Your emails are bouncing, and the bounce message points to Abusix. That means the receiving server checked your IP address or domain against our blocklists and found a listing.
Don’t panic. A listing means we have seen evidence of a problem, but that problem is rarely intentional, and it can usually be fixed quickly. This guide explains what a blocklist lookup is, what delisting means, and exactly how to get delisted from an Abusix list.
What is a blocklist lookup?
A blocklist lookup tells you whether an IP address or domain appears on a blocklist.
Many mail servers query DNS-based blocklists (DNSBLs) every time another server connects. If the connecting IP address or a domain in the message is listed, the mail can be rejected before it is delivered.
The Abusix Lookup & Delist service shows you whether you are listed on any Abusix Mail (formerly known as Guardian Mail) blocklist, which list it is, and what that means.
What is delisting?
Delisting is the removal of an IP address or domain from a blocklist once the problem behind the listing has been fixed.
The order matters. If you request a delisting before fixing the cause, the same problem will be detected again; you will be relisted, and it will take longer to delist the next time.
Why you might be listed
These are the most common causes we see:
- Compromised user accounts or services sending spam.
- Infected computers or devices on your network.
- Sign-up forms without confirmed opt-in or bot protection allow automated tools to add addresses to your lists.
- Broken or missing bounce and engagement handling.
- Purchased lists or email appending services.
- Sending to old addresses you have not interacted with for more than two years.
If you don’t run your own mail server, the listed IP address most likely belongs to your email, hosting, or internet provider. Their servers are shared by many customers, so one customer’s spam can affect everyone on that IP address.
Which Abusix list are you on?
The lookup result tells you which list includes your IP address or domain. What you need to do depends on the list:
- Policy list: Covers IP addresses that should not send mail directly to other mail servers, such as home broadband connections. This does not affect normal email use; you only need to request delisting if you run your own mail server at that address.
- Spam or exploit list: We have seen spam or malicious activity from this address. Fix the cause first, then request a delisting.
- Authentication list: We have seen activity suggesting a device on this address, or behind it on a shared connection, is compromised. Run a malware scan on all connected devices, update firmware, and check your Wi-Fi security.
- Welcome list: This is good news. Welcome lists contain trusted senders, so there is nothing to remove.
How to delist at Abusix: step by step
- Look up your IP address or domain on the Lookup & Delist page.
- Check that it is your system. If you are not a mail administrator, contact your IT team or your email provider. They manage the server and can fix it.
- Find and fix the cause. Mail administrators should check their logs for large queues, rate-limited users, and users sending unusually high volumes. Delete any queued spam. Here’s how to check if your server is sending spam.
- Sign in or create a free account. We ask you to confirm your email address because anonymous delisting requests attracted a lot of abuse.
- Request the delisting by selecting “Remove from list”.
Need help finding the problem?
Contact us through live chat or at [email protected]. We are happy to share the evidence behind a listing and help you find and fix the issue.
For mail operators using Abusix Mail
If you use Abusix Mail to reject messages, use the rejection text we provide, including the delisting link. That way, legitimate senders who are caught by a listing can find out why and fix it themselves, without contacting your support team.
