Summary
Barracuda's email blocking, even when IPs and domains aren't on blocklists, stems from a multi-layered approach. Factors influencing this include recipient-specific settings, sender reputation (based on spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement), email content (keywords or phrases), authentication issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), intention analysis (phishing/scam detection), new IP address warming, open relays, and poor list hygiene. Sudden volume increases can also trigger blocks. It's critical to maintain a strong sender reputation, clean email lists, and ensure proper authentication.
Key findings
- Recipient-Specific Blocks: Barracuda blocking can be specific to certain recipients and their individual configurations.
- Sender Reputation is Key: Barracuda considers sender reputation, encompassing spam complaints, bounce rates, engagement, and more.
- Content Matters: Email content containing specific keywords or phrases can trigger filters.
- Authentication is Necessary: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are essential for verifying sender legitimacy.
- Intention Analysis: Barracuda analyzes content for potential phishing or scam attempts, blocking suspicious emails.
- IP Warming is Critical: New dedicated IPs require gradual warming to build reputation.
- List Hygiene is Essential: Maintaining a clean list reduces bounce rates and complaints.
- Avoid Volume Spikes: Sudden increases in volume can trigger filters to block emails.
- Open Relays: Misconfigured servers as open relays damage reputation.
Key considerations
- Contact Recipients: If possible, contact blocked recipients via alternative channels to check their settings.
- Monitor Reputation: Actively monitor your sender reputation using tools like senderbase.org and address any negative factors.
- Review Content: Carefully review email content and subject lines for potential spam triggers, adjusting as needed.
- Verify Authentication Setup: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and validated.
- Warm Up IPs Gradually: Warm up new IPs slowly to establish a positive sending history and avoid triggering filters.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email lists to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses.
- Ramp Up Volume Slowly: Avoid sending large volumes of emails from new IP addresses or domains. Slowly increase volumes.
- Secure your Email Servers: Ensure email servers are secured and aren't configured as open relays to prevent malicious activity.
- Run inbox placement tests: Using tools to run inbox placement tests to determine deliverability issues.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Emails can be blocked by Barracuda even if the sending IP address or domain is not on any blocklists. This is often due to Barracuda's reliance on a more comprehensive approach to filtering that goes beyond simple blocklist checks. Factors such as sender reputation (influenced by spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement), email content (keywords and phrases triggering filters), email authentication issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), new IP address warming, open relays, and poor list hygiene all contribute to the likelihood of an email being blocked. Gradual volume increases, not sudden spikes, are important when using a new IP.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Barracuda considers sender reputation, which is influenced by spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement metrics.
- Content Filtering: Specific keywords or phrases in email content can trigger Barracuda's content filters.
- Authentication: Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records can lead to emails being flagged as suspicious.
- IP Warming: New dedicated IP addresses require a gradual warming process to build a positive sending reputation.
- List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene practices, such as sending to invalid or old email addresses, increase bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Volume Spikes: Sudden increases in email volume from a low-volume sender can trigger blocking.
- Open Relays: Misconfigured servers acting as open relays can severely damage sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Regularly monitor your sender reputation and take steps to improve it by reducing spam complaints and bounce rates.
- Review Email Content: Carefully review email content and subject lines for potential spam triggers.
- Implement Authentication Protocols: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured to authenticate your emails.
- Warm Up New IPs: If using a new dedicated IP address, gradually warm it up by slowly increasing email volume over time.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid or old email addresses.
- Gradual Volume Increase: Avoid sudden spikes in email volume, especially when sending from a new or low-volume IP address. Increase volumes gradually
- Secure Email Servers: Ensure your email servers are not misconfigured as open relays to prevent spammers from abusing your system.
- Perform inbox placement tests: Testing the inbox placement of your emails with services that can check for deliverability issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that spammers sometimes use open relays to send emails. If your server is misconfigured as an open relay, this can dramatically hurt your reputation and result in blocking by Barracuda.
16 Jul 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora responds that high complaint rates (users marking emails as spam) can significantly damage sender reputation and lead to Barracuda blocking emails even without a formal blocklist entry. Focus on sending relevant emails to engaged subscribers.
25 Sep 2021 - Quora
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Barracuda's email blocking, even when not on a blocklist, is influenced by various factors. A recipient-specific block might be in place, warranting direct communication with the recipient to check their settings. Sender reputation, shaped by complaint rates and engagement, significantly impacts deliverability. Additionally, the content of the email and the hygiene of the mailing list play crucial roles. Simplifying the email content and using tools for troubleshooting can help pinpoint the cause of blocking.
Key opinions
- Recipient-Specific Blocks: Barracuda blocks can be specific to individual recipients, requiring them to adjust their settings.
- Sender Reputation: Barracuda considers sender reputation based on factors like complaint rates and engagement metrics, not just blocklists.
- Content Matters: The content of the email can trigger Barracuda's filters.
- List Hygiene is Crucial: A clean and engaged subscriber list minimizes spam complaints.
Key considerations
- Contact Recipients Directly: If possible, contact recipients through alternative channels to check their Barracuda settings.
- Monitor and Improve Reputation: Actively monitor and improve your sender reputation by reducing spam complaints.
- Simplify Email Content: Send simple emails with minimal formatting to test deliverability.
- Maintain a Clean List: Regularly clean your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses.
- Troubleshooting tools: Use deliverability testing tools to determine the reason for blocking.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that the Barracuda block might be specific to a particular recipient.
25 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advises sending a simple email without signatures or non-standard content to the recipient's system to test deliverability and identify potential blocking issues.
30 Mar 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Barracuda's email filtering system employs multiple methods beyond simply checking blocklists. These include content filtering, sender reputation scoring (influenced by factors beyond just blocklists), and custom rules established by the recipient's organization. Incorrect or absent SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can also trigger blocking. Furthermore, Barracuda's 'intention analysis' scans for phishing or scam-like content, potentially blocking emails even without specific keyword triggers. Reputation systems feed into these filters, meaning a low score can lead to blocking regardless of RBL status.
Key findings
- Multi-Layered Filtering: Barracuda uses content filtering, sender reputation, and custom rules, in addition to blocklists.
- Authentication Importance: Correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are crucial for email authentication.
- Reputation System Influence: Reputation systems impact filtering decisions, even if not on a specific RBL.
- Intention Analysis: Barracuda analyzes email content for potential phishing or scam characteristics.
Key considerations
- Optimize Content: Ensure email content avoids characteristics that could be flagged as phishing or spam.
- Verify Authentication: Double-check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for proper configuration.
- Improve Sending Practices: Improve sending practices to boost your sender reputation score, focusing on engagement and reducing spam complaints.
- Monitor Reputation Scores: Monitor senderbase.org and similar services for your reputation scores.
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that reputation systems like theirs feed into various filters, and even if not on a specific RBL (Realtime Blackhole List), a low reputation score can still cause blocking by systems like Barracuda.
10 Sep 2023 - Spamhaus
Technical article
Documentation from Cisco explains that senderbase.org provides reputation scores, and a low score might lead Barracuda to block emails even if the IP isn't on a direct blocklist. It recommends improving sending practices to improve the score.
15 Jun 2025 - Cisco
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