Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your IP Address Delisted from Blacklists

Is your IP blacklisted? Follow this clear, actionable guide to get your IP address removed from major email blacklists and fix your deliverability issues.

First Things First: Why Your IP Is Suddenly a Problem

You’ve spent weeks building your email list, crafting the perfect subject lines, and designing beautiful email campaigns. Then — out of nowhere — your open rates drop like a rock 📉. You check your metrics. Bounce rates are up. Engagement is down. Something’s wrong.

Turns out… your IP address is on a blacklist.

Yep. One or more major providers have flagged your IP as a potential source of spam 🚫. The result? Your emails aren’t making it to the inbox — or worse, they’re not being delivered at all.

The good news? You’re not stuck. You can fix this. And in this guide, we’ll walk you through the exact steps to get your IP address delisted and back in good standing 🙌.

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Step 1: Find Out Where You’ve Been Blacklisted 🔍

The first step is knowing where the problem lies. There are dozens of blacklists out there, but a few carry more weight than others. Here are some of the big players:

• Spamhaus

• SORBS

• Barracuda

• SpamCop

• Invaluement

• MXToolbox

👉 Use MXToolbox Blacklist Checker to quickly scan your IP across multiple blacklists. It’s free, fast, and super easy.

Once you know which list(s) you’re on, you can start working on a proper fix.

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Step 2: Figure Out What Went Wrong 🤔

There’s no “random” blacklisting. If you’re on a list, it’s because something triggered it. Your job is to play detective and find the root cause.

Common Culprits:

• Sending to bad email addresses (high bounce rates)

• Spam complaints from recipients

• Sudden spikes in sending volume

• Lack of SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication

• Compromised server or hacked account

• Purchasing email lists (never do this!)

🛠️ If you're using a shared IP (common with some ESPs), the problem might not be you — but someone else on the same IP. Either way, you’ll need to take steps to clean it up.

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Step 3: Clean Up Your Act (Before You Ask for Removal) 🧼

Before reaching out to the blacklist maintainers, you need to address the issues that got you on the list in the first place.

Here’s What to Do:

✅ Clean your email list: Remove invalid emails, bounces, and inactive users. Use a verification tool to validate addresses.

✅ Check for malware or hacks: Make sure your email server hasn’t been compromised and used for sending spam.

✅ Set up proper email authentication:

• SPF – Confirms you're authorized to send emails for your domain.

• DKIM – Signs your messages so recipients know they’re legit.

• DMARC – Helps prevent spoofing and phishing attacks.

✅ Slow down your sending: If you recently scaled up your campaigns, try a warm-up process and stagger your sends.

💡 SenderWiz helps you stay compliant with SPF/DKIM, manage clean lists, and schedule emails at optimal times — all essential for keeping your IP in the clear.

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Step 4: Submit Delisting Requests ✉️

Okay, now that you’ve cleaned up the mess, it’s time to reach out to the blacklist providers and ask for forgiveness (nicely, of course).

Here’s how to get delisted from the big ones:

🛠️ Spamhaus

• Visit: https://www.spamhaus.org/lookup/

• Provide your IP and follow the instructions.

• You’ll be asked to explain what went wrong and how you fixed it.

🛠️ SORBS

• Visit: https://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml

• Submit a delisting request.

• You may need to wait a few days for a response.

🛠️ Barracuda

• Go to: https://www.barracudacentral.org/rbl/removal-request

• Submit your IP address with a short explanation.

🛠️ SpamCop

• Check listing: https://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml

• Most SpamCop listings expire in 24 hours if the problem stops. But you can still submit a manual request if needed.

📝 Pro Tip: Be polite, honest, and clear in your delisting request. Don’t get defensive. These providers are just doing their job.

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Step 5: Monitor Everything Like a Hawk 🦅

Once your IP is delisted, your work isn’t done. Now you need to stay clean. That means:

• Keeping your list fresh 🧼

• Monitoring bounce rates and complaints 🔍

• Watching your sender score 📈

• Avoiding sending to cold or purchased lists 🚫

• Using smart segmentation to keep your audience engaged 🎯

Tools to Help:

• MXToolbox – For ongoing blacklist monitoring

• Sender Score – To track your IP’s trust level

• Postmaster Tools (Gmail) – Great for insights into your domain’s health

💡 With SenderWiz, you can schedule your emails smartly, manage reply tracking, and send using different SMTP/IPs to keep your reputation intact.

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Final Thought: Stay Off the Naughty List 🎁

Getting blacklisted is frustrating — but it’s also fixable. With a little cleanup, clear communication, and smarter sending practices, you can get your IP delisted and keep it off for good.

Think of email deliverability like credit. It’s all about trust. And just like with credit, one mistake doesn’t define you — as long as you fix it and don’t repeat it.

🔥 Pro tip: Use a platform like SenderWiz to handle your SMTP rotation, campaign scheduling, list cleaning, and engagement tracking. The more control you have, the better your chances of staying in inboxes — not blacklists.