AcuityScan

Blacklist Check

Check if your domain or mail server IP is listed on any of 80+ email blacklists. We resolve your MX records, find the actual IP addresses, and check each one against Spamhaus, Barracuda, SpamCop, SORBS, and dozens more.

80+ blacklistsIP + domain checksMX IP resolutionSpamhaus, Barracuda, SpamCop

What you get

We don't just check the domain — we resolve your actual mail server IPs and check those against every blacklist.

How the check works
1We look up your domain's MX records to find your mail servers
2We resolve the A records for each mail server to get actual IP addresses
3Each IP is checked against 77+ IP-based blacklists using DNS queries
4Your domain is also checked against 5+ domain-based blacklists (Spamhaus DBL, SURBL, URIBL)
5We validate responses — only 127.x.x.x responses count as listings (prevents false positives from dead lists)

Blacklists we check include

Spamhaus ZEN
Spamhaus SBL
Spamhaus XBL
Spamhaus PBL
Spamhaus DBL
SpamCop
Barracuda BRBL
CBL (Abuseat)
Abusix Combined
SURBL
URIBL
Mailspike
Sender Score
SORBS
SpamRats
SpamEatingMonkey
PSBL
Truncate/GBUdb
Blocklist.de
NiX Spam
+ 62 more

Why blacklist checking matters

Emails silently rejected

When you're blacklisted, your emails get rejected or sent to spam without you knowing. Customers never see your invoices, confirmations, or replies.

Reputation damage

A single blacklisting can tank your sender reputation across all providers. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all share blacklist data.

Hard to detect

You won't get a bounce-back — your email just vanishes. The only way to know is to check. Most businesses don't find out until a customer complains.

Easy to fix (if you catch it)

Most blacklists have a delisting process. But first you need to identify the root cause — compromised account, spammy content, or misconfigured server.

Accurate results — no false positives

Unlike some tools, we take extra steps to prevent false positives:

127.x.x.x validation

We only count a listing if the DNS response is in the 127.0.0.0/8 range — the DNSBL standard. Dead or re-registered blacklist domains returning real IPs are ignored.

Removed scam lists

UCEPROTECT (known extortion scheme), NJABL (dead since 2013), and other defunct lists are excluded.

No geographic blocks

We removed lists that block entire countries or IP ranges rather than actual spammers (korea.services.net, cymru bogons).

Separate IP vs domain checks

IP-based blacklists are queried with reversed IPs. Domain-based lists (Spamhaus DBL, SURBL, URIBL) are queried correctly with the domain name.

Common questions

I'm listed — what do I do?
First, identify why you were listed (compromised account, spammy content, open relay, new IP with bad history). Fix the root cause. Then visit each blacklist's website to request delisting — most have an automated removal process that takes 24-48 hours.
Which blacklists matter most?
Spamhaus is the most impactful — Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all check it. Barracuda matters for enterprise recipients. SpamCop matters for ISPs. A listing on any of these three will significantly impact your deliverability.
How often should I check?
If you send email regularly, check at least monthly. If you're sending high volumes (marketing, transactional), check weekly. With a Pro plan, we monitor daily and alert you immediately.
Why does this check my mail server IP instead of just my domain?
Most blacklists are IP-based, not domain-based. Your domain's MX records point to a mail server, which has an IP address — that's what blacklists actually check. We resolve the full chain so you get accurate results.

Related tools

Email Health Check SMTP Test DNS Lookup Reverse IP Lookup

Want the full picture?

The includes blacklist checking plus 7 other categories — DNS, SSL, performance, SEO, accessibility, privacy, and mobile.

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