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Getting Started

IP Blacklist Checker

The IP Blacklist Checker scans your server IP addresses against 80+ known email blacklist databases in real time. This helps you catch deliverability problems before they impact your campaigns.

How to Check IPs

Single IP Check

  1. Open IP Blacklist Checker from the home screen
  2. Enter a single IP address in the input field
  3. Click Check
  4. Results stream in live as each blacklist database is queried — no waiting for all results to finish

Bulk IP Check

Enter multiple IP addresses (one per line) to check them all at once. Each IP gets its own collapsible result card so you can quickly scan through them.

Server Group Check

If you have servers managed in PMTAcore (via Cloud Manager or SSH Manager), you can check all IPs grouped by server. Results are organized under server name headers, making it easy to see which IPs on each server are clean or listed.

Understanding Results

For each IP address, every blacklist returns one of three statuses:

  • ✅ Clean — Not listed on this blacklist (green)
  • ❌ Listed — Found on this blacklist (red) — the blacklist name is shown
  • ⏱ Timeout — The blacklist server didn't respond in time

A progress bar shows how many blacklists have been checked out of the total. Single IP checks auto-expand the result card. Bulk checks start collapsed so you can focus on problem IPs.

What to Do If You're Blacklisted

  1. Identify the blacklist — Note which blacklist(s) your IP appears on
  2. Visit the blacklist website — Most blacklists have a self-service delisting form
  3. Investigate the cause — Common reasons include:
    • Sending to spam traps or purchased lists
    • High bounce rates from unvalidated email lists
    • Compromised server sending spam
    • Sending without proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  4. Fix the issue first — Requesting delisting without fixing the root cause will just get you re-listed
  5. Request removal — Submit a delisting request through the blacklist's website
  6. Re-check — Run the checker again after a few hours to confirm removal

Best Practices

  • Check your IPs before launching campaigns — don't send from a blacklisted IP
  • Run regular checks on all your sending IPs to catch listings early
  • Always validate your email lists with the Email Validator before sending to reduce bounces
  • Make sure your DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are properly configured — misconfigured authentication is a common cause of blacklisting
  • Use the SMTP Tester to verify your server is sending correctly before scaling up
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