What are alternative words for blacklist in email marketing?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 8 Jun 2025
Updated 15 Aug 2025
5 min read
The term "email blacklist" has long been a staple in email marketing and cybersecurity discussions, referring to lists of IP addresses or domains identified as sources of spam or malicious content. While widely understood, the terminology is evolving.
This shift is driven by a desire for more inclusive language and precise technical definitions. Many organizations are moving away from terms that might carry unintended connotations, opting for alternatives that more accurately describe the function of these lists without relying on color-based metaphors.
For email marketers and security professionals, understanding these alternative terms is crucial for clear communication and effective deliverability management. While the functionality remains similar, adopting contemporary language ensures alignment with industry best practices.
The transition away from the term "blacklist" reflects a broader movement within the tech industry towards more neutral and descriptive language. This initiative aims to remove terms that could be seen as racially charged or exclusive.
Organisations such as Splunk and Abusix have addressed this publicly, highlighting the importance of updated terminology. For instance, Splunk's blog discusses replacing "blacklist" and "whitelist" with more neutral alternatives such as blocklist, denylist, and allowlist. Similarly, Abusix has noted the diverse set of new names emerging for blacklist alternatives.
Beyond inclusivity, the alternative terms often offer greater technical precision, which helps clarify the specific function of these lists. For example, a "blocklist" (or blacklist) explicitly describes its purpose, which is to block, or recommend for blocking, certain senders. This precision can help avoid misunderstandings about how these lists operate within the email ecosystem.
Popular alternative terms and their meanings
When discussing email deliverability and security, several alternative terms are gaining traction to replace "blacklist". The most common and widely accepted alternative is "blocklist", often paired with "allowlist" (for whitelist).
Other terms you might encounter include "denylist", "reject list", "suppression list", and "exclude list". Each carries a slightly different nuance, though they generally refer to a compilation of email addresses, domains, or IP addresses flagged for undesirable sending behavior.
These terms are used interchangeably with blacklist (or blocklist) across the industry, but blocklist is becoming the preferred term. Many email service providers and security organizations have already adopted it in their documentation and interfaces.
Older terminology
Blacklist: Historically used to denote a list of entities (IPs, domains) that are blocked or denied.
Whitelist: Signified a list of entities that are explicitly allowed or trusted.
Purpose
These terms originated from a time when email filtering was simpler and less nuanced, focusing on binary good/bad classifications.
Modern terminology
Blocklist: A list of IPs or domains known for sending unwanted email (spam, malware) that should be blocked.
Allowlist: A list of IPs or domains explicitly permitted to send email to a recipient or server.
Denylist: Similar to a blocklist, indicating entities whose access is denied.
Purpose
These terms provide more descriptive accuracy, focusing on the action of blocking or allowing rather than subjective color associations.
Impact on your email deliverability
Regardless of the terminology used, the fundamental impact on your email deliverability remains the same. Whether it's called a blacklist or a blocklist, being listed means that your emails are at a high risk of being rejected or routed directly to the spam folder by receiving mail servers.
These lists, often referred to as DNSBLs (Domain Name System Blocklists) or RBLs (Real-time Blocklists), are critical tools for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and email administrators to filter out unwanted mail. They are dynamic databases that collect and distribute information about suspicious sending IPs and domains. You can learn more about how they work in our in-depth guide to email blocklists.
Proactive blocklist monitoring and robust sender reputation management are essential to ensure your emails reach the inbox. It's about maintaining trust with mailbox providers, regardless of the terms they use for their filtering mechanisms.
Term
Description
Common Use
Blocklist
A list of IP addresses or domains identified as sources of spam or unwanted email.
Primary modern alternative to "blacklist" in email marketing.
Denylist
Similar to a blocklist, explicitly stating that certain entities are denied access.
Used interchangeably with blocklist by some organizations.
Suppression list
A list of recipients who should not receive emails, often due to unsubscribes or complaints.
Internal list for senders to maintain good sending hygiene.
Exclude list
A general term for any list of items or entities that should be excluded from an operation.
Broader term, can apply beyond email to various filtering contexts.
Adapting to the new terminology
For email marketers, adapting to the new terminology involves more than just swapping out words. It requires a thoughtful approach to ensure clarity and consistency in all communications, both internal and external. While "blacklist" might still be commonly understood, embracing terms like "blocklist" signals an alignment with evolving industry standards.
When communicating with clients, team members, or within marketing content, consistently using blocklist terminology helps reinforce the industry's progression. It also ensures that newcomers to the field learn the current preferred terms from the outset.
However, it is important to remember that not all external resources or older systems may have updated their language. Therefore, while adopting new terms, it's still prudent to be familiar with the older terminology to navigate existing content or legacy systems effectively. Understanding both will equip you to deal with various scenarios in email deliverability.
Guidance on terminology
Always strive for clarity and precision in your email marketing discussions. While "blacklist" is still commonly understood, preferring terms like "blocklist" aligns you with current industry standards and promotes more inclusive communication.
Educating your team and clients about this evolution in language can also help foster a more informed and forward-thinking approach to email security and deliverability. This proactive stance ensures everyone is on the same page regarding the nuanced definitions of these critical email lists.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Actively monitor your IP and domain against various blocklists (or blacklists) to catch any listings early and address them promptly, as detailed in our guide on the
most important email blacklists to monitor
.
Maintain strict list hygiene by regularly removing inactive or invalid email addresses to reduce bounce rates and avoid spam traps.
Common pitfalls
Overlooking the distinction between blacklists that block emails and those that merely identify spam sources, leading to confusion about deliverability issues.
Failing to update internal and external communications to reflect modern terminology, causing inconsistencies and appearing outdated.
Ignoring low-volume or less prominent blocklists, as even minor listings can sometimes impact deliverability for specific mailbox providers.
Not understanding the difference between a blacklist and a suppression list, which can lead to sending emails to opt-outs.
Expert tips
Use tools that offer comprehensive blocklist checking and monitoring to proactively manage your sender reputation.
Regularly review email engagement metrics, such as open rates and click-through rates, as declining trends can be early indicators of potential blocklist issues.
Segment your email lists based on engagement to avoid sending to unengaged recipients, which can trigger spam complaints.
Consult industry glossaries and authoritative sources to stay current with evolving email marketing terminology.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that blocked list or blocklist is what they have seen commonly used, and allow or deny are also popular terms.
2020-06-25 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that block list and safe list are good alternatives for blacklist and whitelist, respectively.
2020-06-25 - Email Geeks
Moving forward with clear communication
The language around email security and deliverability is continually evolving, with a clear trend towards more precise and inclusive terms. While "blacklist" remains common, "blocklist" and "denylist" are increasingly becoming the preferred alternatives. Embracing these new terms helps align your practices with industry standards and ensures clearer communication within the complex world of email marketing.
Spamhaus
0Spam
Cisco
NoSolicitado
URIBL
abuse.ro
ALPHANET
Anonmails
Ascams
BLOCKEDSERVERS
Calivent Networks
EFnet
JustSpam
Kempt.net
NordSpam
RV-SOFT Technology
Scientific Spam
Spamikaze
SpamRATS
SPFBL
Suomispam
System 5 Hosting
Team Cymru
Validity
www.blocklist.de Fail2Ban-Reporting Service
ZapBL
2stepback.dk
Fayntic Services
ORB UK
technoirc.org
TechTheft
Blocklist: A list of IPs or domains known for sending unwanted email (spam, malware) that should be blocked.
