Is Your Domain Blacklisted? How to Check and Recover Your Reputation
Published: 29 Jun, 2025

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Introduction

Imagine spending weeks or even months building a website, launching email campaigns, and growing your online presence—only to discover that none of your emails are getting delivered or your site is mysteriously inaccessible to some users. What could be the culprit? In many cases, it’s a domain or IP blacklist issue.

Being blacklisted can cause significant problems, especially if your business relies on email communication, search engine visibility, or customer trust. The good news is that identifying and resolving a blacklist issue isn’t as complex as it sounds—especially when you know what to look for.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn:

  • What domain blacklisting is

  • How it happens

  • How to check if your domain or IP is blacklisted

  • What steps to take to remove yourself from a blacklist

  • How to prevent it from happening again

Whether you’re a website owner, email marketer, SEO expert, or IT admin, this article will give you the tools and insights to protect your domain reputation.

What Does It Mean to Be Blacklisted?

When your domain or server IP is “blacklisted,” it means that your domain or IP address has been flagged and added to one or more public or private databases used by service providers (such as email providers, firewalls, and search engines) to block spam, phishing, or malicious activity.

If you’re on a blacklist:

  • Your emails may never reach inboxes

  • Your website might be flagged or inaccessible to users

  • Your reputation in SEO, security, or deliverability could suffer

Blacklists are used as a security measure, but being listed doesn’t always mean you did something wrong. It could be due to a misconfigured server, shared hosting abuse, outdated software, or even malicious activity from a hacked site.

Common Causes of Domain Blacklisting

1. Sending Spam Emails

If your domain is sending unsolicited or bulk email—intentionally or due to malware—email providers may flag it as spam and blacklist it.

2. Hacked Website

Hackers often inject malicious scripts into websites. If your domain is found distributing malware or redirecting users, blacklisting can follow.

3. Shared Hosting Issues

Sharing a server with other websites? If another domain on the same IP gets blacklisted, your site can be collateral damage.

4. Open Email Relays or Ports

Unprotected SMTP servers or open ports can allow attackers to send spam from your domain without you even knowing.

5. Poor Email Authentication

Lack of SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records can make your domain a target for spoofing, which in turn leads to blacklisting.

How to Check If Your Domain Is Blacklisted

The first step is to use a trusted blacklist checking tool. One of the easiest and fastest ways is to use the Seox Blocklist Lookup Tool.

How to Use It:

  1. Visit the tool at Seox.xyz/blocklist-lookup

  2. Enter your domain name or server IP

  3. Click “Check”

  4. Review the list of major blocklists to see if your domain appears

Seox checks your domain or IP against multiple DNS-based blacklists (DNSBL), including:

  • Spamhaus

  • SURBL

  • SORBS

  • UCEPROTECT

  • Barracuda

  • McAfee

  • Google Safe Browsing

Other Tools You Can Use

In addition to Seox, here are other services that offer blacklist checks:

  • MXToolbox (mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx)

  • DNSBL.info

  • Google Search Console (Security Issues tab)

  • Talos Intelligence (Cisco reputation checker)

Always verify using more than one tool to ensure accuracy.

What Happens If You’re Blacklisted?

If a check reveals that your domain or IP is blacklisted, here’s what you might experience:

  • Your email open and delivery rates plummet

  • Website traffic drops due to security warnings

  • Search engines might de-index or demote your site

  • Some antivirus software may block access entirely

It’s critical to act quickly—especially if email is a key part of your business operations.

What to Do If Your Domain Is Blacklisted

Step 1: Identify the Reason

Start by analyzing:

  • Recent activity on your domain (large email campaigns, DNS changes, plugin updates)

  • Any security breaches, spam spikes, or reports from your users

  • Server logs and mail delivery errors

Step 2: Clean Up the Problem

If you’re sending spam—stop immediately. Check for malware, change passwords, scan for vulnerabilities, and remove malicious files.

If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, make sure:

  • All themes and plugins are updated

  • You’ve installed a security plugin (like Wordfence or Sucuri)

  • Your admin panel is not publicly exposed

Step 3: Configure Proper Email Authentication

Set up or review your:

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record

  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)

These prevent spoofing and reassure email providers that you’re a legitimate sender.

Step 4: Request Delisting

Visit the website of the blacklist provider where you’re listed. They often provide a form or process to request removal.

You may need to:

  • Explain what happened

  • Prove that the issue is fixed

  • Agree to prevent future incidents

It may take a few hours to several days to be removed depending on the blacklist authority.

Step 5: Monitor Regularly

After delisting, keep checking every few weeks to ensure you don’t get blacklisted again. Also, keep an eye on email bounce rates and delivery performance.

How to Prevent Future Blacklisting

  • Use a dedicated IP for your mail server

  • Limit the number of emails sent per hour/day

  • Never buy or rent email lists

  • Use double opt-in forms for email signups

  • Avoid using spammy language in email subject lines

  • Regularly scan your site for malware

  • Maintain strong email security protocols

Also, enable notifications in your hosting or DNS service provider to get real-time alerts if suspicious activity is detected.

How Blacklisting Affects SEO and Business Performance

Being blacklisted doesn’t just hurt your email campaigns. It can affect:

  • SEO: If Google flags your site as dangerous, it can be removed from search results or get a "This site may harm your computer" warning.

  • Customer Trust: Visitors who see warnings about your domain may never return.

  • Ad Campaigns: Some ad networks refuse to work with blacklisted domains.

  • Transactional Emails: Password resets, order confirmations, or notifications may never arrive, damaging user experience.

That’s why proactive reputation management is just as important as performance optimization or content creation.

FAQs

How do I know if my domain is blacklisted?
Use tools like the Seox Blocklist Lookup or MXToolbox to check if your domain or IP appears on major blacklists.

Can a domain be blacklisted by mistake?
Yes. Shared hosting, outdated plugins, or spoofed email traffic can result in false positives.

How long does it take to be removed from a blacklist?
It varies. Some services remove you within hours; others take several days or require manual review.

Will changing my IP solve the problem?
Temporarily, yes. But if the root issue remains, the new IP could also be blacklisted in the future.

What if I ignore the blacklist?
You’ll likely face continued email delivery issues, poor SEO performance, and reduced credibilityConclusion

Being blacklisted can feel like a nightmare—but it's not the end of the world. With the right tools, clear steps, and proactive monitoring, you can recover your domain's reputation and restore service quickly.

The key is awareness. Use tools like Seox Blocklist Lookup to regularly check your domain status. Combine that with good security practices, verified email protocols, and responsible mailing behavior, and you'll significantly reduce the risk of future issues.

Your domain name is one of your most valuable digital assets. Treat it with care, and you’ll keep your reputation—and your business—safe.