An email blacklist is a database containing email addresses, domains, or IP addresses that mail service providers and some reputable third-party services consider to be “bad.” It is regularly updated to stay current and provide users with the best protection against malware and online threats.
There are several types of popular blacklists:
- Blacklists of Malware,
- DNS blacklists, etc.
- Blacklists of IP addresses,
- Blacklists for Phishing
- Blacklists for spam.
Today, we’ll look at domain blacklists, also known as URI real-time blacklists. They are spam domain names that appear in the body of an email. There are a hundred of them in the wild, and they are classified into three groups.
Domain Blacklist Categories
You should be aware of three general types of domain blacklists:
Blacklists for Enterprises: This category includes blacklists and firewalls, which are primarily used by corporate IT departments. They are proprietary directories found in professional tools and antivirus systems from companies such as McAfee, Cisco, and Barracuda.
Blacklists of Private Domains: Private domain blacklists are a subset of internal blacklists that are not accessible to the general public. Gmail and other popular ISPs, for example, have email address databases that they use to determine whether to accept or reject emails.
Blacklists in the Public Domain: These databases are open to the public, so anyone can use them. Even though they cannot block your email, popular email providers use them to compile a list of untrustworthy email addresses that should be blocked.
The main issue with domain blacklists is that the system that determines whether or not you are worthy of being on it is tricky and sophisticated enough to match clever spammers who try to imitate regular users’ behaviour to avoid spam filters. As a result, it is not uncommon for trusted resources or businesses that maintain a clean office to be blacklisted.
Aside from that, there are numerous reasons to have your domain blacklisted, even if you are not a serial spammer. You’d be surprised how little it takes to be barred from sending emails. Consider some of the most common reasons why you might end up on the domain blacklist.
Signs that your email domain has been blacklisted
It is critical to check domain blacklisting regularly. But how frequently should you check the blacklist domain? What is the definition of “regular”?
When everything is running smoothly, it is highly recommended to run domain blacklist tests at least twice a month. However, some situations necessitate immediate action. One of the first signs of being on the domain blacklist is receiving poor response rates from your email campaign. These are some examples:
- a sharp decrease in open rates;
- decrease in the rate of deliverability;
- There are no click-through rates.
- The reputation of the sender suffers.
If you notice anything like this, it is highly recommended that you check the domain blacklisting.
You can also examine server logs, which may reveal early warning signs of domain problems.
Why is it critical to check blacklist domains regularly?
It is critical to check domain blacklisting regularly because you never know whether you are in or out. As previously stated, there are numerous reasons why you could end up on the list, ranging from technical causes over which you have no control to errors made by your poorly chosen email marketing team. However, there is one more reason why it is critical to check the blacklist regularly.
The problem is that domain blacklists are not one-way tickets for unintentional offenders. Blacklist providers are well aware that their aggressive filters can capture non-spammers. As a result, they have left the door open for such cases, albeit for a limited time. If you resolve issues quickly and address the exact reason you were blacklisted first—securing any compromised email addresses, cleaning your lists, and so on—you have a chance of avoiding significant consequences. You can clear your name and re-establish your reputation while preventing your company from going bankrupt.
As a result, if you check the blacklist domain at least twice a month, you can continue to operate your business normally.
How to Check a Domain’s Blacklist?
Using a Dedicated Blacklist Tool to Automatically Check Blacklist Domains is Time Consuming, manually checking every database to verify domain blacklisting is time-consuming. After all, there are 120 blacklists and counting. As a result, it is strongly advised to use a dedicated blacklist tool that transforms this routine into a productive and efficient problem-solving process by checking multiple blacklists at the same time. MySEOTools is one such tool. It gives you the most up-to-date and actionable information. Simply enter your IP address name, and this website’s blacklist checker tool will confirm the address against popular blacklist databases and notify you if your IP address is blacklisted. Start using this tool right away!