Determining the severity and mitigating email blocklists requires a multi-faceted approach involving ongoing monitoring, understanding blocklist criteria, and proactive reputation management. The severity of a blocklist is relative, primarily determined by its impact on your mail delivery. Monitoring bounce logs, sender reputation, and deliverability metrics is essential, utilizing tools like MXToolbox, GlockApps, Google Postmaster Tools, and Microsoft SNDS. Mitigation involves ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), segmenting email lists, warming up IP addresses, and maintaining consistent sending volumes. Engaging with feedback loops and understanding the listing and delisting processes of specific blocklists, such as Spamhaus, are critical. Finally, proactively address identified issues and understand that certain blocklists, like UCE, may not warrant removal efforts.
18 marketer opinions
Determining the severity and mitigating email blocklists involves several key strategies. Initially, assess the impact of each blocklist by monitoring bounce logs and overall deliverability. Prioritize blocklists that directly affect your mail flow. Utilize tools and services to monitor your sender reputation and proactively identify blocklistings. Mitigation strategies include segmenting email lists, warming up IP addresses, maintaining consistent sending volumes, and ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Actively engage with blocklist providers to understand their delisting processes and promptly address any identified issues.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that blocklist severity is relative, stating that if a blocklist is mentioned in your bounce logs, it's severe to you, regardless of general perception. They also mention that well-run mail servers usually provide a link to the blocklist's site for remediation.
17 Nov 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit emphasizes ensuring proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This helps verify your identity and reduces the chances of being flagged as spam.
19 May 2025 - Reddit
4 expert opinions
Experts emphasize understanding the nuances of email blocklists to determine severity and implement effective mitigation strategies. A key aspect is recognizing that many public blacklists have limited impact on general deliverability but may signal underlying problems. Understanding the listing criteria for each blocklist is crucial, as some target specific issues like spam traps or compromised hosts. Proactive reputation management, including regular monitoring with tools like Google Postmaster Tools and addressing issues promptly, is also vital for preventing and mitigating blocklisting.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of monitoring for blacklisting, including monitoring deliverability, sender score, and using tools to identify blacklistings as soon as they happen to help determine their severity.
6 May 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that understanding the listing criteria for each blocklist is crucial. Some blocklists focus on spam traps, while others target open relays or compromised hosts. Knowing the reason for the listing helps determine the severity and mitigation steps.
18 Jun 2024 - Spam Resource
4 technical articles
Determining the severity and mitigating different email blocklists, according to documentation from various sources, involves understanding the specific blocklist criteria (Spamhaus), using feedback mechanisms (Microsoft's JMRP, AWS Feedback Loops) to identify issues, and proactively monitoring domain reputation (Google Postmaster Tools). These tools and processes provide insights into why emails are marked as spam or blocked, enabling targeted mitigation efforts.
Technical article
Documentation from AWS explains that setting up feedback loops (FBLs) with major ISPs provides information about when recipients mark your emails as spam. Addressing these complaints promptly helps improve your reputation and prevent future blocklisting.
28 Jan 2025 - Amazon Web Services
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that you should use the Postmaster Tools site to monitor your domain's reputation and other relevant data. This can help diagnose sending issues.
22 Jul 2024 - Google
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