Coates IT & Network Solutions

Email Blacklists

You may have heard the terms "blacklist" used in reference to email and wondered what it means. [The same term is used in reference to websites in some situations, but this article refers specifically to email blacklists.] Here we will provide a simple breakdown of what you need to know and how these lists affect you in both business and personal email matters.

A blacklist is a collection of email addresses, websites, and IP addresses that have been designated as senders of spam.

• If your email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , the website associated with it is smithjones.com, and the IP address is a numerical reference associated with your website (for example, 74.125.67.104 is an IP address for Google.com). Generally, you are unaware of your IP address because it is handled in the background.
• Recall that SPAM refers to unsolicited or unwanted email messages.

There are several major blacklists maintained as universal reference. These lists are used as references by which to filter email. Email providers also allow you to block certain email addresses, creating your own personal blacklist. Depending on what type of email server you use for your work email and your personal email address(es), you may have a few or many messages automatically sent to a folder called "Spam" or "Bulk" or "Junk." The blacklists are the basis for such filtering.

Most of us do not need to worry about being blacklisted because our daily email practices do nothing to raise a red flag. There are a few practices to avoid to make sure your emails are not raising suspicion:

1. Keep the subjects of your emails simple and to the point. Avoid phrases that relate to money, particulary those that sound like you're selling something. Do not use the word "Spam." Use G-rated language only.
2. Don't send spam. Don't spam for personal gain. Don't spam as a favor for someone else. Just don't do it.
3. Don't send emails to large chains of people. That doesn't mean there's a problem with sending a picture of your adorable baby nephew to a dozen friends. It means don't send a sale advertisement to 500 or 5,000 people.
4. Use common sense. If you would be suspicious upon receiving a certain email, don't send it.

If you have been placed on a blacklist, you will likely have some emails you send "bounced" back to you (returned because they have been rejected).To check your blacklist status, use a website like Debouncer or ask Coates IT for advice. If you discover you have been blacklisted then (1) if the email address in question is a work email address, speak to your supervisor or network administrator to see how they would like the situation handled or (2) if the email address is a personal account, look into contacting the blacklist database(s) that has/have blacklisted you in order to request removal. This may require emails, phone calls, or further efforts, depending on the situation. Again, feel free to contact Coates for advice if you feel that you are in this situation.