP addresses, an ISP blocking a user might result in several other ISPs doing the same. Hence, to completely throw away the spam tag, users have to clear out of each blacklist.
The best way to do that is to check the removal instructions on the blacklisting site. It will guide you in detail on how to fix every suspicious aspect, erasing any chances of your IP address remaining on the blacklist. Here is the basic process of getting deleted from blacklists.
· Self-Service Removal
With a self-service removal feature, there are a few blacklists that allow you to take your IP address off the list without much trouble. However, before doing this, you'll want to make sure you've fixed any problems. It won't be easy to have it deleted the next time if you don't resolve these issues (virus, spam content, malware) otherwise your IP address gets blacklisted again.
· Time-Sensitive Removal
- Most blacklists have an underlying, programmed strategy that eliminates lower-level postings -the slightly suspicious IPs, within one week or two. However, if the IP address is observed sending spammy content multiple times or in high volumes, the time required to remove it from the list will extend.
- Necessary Steps To Avoid Being On The Blacklist
- Getting out of the blacklist might not be as difficult but avoiding it is the best thing. Below are some of the most effective ways of staying away from blacklists.
· Continuously Acquire Consent
Email only the contacts who have provided you with permission to do so. For subscriptions, we strongly suggest that a double opt-in mechanism be introduced to validate the purpose of the subscriber and ensure that the address given is correct.
· Email Content
Everything you send to your email subscribers keeps them fascinated and involved in your messages. Make certain you’re sending what your subscribers expect from you and keep the content relevant for them to enjoy receiving. You can customize the emails based on their specific interests to further engage them with your content.
· Watch Email Campaign Analytics
You are probably keeping an eye on email opening and scrolling rates, but also watch the opening of the domain. You need to check your blacklist status if you see a sudden noticeable drop in your openings. CBT Mass Email Sender is the best software to make this task easier. It offers accurate and timely results.
· Good Lists
By deleting any bounced addresses or the ones that are not performing, you can keep your email list clean and reduce your chances of getting blacklisted. You'll want to get rid of any email addresses that haven’t been opened for a while.
· Segment Your Lists
Break up your lists into groups to help guarantee that your potential clients have received what they expect from your emails. You can segment your list based on your subscribers’ location, time zone, interest, recently viewed items, preferences, etc. This will make it simple to deliver exactly the right message to your subscribers.
· Ensure The Integrity Of The Sender
Your credibility as a sender is one of the parameters that ISPs use to decide whether you are a poor sender. Your reputation as a sender depends on the past output of your emails and whether your domain has been flagged for suspicious behavior. Hence you need to maintain a good sender’s reputation to stay out of the blacklists.
Conclusion
The purpose of email blacklists is to prevent emails from being sent to inboxes that have not opted-in to receive emails. As a result, it disables various email senders from sending content to certain or all of their contacts.
Blacklisting is not permanent though and there are several things you can do to prevent from getting on a blacklist. The key to remember is that good email etiquette will drastically reduce the chances of being stuck on a blacklist. And if you do everything in your power to send emails that people really like, it will make it much simpler to get de-listed, in fact, it will reduce your chances of ending up on a blacklist in the first place.
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