How do I deal with a Suomispam blacklist listing affecting my email deliverability?

Summary

Dealing with a Suomispam blacklist listing effectively requires a multi-faceted approach. Initially, assess the actual impact on your deliverability by monitoring metrics. Understand that Suomispam's own FAQ suggests they don't recommend email filtering based solely on DNSBL IP lookups and that they primarily target spamvertised sites. Recognize the varying influence of different blacklists; some may have minimal impact. Actively monitor your IP and domain reputation across various blacklists. Proactively manage your sender reputation by implementing email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), practicing list hygiene through email validation and segmentation, and monitoring feedback loops. Contact Suomispam directly for delisting, but anticipate potential challenges. Ultimately, focus on resolving underlying spam issues and maintaining good sending practices.

Key findings

  • Impact Assessment: Determine the actual impact of the Suomispam listing on email deliverability before taking action.
  • Suomispam's Focus: Suomispam primarily targets spamvertised sites, and delisting requires resolving the reason for the listing.
  • Unequal Blacklists: Different blacklists have varying impacts on deliverability, requiring prioritization based on influence.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Use monitoring tools to regularly check IP and domain reputation across multiple blacklists.
  • Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to enhance authentication and signal legitimate sending practices.
  • List Hygiene: Employ email validation and segmentation techniques to maintain list quality and minimize bounces and spam complaints.
  • Underlying Issues: Identify and resolve any underlying spam issues or poor sending practices that may have led to the blacklisting.

Key considerations

  • Blacklist Irrelevance: Recognize that some blacklists may have minimal impact on deliverability, requiring careful prioritization of remediation efforts.
  • Authentication Complexity: Ensure correct configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for effective email authentication.
  • Delisting Difficulty: Be prepared for a potentially challenging or lengthy delisting process with Suomispam.
  • Proactive Approach: Implement proactive monitoring and automated alerts to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
  • Sender Responsibility: Assume responsibility for monitoring blacklists and addressing issues to protect sender reputation.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

Dealing with a Suomispam blacklist listing involves several key steps. First, assess if the listing is actually impacting your deliverability by monitoring bounce rates and engagement. If the impact is minimal, prioritize other deliverability factors. If impactful, contact Suomispam to understand the reason for the listing and the delisting process, keeping in mind this may be difficult. Proactively manage your sender reputation by using email validation, segmentation, setting up authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitoring your reputation through tools, and understanding that not all blacklists carry the same weight.

Key opinions

  • Assess Impact: Determine if the Suomispam listing is actually affecting deliverability by monitoring bounce rates and engagement metrics.
  • Contact Suomispam: Reach out to Suomispam to understand the reason for the listing and the steps for delisting, noting the process may be challenging.
  • Monitor Reputation: Use reputation monitoring tools to regularly check your IP and domain reputation across various blacklists.
  • Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to improve authentication and signal legitimate sending practices.
  • Segmentation & Validation: Segment your contact lists and use email validation services to minimize bounces and spam complaints.

Key considerations

  • Blacklist Impact: Not all blacklists have the same impact on deliverability. Prioritize addressing listings that significantly affect your sending reputation.
  • Underlying Issues: Address any underlying spam issues or poor sending practices that may have led to the blacklisting.
  • Proactive Approach: Take a proactive approach to sender reputation management by consistently monitoring your metrics and addressing any issues promptly.
  • Delisting Difficulty: Be aware that delisting from Suomispam may be a difficult or lengthy process, requiring persistence and cooperation.
  • Sender Reputation: Focus on sender reputation, it is the senders responsibility to monitor blacklists, to understand their impact and to take action when appropriate. Ignoring blacklists is at your own peril.
Marketer view

Email marketer from TalosIntelligence explains that you can check your reputation to get insights into your email sending reputation, find out if your IP address or domain has been blacklisted.

August 2024 - TalosIntelligence
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares their experience dealing with Suomispam, noting they found them to be unreasonable and that listings do not expire.

July 2022 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

Dealing with a Suomispam blacklist requires understanding the specifics of their policies and the actual impact on your delivery. Suomispam's own FAQ suggests they don't recommend filtering based on simple DNSBL lookups. While some blacklists can be ignored, it's crucial to monitor them and understand their potential effect. Blacklists are not created equal, but as a sender, you are responsible for understanding the impact of a listing and taking action if necessary. Certain blacklists may affect a subset of senders, so assessment is vital.

Key opinions

  • Suomispam's Policy: Suomispam's FAQ advises against email filtering based solely on DNSBL lookups of sender domain IPs.
  • Blacklist Variety: Blacklists differ in their criteria and impact on deliverability; not all are equally important.
  • Sender Responsibility: Senders are responsible for monitoring blacklists, understanding their impact, and taking appropriate action.
  • UCEProtect Exception: While UCEProtect is often ignorable, it can affect delivery for certain senders.

Key considerations

  • Impact Assessment: Determine if the Suomispam listing is genuinely affecting your mail delivery before taking action.
  • Spamvertising Focus: Suomispam delists spamvertised sites when the reason for listing is resolved.
  • Contextual Understanding: Understand the policies and criteria of each blacklist before attempting removal or modifying sending practices.
  • Continuous Monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring of your IP and domain reputation to identify blacklist listings and potential deliverability issues.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that for most senders they can ignore UCEProtect, but there is a subset of senders for whom they actually affect delivery and RIPE are investigating changing using them as one of two reference lists.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares Suomispam's FAQ which states that they do not suggest anyone perform email filtering based on DNSBL lookups on the IP the senders domain resolves to, and that the reason for the listing must go away to delist spamvertized sites.

January 2023 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
6Technical articles

Addressing a blacklist listing involves understanding the specific delisting process for each blacklist, focusing on resolving the underlying spam issues that caused the listing. Maintaining a good sending reputation is critical, which includes implementing email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), practicing list hygiene, and monitoring feedback loops. Proper setup and use of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are essential for preventing spoofing and vouching for email authenticity, ultimately providing a policy for handling unauthenticated email.

Key findings

  • Delisting Process: Each blacklist has a specific process for delisting, typically requiring the identification and resolution of the underlying spam issues.
  • Good Sending Practices: Maintaining good sending practices, including list hygiene and feedback loop monitoring, is crucial for preventing blacklisting.
  • Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating emails, preventing spoofing, and improving sender reputation.
  • SPF Details: SPF records help prevent email spoofing by specifying which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
  • DKIM Details: DKIM records associate a domain name with an email message, vouching for its authenticity and integrity.
  • DMARC Details: DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide policy for handling unauthenticated email, helping to protect against phishing and spoofing attacks.

Key considerations

  • Identify Spam Issues: Thoroughly investigate and resolve any underlying spam issues or poor sending practices that may have led to the blacklisting.
  • Authentication Setup: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured and validated to maximize their effectiveness.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Implement proactive monitoring of your sending reputation and feedback loops to identify and address potential issues before they lead to blacklisting.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean and maintain your email lists to remove invalid or unengaged recipients, reducing the risk of bounces and spam complaints.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC details how to setup and the best practices for SPF records and what they are used for in the email sending process. This is a method to prevent email spoofing.

June 2021 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from BarracudaCentral outlines their listing criteria and removal process. It highlights the importance of maintaining good sending practices and provides a form for requesting delisting after addressing the identified issues.

January 2024 - BarracudaCentral