Summary
The Invaluement blacklist (or blocklist) is still relevant for email deliverability, despite some perceptions that its impact might have waned. While an immediate drop in delivery rates might not always be evident in basic ESP logs, its influence extends to mailbox providers rejecting mail at the gateway or, more commonly, filtering emails directly to the spam folder. This blocklist primarily targets spammy IP addresses and domains, playing a role in the broader email filtering ecosystem.
Key findings
- Continued Usage: Several major mailbox providers and security gateways, including BT Internet, FireEye, Mimecast, and Barracuda, utilize Invaluement for email filtering. This suggests a persistent reliance on its data for spam detection.
- Dual Impact: Invaluement can lead to emails being rejected at the gateway for severe listings, or (more subtly) being accepted but filtered directly to recipients' spam folders. The latter can be harder to detect through standard ESP delivery metrics.
- Types of Lists: Invaluement operates different lists, such as ivmURI (domain-based), ivmSIP (IP-based), and ivmSIP/24 (network-based), targeting various aspects of suspicious sending behavior.
- Underreported Impact: The perceived lack of impact in some cases may stem from a misunderstanding of how email blocklists affect inbox placement. Many ESP reports only show delivered status, without distinguishing between inbox and spam folder delivery.
Key considerations
- Monitor Proactively: Even if your current metrics don't show a severe drop, consistent monitoring of your IP and domain against blocklists like Invaluement is crucial for maintaining good sender reputation.
- Beyond Delivery Rates: Look beyond simple delivery success rates and investigate inbox placement, especially if you notice engagement dips or anecdotal reports of emails going to spam.
- Removal Process: Understand the process for requesting removal if your sending infrastructure is listed, as proactive removal can prevent future issues. This is especially true when dealing with shared IP addresses.
- Comprehensive Strategy: Invaluement is one piece of the puzzle. A holistic approach to email deliverability involves managing sender reputation, content, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and list hygiene.
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TechTheftSpamhaus0SpamCiscoNoSolicitadoURIBLabuse.roALPHANETAnonmailsAscamsBLOCKEDSERVERSCalivent NetworksEFnetJustSpamKempt.netNordSpamRV-SOFT TechnologyScientific SpamSpamikazeSpamRATSSPFBLSuomispamSystem 5 HostingTeam CymruValiditywww.blocklist.de Fail2Ban-Reporting ServiceZapBL2stepback.dkFayntic ServicesORB UKtechnoirc.orgTechTheftSpamhaus0SpamCiscoNoSolicitadoURIBLabuse.roALPHANETAnonmailsAscamsBLOCKEDSERVERSCalivent NetworksEFnetJustSpamKempt.netNordSpamRV-SOFT TechnologyScientific SpamSpamikazeSpamRATSSPFBLSuomispamSystem 5 HostingTeam CymruValiditywww.blocklist.de Fail2Ban-Reporting ServiceZapBL2stepback.dkFayntic ServicesORB UKtechnoirc.orgTechTheftSpamhaus0SpamCiscoNoSolicitadoURIBLabuse.roALPHANETAnonmailsAscamsBLOCKEDSERVERSCalivent NetworksEFnetJustSpamKempt.netNordSpamRV-SOFT TechnologyScientific SpamSpamikazeSpamRATSSPFBLSuomispamSystem 5 HostingTeam CymruValiditywww.blocklist.de Fail2Ban-Reporting ServiceZapBL2stepback.dkFayntic ServicesORB UKtechnoirc.orgTechTheftSpamhaus0SpamCiscoNoSolicitadoURIBLabuse.roALPHANETAnonmailsAscamsBLOCKEDSERVERSCalivent NetworksEFnetJustSpamKempt.netNordSpamRV-SOFT TechnologyScientific SpamSpamikazeSpamRATSSPFBLSuomispamSystem 5 HostingTeam CymruValiditywww.blocklist.de Fail2Ban-Reporting ServiceZapBL2stepback.dkFayntic ServicesORB UKtechnoirc.orgTechTheftWhat email marketers say
Email marketers often focus on immediate bounce and block rates reported by their Email Service Providers (ESPs). While these metrics are important, they may not always capture the full impact of a blocklist like Invaluement, especially when emails are filtered to the spam folder rather than outright rejected. Marketers might observe seemingly high deliverability rates despite a listing, leading to questions about the blocklist's true relevance.
Key opinions
- Limited Visibility: Some marketers find it challenging to assess the impact of Invaluement based solely on ESP logs, as these logs often report success even if the email lands in the spam folder.
- Past Experience: Observations from marketers indicate that while Invaluement may have caused direct rejections by certain ISPs in the past (e.g., BT Internet as of 2017), its current impact might be more nuanced, leading to spam folder placement rather than hard bounces.
- Prioritization Challenges: Marketers may deprioritize addressing an Invaluement listing if their internal metrics show good deliverability, overlooking the potential for reduced inbox placement.
Key considerations
- Understand ESP Reporting: Be aware that an ESP's delivered status often only means the mail was accepted, not necessarily that it reached the inbox. True inbox placement requires more advanced monitoring.
- Beyond the Surface: Relying solely on high delivery rates from your ESP can give a false sense of security regarding email deliverability. Consider the impact on engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates as indicators of spam folder placement.
- Impact on Reputation: Even if Invaluement doesn't cause outright rejection for all recipients, a listing can still contribute to a degraded sender reputation with other providers.
- Address all Blocklists: It's best practice to address all active blocklist listings, regardless of perceived immediate impact, to maintain optimal email performance. You can review a comprehensive list of email blacklists here.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shared a recent experience with the Invaluement blacklist. They noted that despite seeing some of their IPs listed, their ESP's overall delivery statistics did not show any significant issues. This led them to question if the stated high impact of Invaluement (as per older documentation) was still accurate or relevant in their current deliverability context.
Email marketer from Email Geeks clarified their ESP log review after an Invaluement listing. They specifically looked for bounces or blocks related to BT Internet, a known user of Invaluement, but found none. Instead, they observed plenty of successful deliveries, which further complicated their understanding of the blacklist's actual effect.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts generally agree that Invaluement, while perhaps not as widely discussed as some other major blacklists, remains a significant factor in email filtering. They emphasize that its impact is not always a direct rejection but can also lead to emails being silently filtered to the spam folder, making its detection and resolution crucial for optimal inbox placement. Experts highlight the various types of lists Invaluement maintains and the broad range of providers that utilize its data.
Key opinions
- Persistent Relevance: Invaluement should not be ignored. Many mail providers actively use it for filtering, whether it's for outright rejection at the gateway or for routing emails to the spam folder.
- Widespread Adoption: Beyond BT Internet, a diverse group of providers, including Barracuda, Mimecast, and various regional ISPs, rely on Invaluement's data to inform their filtering decisions.
- Hidden Impact: The primary challenge in assessing Invaluement's impact is that most ESPs do not distinguish between delivery to the inbox and delivery to the spam folder. A success message in logs may still mean the email landed in spam.
- Gateway vs. Spam Folder: Some providers use Invaluement to reject mail outright at the gateway, while others, like Cox, use it as a factor for determining if mail should be placed in the spam folder without rejection.
Key considerations
- Holistic Monitoring: To truly understand deliverability, go beyond basic ESP reports. Implement solutions that monitor blacklist status and provide insights into actual inbox placement, not just delivery success.
- Proactive Management: If listed, initiate the removal process promptly. Ignoring a listing on a blocklist like Invaluement, even if its impact isn't immediately obvious, can lead to broader deliverability issues down the line.
- Understand Blacklist Types: Differentiate between IP-based (ivmSIP), domain-based (ivmURI), and network-based (ivmSIP/24) listings. Each type requires a slightly different approach to remediation and impacts deliverability in distinct ways. More information about the types of email blocklists can be found in our guides.
- Reputation is Key: Maintaining a clean sending reputation is paramount. A listing on Invaluement, regardless of direct bounces, indicates a negative signal that can affect your overall sender score with ISPs and lead to suppressed deliverability for critical email streams.
Expert from Email Geeks clarified that a wide array of service providers use Invaluement to either reject mail at the gateway or filter it to the spam folder. They listed key players such as BT Internet, FireEye, MailRoute, PenTeleData, Mimecast, Intermedia, 20i, Barracuda, Telstra Media (Bigpond), Eastlink, SpamTitan, and MailCore as actively leveraging Invaluement's data for filtering decisions.
Expert from Email Geeks strongly advised against ignoring an Invaluement listing. They emphasized that even if the immediate impact (like bounces) isn't apparent, the blocklist's continued use by numerous providers means it can still significantly affect email deliverability, particularly by increasing the likelihood of messages landing in the spam folder.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical guides generally categorize Invaluement as a relevant commercial anti-spam blacklist used by various email service providers. These sources typically detail the different lists maintained by Invaluement, such as those targeting spammy domains (ivmURI) and IP addresses (ivmSIP, ivmSIP/24). They often state that a listing can have a significant impact on deliverability by leading to email rejections or increased spam folder placement. This aligns with its stated purpose of identifying and blocking sources of unsolicited bulk email.
Key findings
- Composition: Invaluement comprises multiple commercial anti-spam blacklists, primarily ivmURI (for domains owned by spammers), ivmSIP (for spammy IP addresses), and ivmSIP/24 (for spammy network blocks). These distinctions are important for targeted remediation.
- Purpose: The service is designed to detect and list senders who attempt to circumvent traditional spam detection methods, indicating its role in identifying more persistent or sophisticated spamming behaviors.
- Stated Impact: Documentation from sources like Return Path states that Invaluement listings can have a high impact on email deliverability, often leading to rejections at the gateway.
- Usage by ISPs: Many email service providers integrate Invaluement's lists into their filtering systems to enhance spam detection and improve email filtering accuracy.
Key considerations
- Understand Listing Criteria: Familiarize yourself with what triggers a listing on Invaluement (e.g., sending to spam traps, high complaint rates, or suspicious sending patterns) to avoid future listings. You can read more about how email addresses end up on blacklists for more details.
- Removal Guidelines: Consult Invaluement's own removal instructions (e.g., for ivmSIP listings) to ensure you follow the correct procedures for delisting your IP or domain. The RackAid blog offers relevant guidance.
- Comprehensive Strategy: Adhere to industry best practices for email sending, including maintaining clean lists, sending relevant content, and ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), to minimize the risk of being listed on Invaluement or any other blocklist.
Documentation from Return Path states that the Invaluement blacklist is composed of three distinct commercial anti-spam lists. These include ivmURI, which lists domains owned by known spammers; ivmSIP, which targets spammy IP addresses; and ivmSIP/24, which focuses on spammy network blocks. Each list serves a specific purpose in identifying and mitigating different facets of spam distribution.
Documentation from Campaign Cleaner's email deliverability guide confirms that Invaluement maintains multiple blacklists that are actively used by various email service providers. They state that these lists are integrated into filtering systems to enhance overall email filtering capabilities and improve deliverability for legitimate senders, indicating their ongoing role in the industry.
