Why perform an email blacklist check?
When you perform an email blacklist check, you evaluate whether your mail server’s IP address appears on a block list for sending spam. A Registered Block List (RBL) actively collects and catalogues information about a mail server’s reputation. This reputation shows how reliably the server sends legitimate emails and helps identify servers that might send spam.
What is an RBL?
An RBL functions like a directory or phone book for mail servers. It collects data on spam activity and overall performance. When a server sends too much spam, its reputation drops, and it risks appearing on an RBL. Performing an email blacklist check can help you monitor whether your server’s IP has been listed. This listing warns recipient servers about potential issues with incoming emails.
What purpose does an RBL serve?
When you operate a mail server you handle both inbound mail for your users and outbound mail that your users send. As businesses increasingly conduct their communications online, some users may choose convenience over security. For example, a user might select a weak password to simplify their day-to-day workflow. Unfortunately, that decision opens a vulnerability in the system.
This vulnerability can lead to issues such as unauthorized access or spam being sent from your server. In turn, this may harm your server’s reputation and cause it to appear on an RBL. In such cases, performing an email blacklist check regularly becomes crucial. Regular checks help you detect if your IP address has been flagged, allowing you to address the issue promptly before it disrupts your email deliverability.
By choosing stronger security practices and monitoring your server’s reputation through routine email blacklist checks, you protect your mail server and ensure the continued integrity of your communication channels. This proactive approach minimizes risks and supports a secure, reliable email service for all your users.
What is an RBL blacklist?
The RBL functions like a phone book for mail servers, while a blacklist actively flags an IP address that sends malicious emails, indicating that the sender is untrustworthy. This will likely manifest in emails sent to other servers bouncing back if those recipient mail servers are checking the same RBL to validate sending servers.
Does this effect you at WP Hosting?
At WP Hosting, our shared hosting network benefits from outbound spam filtering that has reduced outbound spam by 99%. While most email from our network remains legitimate, some clients send messages that external mail filters or recipients flag as spam. Consequently, our system may blacklist the sending IP.
We consider an IP blacklisted when we find it listed on an RBL at MX Toolbox, an external service that we monitor 24/7 for updates. If we detect that one of our managed IPs appears on a blacklist, we endeavour to remove the listing or change the mail delivery IP address.
RBL’s have different rules for de-listing of blacklisted IP addresses – some expire after a period of time, while some need manual submission for removal.
What if a server isn’t listed but emails are bouncing regardless?
If a recipient network blocks your email, please contact your provider immediately to resolve the issue. Email providers block our IP addresses at their own discretion. They generally only process unblock requests from their own customers, not from third parties. In such cases, please perform an email blacklist check to verify our server’s status. Contact the recipient using another method. Then, send them a copy of the bounce message so they can forward it to their provider.
Some providers will block and entire IP range or even country in order to reduce spam. Not only is this highly impractical, it’s also a very rudimentary way to solve spam problems. There are many other best practice methods to reduce spam, rather than just simply blocking IP addresses.