A blacklisted domain is deleterious to your domain flipping potential to the effect that a blacklisted domain name compromises the integrity of your domain and subsequently affects the reviews therein.
A domain name can be blacklisted for various reasons ranging from technical reasons such as errors from DNS records or server misconfigurations, evidence-based reasons such as the availability of supporting evidence showing that the domain is involved in spam or illegal sites, and reasons to do with policies such as association with a blacklisted internet service provider in a given region. Also, frequent spam complaints associated with a domain name can lead to blacklisting.
This checklist provides a guide for checking domain blacklists, as well as steps in preventing domain blacklists and requesting removal from blacklists.
Part 1 – Checking for Domain Blacklist
1 Consider using blacklist checker tools such as MXToolbox to perform a blacklist check
2 Check out the location of your domain for mapping
3 Check whether the DNS resolves properly
4 Leverage the DNS lookup tool to verify your records and authenticate your domain
5 Check whether the domain shares similar IP with spammers
Part 2 – Resolving Problem Sources
6 Request for a DNS report to analyze the source of the problem
7 Check that the domain host or website is pinged
8 Analyze your domain against safe browsing lists
9 Check that the SSL certificate for the domain is secure and authenticated
10 Resolve your domain’s IP address
11 Consider adding DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to your domain
Part 3 – Delisting from a Blacklist
12 Check that the underlying issue has been resolved
13 Consider conducting a manual self-service removal
14 Reach out to the blacklist provider and request a removal
15 Use automated options offered by domain hosts to delist
16 Consider automating domain checks to identify problems
Notes:
- Blacklist checker tool options in the market include Spamhaus, Sender Score, MX Toolbox, and UltraTools.
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