What are alternative words for blacklist in email marketing?

Key findings

• Preferred alternatives: The terms "blocklist" and "denylist" are widely accepted as direct replacements for "blacklist," while "allowlist" is used for "whitelist." These terms avoid potentially problematic associations.
• Context matters: The most appropriate alternative often depends on the specific context and audience. For example, internal discussions might use more technical terms, while client-facing communications might opt for simpler language.
• Industry adoption: Major industry players and technical organizations, such as Splunk and Abusix, are actively promoting and adopting these alternative terminologies in their documentation and communications. Many email service providers (ESPs) are also making this shift. Splunk's blog, for instance, delves into replacing terms like "blacklist" and "whitelist" with more neutral alternatives, highlighting a broader industry trend.
• Clarity over blocking: Some argue that "blocklist" might still imply direct blocking, whereas many of these lists merely identify suspicious sources, leaving the ultimate blocking decision to the recipient's mail server. Regardless, "blocklist" is generally considered more accurate than "blacklist."

Key considerations

• Consistency: While transitioning, it's important to maintain consistency across all communications, documentation, and tools to avoid confusion. Understanding the subtle differences between a blacklist and a blocklist can help.
• Audience understanding: Consider your audience's familiarity with email deliverability terms. While shifting to more inclusive language, ensure the meaning remains clear, especially when explaining what an email blacklist is and how it works.
• Legacy systems: Many older systems and third-party tools may still use the traditional terms. This requires a pragmatic approach to adoption, balancing new terminology with compatibility.
• Why the change?: The shift is largely driven by a desire for more inclusive language and to avoid terms that may carry negative connotations or reinforce harmful stereotypes. Abusix discusses why changing terms like "blacklist" isn't always simple, yet essential for modern communication standards.

Key opinions

• Common replacements: Many marketers quickly adopt "blocklist" and "allowlist" as the most straightforward and widely understood alternatives.
• Avoiding confusion: Some marketers suggest that terms like "naughty list" or "they think we're a spammer list" (while informal) can be effective in certain internal contexts for clear, albeit lighthearted, communication.
• Adoption by providers: The fact that major blocklist providers like Spamhaus and email service providers such as dotdigital are already using "blocklist" and "safelist" encourages widespread adoption among marketers.
• Gradual shift: Marketers acknowledge that the transition might not be instantaneous, especially with entrenched terminology, but emphasize the importance of starting the change.

Key considerations

• Understanding impact: Marketers need to grasp not just the alternative words but the actual implications of being on such a list, whether it's called a blacklist or a blocklist.
• Internal vs. external: Distinguishing between terminology for internal team discussions versus external communication with clients or industry partners is crucial for clarity. This also applies to understanding public versus private blocklists.
• Educating stakeholders: Marketers are often at the forefront of communicating deliverability issues, so they need to educate their teams and clients on the new terminology and its importance.
• Practical application: While alternative words are important, the core deliverability strategies, such as avoiding spam trigger words or managing email lists, remain paramount. Moosend offers a definitive list of spam words to avoid, underscoring the ongoing importance of content best practices.

Key opinions

• Technical accuracy: Experts prefer terms that precisely describe the technical function, such as "DNSBL" (DNS-based Blocklist) or "RBL" (Real-time Blocklist), which are more specific than generic terms.
• Industry standards: Many experts advocate for consistency with major industry bodies and open-source projects that have adopted "blocklist" and "allowlist."
• Focus on behavior: The core problem is not the name of the list, but the sender behavior (e.g., sending spam, phishing) that leads to inclusion on such a list.
• Evolving language: Experts recognize that language evolves and that adapting terminology to be more inclusive and less discriminatory is a positive step for the industry.

Key considerations

• Historical context: Understanding the history of email blacklists and blocklists helps inform the current shift in terminology.
• Technical implementation: The choice of words doesn't change how email blocklists actually function; therefore, technical understanding remains paramount.
• Global adoption: Encouraging global adoption of standardized, inclusive terms ensures smoother communication and interoperability within the email ecosystem.
• Prioritizing deliverability: Ultimately, the focus remains on core deliverability principles, such as maintaining good sender reputation and avoiding spam traps, regardless of the terminology used for the lists that identify problematic senders. Mailgun's blog offers guidance on how to fix issues if you find yourself on an email blocklist, illustrating the practical implications of these lists.

Key findings

• Standardized replacements: Technical documentation often explicitly recommends "blocklist" for blacklists and "allowlist" for whitelists to align with modern terminology standards.
• Focus on function: Documentation emphasizes the functional purpose of these lists—identifying and filtering unwanted or malicious traffic—rather than the potentially loaded terms.
• Technical definitions: Many documents provide precise technical definitions for terms like "DNS-based Blocklist" (DNSBL), detailing their operational mechanics and how they affect email flow. Understanding what a DNSBL is is crucial.
• Policy guidance: Official policy documents often incorporate the updated terminology, signaling a formal shift within organizations and their communications with users.

Key considerations

• Clarity for developers: Using consistent and unambiguous terminology in API documentation and developer guides is essential for seamless integration and correct implementation of email filtering rules.
• User experience: Clear and neutral language in user-facing documentation improves understanding and reduces potential friction or misinterpretation.
• Types of lists: Documentation often distinguishes between various types of blocklists, such as real-time blackhole lists (RBLs), providing detailed explanations of each. A thorough guide to RBLs can be very helpful.
• Continuous updates: Maintaining up-to-date documentation with current terminology is an ongoing process for technical organizations to reflect evolving industry standards. NotifyVisitors' email deliverability terminology guide provides an example of updated definitions, including for blocklists.