Blacklist Checker
ZeroBounce email blacklist checker
How email blacklists work
Blacklist service companies assist Internet service providers (ISPs) in helping ward off unwanted or harmful messages.
The term blacklist is an abbreviation of real-time blackhole list (RBL) or DNS blacklist (DNSBL). These lists contain a list of domains and IP addresses that violate email best practices and protocols.
There are both public and private blacklists. Hundreds of public services exist to ensure unwanted messages bounce or end up in the spam folder. Some companies also employ personal blacklist services as an additional protective measure for their brand and customers.
Whenever a sender spams their readers or suffers from a domain hack, a blacklist company will identify them. When a particular domain receives a certain number of reports, the ISP may automatically alert the blacklist service.
If you’re on a blacklist, your messages will land in the spam folder or bounce entirely.
When just one user or IP address ends up on a blacklist, your domain is in trouble. They’ll likely assume that all related senders are also spammers, prompting them to blacklist the entire range of IP addresses associated with your email.
Why do I need a domain blacklist checker?
While blacklists are a valuable tool that protects users, lawful businesses end up on blacklists for myriad reasons daily. Reasons for finding your email on a blacklist can include:
- Sending out too many emails per day or week
- Pushing messages to an unclean email list (containing invalid emails, spam traps, catch-alls, etc.)
- Hackers leveraging your domain name for phishing schemes
- Receiving too many spam reports from valid addresses
Signs of a potential blacklisting
If you’re unsure about your blacklist status, keep an eye out for the following telltale signs:
- Sudden or unusual increase in bounce rate
- A sharp decrease in email open rate
- An uptick in spam reports
All of these indicate significant problems with your email deliverability. You may need to clean your email list, but there may also be issues with your content. In the worst-case scenario, spoofers may be using your domain to support their phishing scams.
How to avoid the blacklist
The best way to protect your email reputation is to avoid blacklists proactively. You can do this in numerous ways that involve improving your content and email security.
Improve your email security
There are several tools available that protect your domain and IP from spoofers. We recommend implementing all of them.
The first is Sender Policy Framework (SPF), which helps you determine which hostnames or IPs can send from your domain. You can get started now by using our SPF generator.
Next, utilize Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) to encrypt your emails. Think of this as a unique virtual signature that helps ISPS and blacklists identify valid addresses for your domain.
Finally, implement Domain-based Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). This synergizes with the former tools and dictates what happens when an ISP cannot validate an email address.
After you utilize our free email blacklist checker and resolve any known issues, head to these pages and create your records to protect yourself.
Clean your email list
You can also find yourself on a blacklist by sending messages to invalid email addresses.
ISPs actively utilize dummy addresses known as spam traps, which seek out would-be spammers. If you have a spam trap on your list, you’ll quickly find yourself on one or more blacklists. Other invalid email types such as abuse emails, catch-all emails or disposable addresses will also muck up your list.
You can proactively avoid blacklists by cleaning your email list using the button below.
Segment your audience
Your email list and security are in place. Now, you can shift your focus to the content.
Even if you deliver your emails successfully, readers may still mark them as spam if your content is irrelevant. Users sign up for your email list for specific reasons and expect to see highly-personalized offers.
You can segment your email list in several ways, including
- Demographics such as age, gender or location
- B2C vs. B2B
- Occupation or income
- Past shopping habits
Companies should also ask users what content they would like to see. You can provide brief questionnaires when a user subscribes or attempts to unsubscribe so that you can better fulfill their needs.
When you prepare great content for the correct audience segment, you’ll avoid the spam button and increase engagement rates.
Perform domain blacklist checks regularly with ZeroBounce
You paid for that email address. Make sure it lands in the inbox reliably.
Every brand should use our free email blacklist checker consistently to avoid disruptions in communication. Not only will it help you save on your investment, but it can identify problems before they damage your reputation.
Protect yourself with regular blacklist and whitelist checks to ensure you remain a trusted and approved sender. If you want active protection, check out our Blacklist Monitor. Like our blacklist checker, we can monitor your domain in real-time and alert you to any troubling activity.
Other useful tools:
Frequently Asked Questions
You can determine if your email address is on a blacklist by using the free email blacklist checker tool above. Enter the domain you use for your email and our technology will handle the rest. We cross-reference your domain with over 300 known IP blacklists. If we identify you on any blacklists, you can find it listed within our results.
You can take multiple actions to delist your domain following a domain blacklist check. First, you can use your results to identify the blacklist service in question. You will need to determine why you received a blacklisting and take action to remedy the problem. Then, submit a formal removal request to them via email. Some blacklist service providers have a form you can fill out on their website to request removal. You can also contact your email service provider (ESP). Depending on your provider, they may be able to assist you in getting removed from blacklists. Note that some services automatically delist domains and IP addresses. They may automatically delist you if your domain does not receive abuse or spam complaints. However, it’s better to take the initiative to request removal and prevent further damage to your email reputation.
Work with the blacklist service to determine why your domain or IP is on the blacklist. Then, take the necessary steps to remedy the problem. You will need to prove that the issue is no longer present so you can request formal removal. To stay off a blacklist, we recommend checking your email list regularly. This enables you to avoid abuse and spam reports that land domains on email blacklists. A free ZeroBounce account offers 100 verifications monthly to help you get rid of invalid emails. If you’re looking for additional peace of mind, consider running your domain or IP through a whitelist checker. A whitelisted email means you are an approved and trusted sender, making your emails land in the inbox more reliably.
Use our free email blacklist checker to determine if your IP is on any blacklists. Then, navigate to their site, look up your IP and look for reasoning as to why your IP is there. Work with your ESP or IT team to ensure that your email-sending protocols are up-to-date. If necessary, call or email the blacklist service and work with them to correct the issue in question.