Why did UCEPROTECT listings drop for SparkPost and Sendgrid?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks believes that the policy reversal is what happened, and confirms they did not pay to be removed.
Email marketer from Reddit r/emailmarketing suggests that UCEPROTECT may have quietly adjusted its policies regarding ASN listings due to increasing pressure from larger ESPs.
Email marketer from Webmaster World Forums speculates the drop is likely due to either SparkPost and Sendgrid cleaning up their act by resolving spam issues, UCEPROTECT changing their listing criteria, or a combination of both.
Email marketer from EmailMarketingTips.net suggests that the drop may be attributed to SparkPost and Sendgrid implementing stricter policies against spam and improving their overall email marketing practices, leading to a cleaner IP reputation.
Email marketer from EmailGeeksUnited.com points out that some blacklists operate on a 'pay-to-delist' model, and while not explicitly stated, it's possible ESPs negotiated or paid to be removed or to change listing thresholds.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that while UCEPROTECT listings seem to have dropped for Sendgrid IPs, they don't consider it a significant impact due to UCEPROTECT's "Pay to get delisted" practices.
Email marketer from EmailBlacklistCentral.org suggests that some blacklists, including UCEPROTECT, are considered less reliable due to their listing policies, and ESPs may have engaged in negotiations or taken actions that influenced their listings.
Email marketer from EmailDeliverability.com explains that consistently practicing good email hygiene, like removing inactive users and implementing stricter signup verification, can lead to better IP reputation and fewer blacklist appearances.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks mentions there's an auto timeout and word from mailop suggests UCEPROTECT changed the way they were listing level3 and it's possible they reverted to the old level3 algorithm.
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests UCEPROTECT operates with questionable practices, mentioning that their methods and motivations are often unclear, implying that changes in listings could be due to internal policy adjustments or external pressures.
Expert from Email Geeks states that paying UCEPROTECT only mitigates the listing temporarily. Getting hit by the same spamtrap will result in a relisting.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Sendgrid outlines that they actively combat spam and abuse on their platform which includes working to improve IP reputation - this could lead to fewer UCEPROTECT listings.
Documentation from ietf.org explains that improved email authentication practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) by SparkPost and Sendgrid would lead to reduced spam and thus decrease listing on blacklists like UCEPROTECT.
Documentation from UCEPROTECT Website explains delisting can occur automatically after a certain period of clean behavior or after manual review if issues have been resolved. They also state they are constantly refining their listing algorithms.
Documentation from SparkPost highlights their proactive measures in monitoring and managing IP reputation, including actively working to remove compromised accounts and prevent spam, which could lead to fewer UCEPROTECT listings.