What to do if your shared IP is on a Barracuda blacklist?

Key findings

• ESP responsibility: For shared IPs, your ESP (email service provider) is typically responsible for managing blocklist listings and submitting delisting requests to Barracuda. Engaging with your ESP first is often the most effective approach.
• Manual delisting: Barracuda often requires a specific manual delisting request process, which distinguishes it from some automated blocklists. This process requires attention to detail and understanding of Barracuda's requirements.
• Common issue: Being listed on Barracuda, especially on a shared IP, can be a common occurrence for various reasons, including broader network issues affecting multiple users on the same shared IP space.
• Immediate impact: A Barracuda listing can lead to a sudden increase in hard bounces, indicating that your emails are being rejected by recipients who use Barracuda products for spam filtering.

Key considerations

• Verify listing: Confirm your shared IP is indeed on the Barracuda Reputation Block List (BRBL) using their lookup tool before initiating any action.
• Communicate with ESP: Inform your ESP immediately about the blocklisting. They have the necessary tools and processes to handle these situations, especially for shared IP infrastructure.
• Understand the cause: While your ESP handles the delisting, try to understand if any of your sending practices contributed to the issue, even on a shared IP. This helps prevent future recurrences, as your reputation can be affected when your IP gets blocklisted.
• Monitor progress: Keep track of the delisting request with your ESP. While some delistings are quick, others may take time.

Key opinions

• Sudden impact: Many marketers observe a sudden and unexplained uptick in Barracuda listings, causing unexpected hard bounces without changes in their sending behavior.
• ESP role: There is a strong consensus that ESPs should handle Barracuda delisting requests, as they manage the shared IP infrastructure.
• Pardot-specific issues: Some marketers specifically mention experiencing Barracuda listings while using Pardot, with varying degrees of success in getting customer support to resolve the issue effectively.
• Relief upon resolution: When issues are resolved, marketers express relief, indicating the significant disruption such listings cause to their campaigns.

Key considerations

• Proactive monitoring: Even on shared IPs, marketers should regularly monitor their sending reputation and check for blocklist listings to catch issues early.
• ESP support limitations: Be prepared that some ESP customer success teams may not have the specialized deliverability expertise to quickly resolve complex blocklisting issues, sometimes necessitating escalation or external help.
• Impact of shared IPs: Understand that your deliverability on a shared IP can be affected by the sending practices of other users on that IP, making blocklistings potentially outside your direct control.
• Document communication: Maintain clear communication with your ESP, documenting when you reported the issue and their actions. This helps when you need to manage senders and identify the cause.

Refer to the Spiceworks Community for further discussions on Barracuda blocklistings.

Key opinions

• Widespread impact: Experts have noted instances where Barracuda IP blocks affect wide ranges of IPs across multiple networks, suggesting a broader filtering change or response to widespread spam.
• Theory on cause: Some theories suggest that Barracuda's algorithm may be reacting to specific types of sending behavior or network activity that trigger broad blocklistings.
• ESP role reaffirmed: The consensus among experts is that ESPs are responsible for managing the reputation of their shared IP spaces, including handling delisting requests.
• Underlying issue resolution: Before a delisting request, the underlying reason for the listing must be identified and addressed to prevent re-listing.

Key considerations

• Analysis of trends: Keep an eye on industry discussions and expert blogs for theories on why widespread blocklists like Barracuda's might occur, as this can provide context for your own situation. Word to the Wise discusses this.
• Long-term reputation: While immediate delisting is key, focus on how to recover email IP reputation and maintain good sending practices to avoid future issues.
• Deliverability expertise: If your ESP is unable to resolve the issue quickly, it might be a sign they lack the necessary deliverability expertise, requiring you to push for escalation or consider your options for improving email deliverability.
• Communication with ESP: Ensure your ESP is transparent about the root cause of the listing and the steps they are taking to resolve it, especially when it involves shared IP reputation.

Key findings

• BRBL mechanism: Barracuda maintains its own Barracuda Reputation Block List (BRBL) based on their proprietary spam detection and data feeds.
• Reasons for listing: IPs are listed due to detected spam, malicious behavior, or other actions that violate Barracuda's acceptable use policies.
• Delisting process: A formal delisting request process must be followed, typically through a web form or specific email address provided by Barracuda.
• Pre-requisite for removal: Successful delisting often requires the sender or network owner to first address the underlying issue that caused the blocklisting.

Key considerations

• Official procedures: Always follow Barracuda's official delisting instructions available on their website (Barracuda Central or Campus) to ensure the request is properly processed.
• IP address context: Understand that if your IP is part of a shared pool, the ESP is generally the entity responsible for contacting Barracuda and providing the necessary assurances. This ties into a broader understanding of how email blocklists work.
• Prevention: To prevent future listings, ensure all sending practices adhere to industry standards, including proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), which are fundamental components of email authentication.
• Timeframe: While some delistings are quick, Barracuda's documentation implies that the resolution depends on the severity and persistence of the issue, and that it may not be instantaneous.