How effective are RBLs and blocklists for preventing spam in 2022?

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that RBLs are a good indicator of your IP/domain reputation, so monitor your RBL presence and delist as quickly as possible if listed. Also, proactively working to prevent future listings is key.

Email marketer from StackExchange highlights that RBL accuracy can vary significantly. Some RBLs are more aggressive than others, leading to false positives. Regularly monitoring your IP address across multiple RBLs is crucial.

Email marketer from MXToolbox explains that RBLs are effective for bulk spam detection, they may have limitations in detecting sophisticated, targeted attacks or rapidly changing spam tactics.

Email marketer from Snov.io shares that blocklists are still a crucial element in the email marketers toolbox for identifying bad IPs and domains, but they can be very frustrating due to false positives.

Email marketer from Reddit states that RBLs are not a perfect solution, but they are a useful tool in the fight against spam. They advise using multiple RBLs and combining them with other spam filtering techniques for best results.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that UCEPROTECT's pay for delisting is a ransom scheme.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares their biggest issues with RBLs: they don't help find the bad actor or a great sender that went off the rails. They just say "You're blocked!" without providing further information.

Email marketer from MailerQ shares that with so many blocklists available, it can be confusing which to listen to and which to ignore. Not all RBLs are of high quality and that's something to consider.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares that if you suspect your IP address has been blocklisted, you can use various online tools to check your status against multiple RBLs.

Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that while RBLs can be effective at blocking IPs or domains sending a lot of email, they also sometimes block legitimate senders. Make sure you aren't listed on one to ensure your deliverability rate remains high.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that blacklists are useful for identifying spam, but they are not always accurate and can sometimes block legitimate email. Using multiple blacklists and other spam filtering techniques is recommended.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that most blocklists are a good canary indicator but poor as direct filters, and that the primary user of blocklist feedback is senders more than ISPs.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that IP-based blacklists aren’t particularly effective at stopping spam that’s not trivially recognized by content filters and that spammers have adapted. They provide leverage to encourage good behaviour by generally well-meaning ESPs.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that blocklist professionalism should be measured by listing criteria and the communication/actions/words of those in charge, and some blocklists fail the test on both ends.

Expert from Spam Resource (Halon) explains that RBLs are becoming less effective for a number of reasons including spammers have become better at evading them.

Documentation from Proofpoint shares that while RBLs are a valuable component, advanced techniques such as machine learning, behavioral analysis, and reputation analysis are increasingly essential for effective spam filtering in today's landscape.

Documentation from Barracuda Networks responds that while RBLs are still used, they are part of a multi-layered approach including AI-powered filtering.

Documentation from SURBL.org explains that SURBLs (Spam URI Real-time Blocklists) focus on identifying websites that appear in spam messages, helping to block spam based on the links contained within the emails.

Documentation from Cisco Talos explains that maintaining a good email reputation is key to avoid getting on blocklists. Senders should focus on authenticated emails, high quality content, and clean email lists.

Documentation from Spamhaus explains that their RBLs are highly effective at identifying and blocking spam sources, significantly reducing the amount of unwanted email reaching users. They actively maintain lists of known spam senders, compromised devices, and other malicious entities.