Blacklist removal helper: which lists you're on, why, and how to get off each one
In short: Checks the domain against URIBL and NordSpam and the IP against Spamhaus ZEN, Barracuda, SpamCop, PSBL and Mailspike, then gives each listing's likely cause, removal steps and delist page. Limit: The cause is what each list says it lists for; we can see the listing, not which mail triggered it.
A blacklist removal helper checks your sending domain and IP against public blocklists and, for each listing, explains what that list lists for and how it removes entries. Some lists, like SpamCop, expire on their own; others, like Barracuda and PSBL, need a request after you fix the cause. Fix first, then ask, or you are listed again.
Price: this tool is free. Checking a whole email list is from $9/mo, and the first 100 checks are free with Google, no card. See pricing
Sample result
203.0.113.25 is on PSBL, which lists senders whose mail reaches its spam traps.
- Sending IP
- 203.0.113.25
- List
- PSBL
- Likely cause
- Spam traps
What this means for you
Clean the list first, then use PSBL's self-service removal. Mail to the traps lists the IP again.
- Domain and IP lists in one check
- Likely cause for each listing
- Each list's own removal steps
- Delist links, never paid removal
- DNSBL
- Delist
- Spamhaus
By SimpleVerifier Team · Last updated
Listed for traps or bounces? How do I clean the list before I resume?
- Export the list you sent the campaign to, as a CSV.
- Upload it on the verify page; the first checks are free and nothing is sent to the addresses.
- Send only to the valid rows, and keep the invalid ones as a suppression list.
How do I get off an email blacklist?
- Enter the domain you send from. Add the sending IP if you run your own server or a dedicated IP; you can paste a Received line and the IP is picked out.
- Press Find listings and removal steps. Each list is queried live in DNS.
- For each listing, read the likely cause and fix it first: stop the campaign, clean the list, or secure the machine.
- Then follow that list's steps and use its removal page. SpamCop needs no request; it expires after reports stop.
Example
- You enter
- Domain
getnorthwind.exampleand the sending IP pasted from a Received line,Received: from mail.getnorthwind.example ([203.0.113.25]). - You get
- The IP
203.0.113.25is picked out. Listed on PSBL: likely cause spam traps (old, bought or scraped addresses), with steps to clean the list, then PSBL's self-service removal. Not listed on the other IP and domain lists that answered; Spamhaus DBL and SURBL linked to check on their own sites. - Limits
- Ten domain and ten IP checks a minute per visitor; no account.
How do I get my email out of spam and off a blacklist for free?
Find out which list it is, fix what that list measures, then use the list's own removal page; every major list's removal is free. Paying a third party to "delist" you does nothing a list's own form doesn't, and no list sells removal.
The cause matters more than the request. Trap-based lists such as PSBL and Spamhaus CSS list senders whose mail reaches addresses nobody signed up with, which usually means an old, bought or scraped list. Report-based lists such as SpamCop list IPs recipients complained about. Spamhaus XBL lists machines that are infected or hijacked. Fix the cause and the request is usually accepted; skip it and you are back on the list within days.
Which blacklists does this check?
Domains are checked against URIBL and NordSpam's DBL, which list domains seen in spam, including in links. IPs are checked against Spamhaus ZEN (SBL, CSS, XBL and PBL), Barracuda's BRBL, SpamCop, PSBL and Mailspike. Every list answered a test entry first, so "not listed" means it really answered, and a list that refused the query shows as couldn't check.
Spamhaus DBL and SURBL are linked, not queried: their free use excludes commercial services, so you check them on their own sites. The same goes for each list's terms in the blacklist check and IP blacklist check.
Is a PBL listing a spam listing?
No. Spamhaus's PBL lists address ranges that their owners say shouldn't send mail straight to other servers, such as home broadband. Being on it says nothing about your mail. Send through your provider's SMTP server, or request removal if the IP is a static one meant to run a mail server.
Who uses this tool, and for what?
- Cold emailers
- See whether a sending domain was listed after a campaign and whether the cause was the list, before buying new domains.
- IT admins
- Find which list blocks the office IP and whether it's an infected machine (XBL) or just a residential range (PBL).
- Agencies
- Give a client the exact list, cause and removal page instead of a generic "you're blacklisted" report.
What can’t this tool tell you?
- The cause is what each list says it lists for; we can see the listing, not which mail triggered it.
- Spamhaus DBL and SURBL aren't queried, because their terms exclude commercial services; check them on their sites.
- Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo use their own reputation data, which no public list shows.
- On shared IPs (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, sequencer pools) an IP listing is the provider's to fix, not yours.
Common questions
- How do I check if my email is blacklisted?
- Enter your sending domain and IP above. Each list is queried in DNS and the listings show with their cause and removal steps.
- How long does it take to get off a blacklist?
- SpamCop expires about 24 hours after reports stop. Lists with a removal form usually act on the request once the cause is fixed. Repeat listings take longer.
- Can I pay to be removed from a blacklist?
- No reputable list sells removal. Every list this helper links offers removal free on its own site.
- Why does my mail go to spam if I'm not blacklisted?
- Gmail and Microsoft mostly filter on their own reputation data, not public lists. Bounces, complaints and authentication matter more; check them with the domain burn checker.
- Does a blacklist listing affect my whole domain?
- A domain list affects every message that mentions the domain. An IP list affects mail sent from that IP, which on shared platforms is not yours to fix.
Sources
You audited one domain. Cold outreach means thousands.
This tool checks a domain you type in. It will not tell you which addresses at that domain are real.
- Bulk mailbox verification with real SMTP checks
- The email finder — name plus company to a verified address
- Website enrichment for emails, owner names and socials
Plans from $9 a month, cancel anytime, no contract. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. The free tools stay free either way.