Email Security: Common Triggers for Blacklisting

RBLTracker offers you the tools you need for blacklist monitoring to make sure that your email, website, and social media haven’t found their way onto RBLs, URIBLs, Safe Browsing databases, DNS filters, and social media threat exchanges. However, keeping up with the latest practices in cybersecurity can reduce your chances of showing up on blacklists in the first place. These lists are designed to help keep the web safe for everyone. However, ever-changing security norms mean that sometimes even those who play by the rules end up being listed alongside the bad actors. While RBLTracker will take care of blacklist monitoring to let you know if one of your IPs mistakenly ends up on a list, it is always easier to stay off in the first place.

Email is one area where aggressive security can mistake legitimate traffic for nefarious spam traffic. It is essential to understand the criteria that blacklists use to discern which IPs to block if we want to stay off the lists in the first place. If you want your email to continue to get where it is supposed to go, keep some of these things in mind.

List Growth

Most email lists grow gradually over time. So, if a sender suddenly begins sending at a rapidly increased volume, it may trigger as spam. Sometimes lists grow quickly for legitimate reasons but keep this trigger in mind to avoid blacklists.

Spam Complaints

Having some users report your email as spam in unavoidable. Even people who have legitimately subscribed will occasionally forget they signed up in the first place and report the email as spam. There are also instances where, when people lose interest, they report the email as spam instead of simply unsubscribing.

While you can’t avoid complaints altogether, you can reduce them. First of all, make sure you are using a legitimate list. Simply buying a list sets you up for spam complaints. If your list is genuine, don’t overdo it. Try to keep your readers interested and engaged with content that is actually valuable to them.

Poor List Hygiene

A list that receives a high bounce rate is often a trigger for blacklists that the source is a spammer. In fact, some blacklists use spam trap addresses. These are addresses known to be inactive and easily harvested online. An email to one of these addresses will show the list that you are sending to email addresses that have not opted into a list. Be sure your email lists are scrubbed of inactive email addresses to reduce your overall bounce rate and be sure to avoid spam traps.

Trigger Words

Some blacklists look for content cues to sort the good from the bad. Even if you are running a legitimate email campaign, words like “free,” “no obligation,” and others can trigger a blacklist. The overuse of capital letters and exclamation points can even get you blacklisted.

You can count on RBLTracker for blacklist monitoring on hundreds of data sources to be sure that your IP addresses have not ended up on a blacklist. In the meantime, keeping up with the latest trends in cybersecurity can keep you off them in the first place making sure your message will keep getting through to those who need to hear it.