Guides

How to remove an IP and domain from DNSBL blacklists

A DNSBL (DNS-based Blackhole List) is a blocklist of IPs and domains that mail servers use to filter spam. If your IP ends up there, messages go to spam or bounce, and the site loses trust. Fix the cause first and only then request removal, otherwise you get relisted.

1. Find which lists you are on

   Run your IP and domain through a DNSBL check and note the exact lists: Spamhaus, Barracuda, SORBS, and so on. Each has its own reason for listing and its own removal process.

2. Find and fix the cause

   Most often it is a compromised account sending spam, a vulnerable script, or an open relay. On cPanel review Email Deliverability and the mail queue, change passwords, and update your CMS and plugins.

3. Close the technical gaps in mail

   Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set correctly and the server is not an open relay. Many lists keep an IP precisely because of broken mail authentication.

4. Check neighbor reputation on a shared IP

   On shared hosting the IP can suffer because of another site on the same server. If the cause is not yours, contact the host. On TomisHost support handles it, up to changing the IP.

5. Submit a delisting request

   Go to the specific list's site (for example the Spamhaus Blocklist Removal Center), enter the IP, and send the request. Do this only after the cause is fixed and the spam has stopped.

6. Wait and do not spam repeat requests

   Some lists drop an IP automatically after a few days of clean behavior. Filing a new request every hour only annoys the operator and does not speed things up.

How to verify the result

A few hours later, run the IP through the TechGuard blacklist checker again, and every DNSBL should read clean. Also send a test message to Gmail and confirm it arrives without a spam flag.

Tip: If you do not fix the root cause of the spam, the IP returns to the list within days and the next removal takes longer.

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