What should I do if Spamhaus blocklists my agency's IPs and domain?

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests the blocklisting means Spamhaus received emails on addresses that never subscribed, indicating a flaw in the data collection process where anyone could add someone else's email to the database.

Email marketer from EmailToolTester.com advises to proactively monitor your IP and domain on various blocklists using tools like MultiRBL or MXToolbox. Early detection allows you to address issues before they significantly impact your email deliverability.

Email marketer from Mailjet.com advises implementing a strict confirmed opt-in (COI) process to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails. Also, regularly clean email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses to reduce spam complaints.

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends using a different domain or subdomain for each client so Spamhaus can identify the specific client causing the issue, instead of blocking the agency's main domain/IP.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares their experience contacting Spamhaus, mentioning they respond helpfully via their de-listing process and offering offline help.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests contacting Spamhaus directly to request specific details about why your IP/domain was blocklisted. Request information like the From address and Subject lines of offending emails to identify the source of the problem.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests asking Spamhaus for the From address and Subject line, as this should be enough to identify the offending client(s). He also asks if the agency has an anti-spam policy, and if they enforce it.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum emphasizes setting up feedback loops (FBLs) with major ISPs to receive reports of spam complaints. Addressing these complaints promptly helps maintain a positive sender reputation.

Email marketer from NeilPatel.com recommends checking your IP and domain reputation using tools like Sender Score and ReputationAuthority. These tools help identify if your IP is associated with spam activity, which could lead to blocklisting.

Email marketer from SendGrid.com recommends gradually warming up new IP addresses by starting with low sending volumes and gradually increasing them over time. This helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

Email marketer from Litmus.com recommends regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid, inactive, or unengaged subscribers. High bounce rates and low engagement can negatively impact your sender reputation and lead to blocklisting.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce.net suggests using dedicated IP addresses instead of shared ones. A dedicated IP gives you more control over your sending reputation, as your deliverability isn't affected by the actions of other senders.

Marketer from Email Geeks states that Spamhaus robots follow links, so confirmed opt-ins via link verification can be an issue requiring strong bot management or changing the verification process. They recently experienced this issue even when only sending to COI contacts and confirmed by their engineers that the mailers flagged as spam were only meant for confirmed users. The suggested solutions are stepping up bot detection on landers and links or using multi-factor authentication (MF) on verification.

Email marketer from StackOverflow suggests that with a shared IP address, the actions of one user can affect the reputation of all users on that IP. You must work with your hosting provider to identify and resolve the issue, potentially by isolating the offending user or implementing stricter sending policies.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that you need to ensure you’re not the source of the problem. If your mail server has been hacked, that could be a source. Once your system is confirmed clear, you need to look into your customers and ensure they aren’t the problem. Be prepared to terminate problem customers.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the domain is being listed, it very likely means there is more than one sender causing the problem. If click domains are blocked, it's very likely due to spam from multiple customers.

Expert from Email Geeks states it's unlikely the problem is just one customer, and some number of customers are spamming. This needs to be dealt with to get the listing removed.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains you need both a short term and a long term strategy. Short term is getting delisted and the long term is about fixing the problem so you are not re-listed. This means fixing the issue, and preventing further issues from that point forward.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that the first thing to do is thoroughly understand the reasons behind the blocklisting. This involves reviewing the details provided by Spamhaus, identifying the source of spam activity, and taking corrective actions to prevent future occurrences. Determine which client account(s) is responsible.

Documentation from Google.com states that you should use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation, spam rates, and feedback loop complaints. This data helps identify and address issues affecting your deliverability to Gmail users.

Documentation from RFC-Editor.org explains to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails and prevent spoofing. Ensure these records are correctly configured to improve your sender reputation and email deliverability.

Documentation from Microsoft.com states you should use the Postmaster tools to monitor your sender reputation with Microsoft. Monitor your spam complaint rates and try to keep them low.

Documentation from Spamhaus.org explains the first step is to identify the listed IP address or domain using the Spamhaus Blocklist Removal Center. Then, understand the reason for the listing, which is usually due to spam activity originating from your network. The next step depends on which specific blocklist you are on.