How to handle a SORBS listing and avoid paying for delisting

Key findings

• No payment needed: The consensus is to avoid paying for SORBS delisting, as requests for payment often come from automated or questionable sources.
• Automated responses: Initial rejection emails, especially from 'payments' addresses, are often automated and a human response can be triggered by replying.
• Minimal impact: A SORBS blocklist listing often has a limited impact on overall email deliverability, particularly compared to other major blacklists.
• Information request: Requesting the specific headers or reasons for the listing is a common and effective step to begin the delisting process.
• Fixing root causes: Addressing the underlying issues that led to the listing, such as spam traps or compromised accounts, is crucial for long-term resolution.

Key considerations

• Assess true impact: Before expending significant effort, determine if the SORBS listing is genuinely affecting your email delivery or if it's a minor issue.
• Engage directly: If you choose to pursue delisting, persist in communicating with SORBS to get a human response and specific details.
• Avoid perfectionism: Not every blocklist listing warrants immediate or extensive intervention, particularly those with low impact.
• Prioritize efforts: Focus on major blocklists that have a more significant influence on your deliverability, and use a blocklist checker to keep an eye on them.
• Clean practices: Ensure your sending practices, such as using double opt-in for mailing lists, prevent future listings.

Key opinions

• Don't pay: Many marketers unequivocally state that paying for SORBS or similar blocklist delisting is not necessary.
• Reply to automated emails: A common strategy is to reply to automated rejection emails to prompt a human response and obtain crucial listing details.
• Low impact: Many marketers report that SORBS listings have a very limited impact on their deliverability, with some estimating bounces around 5% or less when active.
• B2B relevance: For B2B senders, addressing a SORBS listing might be slightly more beneficial, but it's still often seen as low effort for minimal gain.
• Compulsion vs. necessity: Some marketers are driven by perfectionism to delist, even when the impact is negligible, highlighting the psychological aspect of blocklist management.
• Clean practices: Implementing double opt-in for email lists is a proactive measure to avoid future blocklist issues.

Key considerations

• Verify listing impact: Always confirm if a SORBS listing is truly causing deliverability problems before investing time in delisting efforts.
• Persistent communication: If delisting is desired, be prepared to follow up to ensure a human reviews your request.
• Avoid unnecessary payments: Don't engage with services that demand fees for delisting.
• Prioritize major blocklists: Direct your efforts towards blocklists that have a more substantial effect on your email campaigns.
• Check for underlying issues: Before delisting, ensure your systems are clean of malware or other vulnerabilities that might lead to re-listing.
• Understand general blocklist workings: Familiarize yourself with how email blocklists operate to better navigate future challenges.

Key opinions

• Limited impact: Many experts confirm that SORBS has a relatively minor effect on overall deliverability for most senders.
• Avoid payment: Payment for blocklist removal is widely discouraged by experts as it's not a standard or advisable practice.
• Realistic expectations: It's unrealistic to expect to be off every single blocklist; focus should be on the most influential ones.
• Root cause analysis: Identifying and resolving the underlying reason for a listing, like a spam trap hit, is crucial for lasting resolution.
• Proactive monitoring: Regular monitoring of your sending infrastructure can help prevent future blocklist issues.

Key considerations

• Focus efforts: Direct resources towards managing listings on more impactful blocklists such as Spamhaus, which can significantly affect your email deliverability. For more on this, read about dealing with Spamhaus and other blacklists.
• Understand policies: Be aware that some blocklists have convoluted or even contradictory listing and delisting policies.
• Strategic communication: When engaging with blocklist operators, be prepared to provide specific information like message headers to facilitate the process.
• Implement authentication: Strengthen your sender reputation by properly configuring email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. This can reduce future listing incidents.
• Monitor bounce logs: Regularly review your bounce logs to precisely identify which blocklists are impacting your deliverability, as seen on MailMonitor.

Key findings

• No fee-based delisting: Authoritative documentation typically states that legitimate delisting processes do not involve payment.
• Address root causes: The primary advice is always to clean up any issues (e.g., malware, spam traps) that led to the listing.
• Direct requests: Manual delisting requests to the blocklist operator are the standard procedure after rectifying issues.
• Good sending practices: Preventive measures like using double opt-in lists are crucial for avoiding future blocklist appearances.

Key considerations

• Avoid suspicious services: Do not engage with services that claim to offer paid delisting or do not accept standard removal requests.
• Clean your environment: Thoroughly check for and remove any malware or unauthorized access that could be causing spam transmissions before requesting delisting.
• Maintain compliance: Adhere to best practices for email sending, ensuring your lists are legitimate and properly managed, as detailed in guides like why your emails are going to spam.
• Understand blocklist mechanisms: Educate yourself on how email blacklists and blocklists work to better anticipate and manage listings.