Email blacklists are one of the most troublesome problems faced by businesses and individuals who use email marketing to reach their customers. Messages may be blocked or put into the spam folder if your domain and email address gets listed on a blacklist which could have an effect on your deliverability and reputation. We’ll talk about if your email or domain is listed on a blacklist, how to remove it, and how to make sure you won’t be blacklisted again.
What is an Email Blacklist?
An email blacklist is a real-time database that stores IPs or domains that have been detected as sending spam or phishing emails. Mail servers automatically refuse an email if it comes from a blacklisted IP or domain. Spamhaus, SpamCop, and Barracuda Central are some of the organizations that run blacklists.
How To Verify If an Email Account Is Blacklisted?
There are several methods to verify whether an email address is blacklisted:
Search online: Free online resources such as MXToolbox, SpamHaus, and BlackHoleLists allow you to put in an email or domain name and check if it is on a blacklist.
SMTP error codes: SMTP error codes are generated by a mail server if the email is blocked due to blacklisting. The most common error codes are 550, 553, and 530.
Domain checks: Some blacklist databases offer domain checks. When entering a domain name, the user can see whether or not the domain is blacklisted.
How To Remove Yourself From An Email Blacklist?
If a given email address is blacklisted, then you should immediately delete it:
The first step to getting removed from an email blacklist is to determine why the email address/domain was placed there.
Reasons for Being Blacklisted
It’s helpful to know the reason you’re blacklisted so you can correct it. Common reasons include:
Unsolicited Emails: The primary reason why your emails get blacklisted is if they send unsolicited email. Even customers who didn’t opt-in and report your messages as spam hurt your sender reputation.
High Email Volume: Whenever you send way too many emails in a short amount of time, you’ll get that spam filter flagged and therefore blacklisted.
Open Relay Server: If anyone could use your server to send emails then spammers could abuse it and impact your reputation.
Server Compromise: A Malware-infected server will continue to generate spam on its own, blacklisting it.
How to Delist a Blacklist?
Once you’ve figured out what is behind your blacklisting, you can do something to make things right:
1. Validate and Optimize Your Email List.
If you get rid of spam emails, it’s time to purge your email list. Follow it with a double opt-in where users sign up to say that they want to be contacted by them. That way, you can be sure that your audience actually wants to interact with your content and not get flagged as spam.
2. Throttle Email Volume
If you have been sending so many emails, reduce your sending speed. Space your emails out over time and keep an eye on your engagement metrics so all your emails are formatted properly, offer valuable content, and contain an unsubscribe link in a place where it’s easy to find.
3. Secure Your Server
It’s when your server has been attacked; something has to be done. Use antivirus and anti-malware to disinfect your server and close security holes. It’s also a good idea to contact your email provider or your host; they often have tools and resources available to help you resolve security issues and get in touch with blacklist administrators.
4. Request Delisting
After getting all these other things rectified, you can request removal from those blacklists. Almost all the blacklist databases have the option to request for removal. Just continue to follow their protocols and take whatever documentation and evidence you may have of your corrective actions.
How to Avoid Getting Blacklisted
If you want to ensure email addresses aren’t blacklisted, follow these best practices:
Authenticate Your Email
Email authentication uses multiple means to validate sender authenticity and stop spoofing and phishing attacks. Implementing authentication methods such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) help to build trust with ESPs and lower the chances of being blacklisted.
Maintain a Clean List
Clean your email list daily by eliminating dead, bounced, or invalid addresses. Keeping a clean list not only improves the engagement but also helps to minimize the chances of getting blocked by spam traps which might result in blacklisting. When it comes to email marketing, double opt-in policies for new subscribers help ensure that only legitimate and interested users get your emails.
Monitor Engagement Metrics
Monitor engagement statistics such as open rates, click through rates, and unsubscribe rates. High engagement means you’re delivering something useful to readers, and low engagement may be a signal that your messages are spam. Keeping track of these metrics allows you to make changes to your email strategy and keep your sender rating high.
Personalize and Segment Your Emails
Emails can be personalized and segmented to enhance reader engagement by responding to the preferences of the particular recipient. This method minimizes the risk that your emails will be flagged as spam by recipients and keeps you in good standing as a sender.
Avoid Trigger Words and Phrases
ESPs use filters to filter out spam, usually by looking for words or phrases that trigger the filter. As much as possible, avoid using excessive capitalization, exclamation marks, and spammy words like “free offer” or “you’re a winner” to reduce the likelihood of getting reported as spam.
Include an Easy Unsubscribe Option
Giving a simple and easy unsubscribe button is not only a legal requirement but also a good practice to avoid blacklisting. Don’t make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe, or spam reports will flood your inbox and harm your sender reputation.
Frequency and Timing
Establish a steady email sending rate and don’t send multiple emails in a row. Overfilling recipients’ inboxes can result in higher complaints of spam and low response rates. Furthermore, keep in mind when emails are sent based on your subscribers and their behavior.
Implement Feedback Loops
Feedback loops enable ESPs to report spam complaints directly to senders, giving you the chance to eliminate complainers from your lists and work on issues that cause high complaint rates. This proactive strategy maintains a good sender reputation and helps to minimize the risk of blacklisting.
Conclusion: Email Blacklists: What to Check, Remove, and How Not to Check.
Email blacklists are used to block spam and phishing emails. Knowing how to determine if an email address is blacklisted, how to be removed and how not to be blacklisted are critical for successful email deliverability. By being on the ball and taking action against blacklists, companies and individuals can maintain an excellent email profile and send emails to their intended recipients.
