Does being on a blocklist affect Gmail deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Litmus says that ISPs use your sender reputation to decide whether to deliver your messages, block them, or send them to the spam folder. Blocklists contribute to a poor sending reputation, making it less likely your email will land in the inbox.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that a good sender reputation is vital for deliverability, and being on blocklists damages this reputation, leading to emails being filtered as spam. Maintaining a clean sending reputation is key to avoiding blocklists and ensuring email delivery.
Email marketer from GlockApps shares that being on a blocklist negatively affects your sender reputation and deliverability, leading to lower inbox placement rates. Regular monitoring of blocklist status is recommended.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that being on a blocklist is a serious threat to email deliverability. It details how these lists are used by ISPs to identify and block spam, significantly reducing the chances of emails reaching the inbox.
Marketer from Email Geeks answers that if you are having issues with multiple different blocklists you should really take a look at your sending practices. There could definitely be some underlying issues such as complaints that are impacting your reputation.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that being listed on a blocklist is a challenge for email deliverability. It directly affects the ability to reach the intended audience's inboxes, necessitating a proactive approach to avoid and resolve listings.
Email marketer from Reddit shares from personal experience that being on several minor blocklists didn't seem to have a noticeable impact on Gmail deliverability, but a listing on a major blocklist like Spamhaus could significantly decrease inbox placement.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that Gmail doesn't use UCEprotect for their filtering.
Email marketer from Sender explains that blacklists (blocklists) are real-time databases of IP addresses and domains known to send spam. Being listed hurts sender reputation, impacting deliverability by causing email servers to reject or filter messages into spam folders.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that being on a blocklist indicates that your sending practices are questionable, leading to ISPs filtering your emails into spam or blocking them entirely, negatively affecting deliverability.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that the real problem with blocklists is not the listing itself, but the fact that it is a symptom of a deliverability issue. You should review why your IP address has been listed as a problem in the first place. Getting off the blocklist should be a focus, but fixing the issue that got you there should be your main goal.
Expert from Spamresource explains that the impact of a blocklist listing on Gmail deliverability depends on the blocklist's reputation and Gmail's policies. Getting listed on a reputable blocklist like Spamhaus can significantly affect deliverability, while lesser-known blocklists might have minimal impact. Gmail considers various factors, including sender reputation and user engagement, alongside blocklist data.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the myth of “my deliverability sucks at Gmail, it must be because I’m on a blocklist” is false. It’s because your sending reputation is poor. It has very little to do with any blocklist; at BEST it is that one or more blocklists also noticed your bad reputation.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from DigitalOcean shares that getting added to a blocklist is not good for your domain or server. Blocklists can cause massive deliverability issues with your applications and email. They note to always configure reverse DNS records, set up SPF and DKIM records, avoid sending unsolicited emails, and actively monitor your domains status.
Documentation from Google explains that Gmail uses various signals to determine if an email should be delivered to the inbox, spam folder, or blocked. While it doesn't explicitly mention blocklists, it implies that a poor sending reputation, which can be influenced by blocklist status, will affect deliverability.
Documentation from MultiRBL says that getting on a DNSBL can lead to email being rejected by mail servers. This means the recipient never receives the message. A DNSBL listing makes it more difficult for the sender to reach their intended audience via email.
Documentation from Spamhaus details that their blocklists are used by ISPs and email providers to filter spam. Being listed on Spamhaus can lead to emails being blocked or sent to the spam folder, thereby reducing deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft advises that it's essential to keep your IP address off of block lists to maintain a positive reputation. They mention that getting listed on block lists is a common symptom of a larger problem with your sending practices, and actively keeping track of your IP addresses status is critical to improving deliverability.