IP Address Blacklist Check | Check Blacklists for Your IP
Use this tool to check an IP address against the most common blacklist databases. If you believe a blacklist or blocklist wrongfully added your IP address or mail server, use this test. This test helps you confirm and determine what to do next.
What is a blacklist check?
If you Google "blacklist check," you'll get a variety of results. You'll find tools from the MX blacklist lookup to RBL lookups that provide blacklisted domains. But an IP address blacklist check, or IP address blocklist check, is essentially an IP reputation check. The procedure shows if a URL or IP address entered aligns with a domain name server blacklist (DNSBL).
The check verifies whether an IP address has been listed in a database. These databases contain known malicious or spamming IP addresses. This check helps identify potential security threats, prevent email issues, and maintain a good online reputation.
There are dozens of DNSBLs online, all using different criteria for listing and delisting addresses. However, the DNSBLs consider any IP addresses that exist on the lists a source of spam. This results in blocking those addresses and their inability to send emails.
Spam filters utilize various DNSBLs to verify that incoming emails do not come from blacklisted sites. This would be a red flag. These domain name server blocklists are generally the first line of defense against IPs or domains sending spam.
However, in some cases, the domain blacklist database adds addresses that don’t send spam. Users can utilize the free blacklist IP checker to find if the database wrongfully blocked their IP address.
What is an IP address blacklist?
An IP address blacklist is a list that filters out malicious or risky IP addresses and keeps them in one accessible place. Some blacklists contain individual IPs that have proven to be threats, while others contain IP ranges instead. There are different types of IP blacklists that focus on various cybercrime, such as spreading malware or sending spam.
While these blacklists are maintained by different organizations as entities, they're all shared online. Any user or company can then view the blacklists to identify offenders and filter out the bad IPs from the good.
If an IP links to malicious or suspicious activity, it goes on a blacklist. This is helpful in protecting other users and preventing cybercrime. However, it can also cause issues if a user or IP wrongfully went on the list.
How do IP address blacklists work?
Several different online entities maintain IP blacklists or blocklists. When an IP sends spam or participates in malicious online activities, it goes on a list. These are then used by web servers, email servers, and other applications to monitor and block potentially harmful IPs.
IP assignments change over time. Therefore, the entities who run the blacklists regularly update them to add new IPs and remove IPs that no longer pose a threat online.
How do I check if my IP is blacklisted?
Check blacklists for your IP address by entering the address into the tool above. If you don't know your IP address, the What's My IP address homepage shows you your IP address and its details. It also lets you conveniently copy and paste your IP into this tool to run a scan.
The IP blacklist checker tool will search IP blacklist sites and report a table of various blacklists. It lists the block status of each of your server IP addresses.
Domain name blacklists don’t notify users when their IP address goes on a blocklist. Users need to check name blacklists to find their status.
Therefore, blacklist checks are essential. They help users, mail servers, or businesses who believe that they have a blacklisted IP address. If your IP is blocked, you'll show up on the list. Using the tool above is the easiest way to check for blocked IPs.
How do I get my IP off a blacklist?
Even if someone added your IP to an IP address blacklist, you can still do an IP blocklist removal online. To fix a blacklisted IP address, first make sure that your network is free of malware. Databases sometimes blocklist IPs for infections users aren’t even aware of.
If your network is clean, find the list that blacklisted your IP address and contact them directly for removal. After you make the request, check the blacklists again later to see if your IP remains on the list.
Each blocklist handles IP removal requests differently. You can't do a removal online, and unfortunately, databases can choose whether or not to honor requests. However, making a removal request still serves as the best method for clearing your IP address or mail server IP from the blocklist. If you’re an email system administrator with a blacklisted server, you need to work with the various DNSBLs that list you.
What causes IP blacklisting?
Blocklists add IP addresses for many reasons. The intention is to protect other websites and users from dangerous IP addresses. However, sometimes blocklists wrongfully list other IPs on the list. Then, a user who hasn't done anything wrong will see their address in an IP block lookup.
You may do a blacklist check online and find your own IP on a blacklist. A blacklist typically adds an IP for the following reasons:
- The IP appears to be the source of spam messaging
- The IP associates with a website containing risky or dangerous content
- Your device has a malware infection, which then could spread to other devices on the network
- You accessed the dark web or other illegal trading sources with the IP
Why should you perform an IP address blacklist check?
Performing an IP address blacklist check is helpful if you find that you aren't able to access certain websites. As an alternative, it helps if you have trouble doing basic tasks online, like sending emails. Though a blacklisted IP may not be the cause, it's worth checking into.
Sometimes, the person who previously had your IP used it for malicious activities or to spread spam. If this is the case, your IP may be blacklisted without your knowledge.
In situations like these, performing an IP address blacklist check can help you figure out what's wrong and resolve the issues.
Additionally, if you're a website owner, you can perform an IP address blacklist check for problem users. If you find you're having trouble with a certain user sending spam or violating rules, run a check. The results will let you know if the IP is consistently causing issues for other servers and sites.
Blacklisting websites for spam protection
As mentioned above, domain name server blocklists are the primary defense against spam. They block IP addresses believed to be spam accounts.
However, there are also spam uniform resource identifier blocklists (SURBLs) that serve as backup defenses. These blacklists note websites that appear in unsolicited emails. However, not all email spam filters have the capacity to use them.
Spam filters that can utilize the SURBLs scan the body text of emails. They extract any website addresses present and check them against blacklists. If the server finds an address, it flags the message as spam and handles it accordingly.
Since both methods filter spam differently, they are most effective when combined. Unfortunately, as spammers become more clever, no method is capable of catching every spam message. Users must be vigilant in checking their own inboxes and educating themselves on how to avoid email scams.
Reporting IP blacklisting by analyzing email headers
It's useful to learn how to analyze email headers using an email header analyzer tool. These tools inspect and return a sender's IP address. If you receive spam messages or experience harassment online via email, use the analyzer tool. You can inspect the email header and report the address to the anti-spam blacklists.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my IP is blacklisted?
To check if your IP exists on a blacklist, use the IP blacklist check tool above. It assesses common blacklists and lets you know if your IP has a place on any of them.
Why would an ISP or hosting provider blocklist an IP address?
An IP can go on a blacklist for a variety of reasons. However, the blacklist placement usually occurs because an IP behaved maliciously or associated with a virus or other malware.
How do I unblock my IP from the blacklist?
To remove your IP from a blacklist, contact the blacklist. Directly request a removal or evaluation of your placement.
Can I check if my IP is blacklisted for free?
Yes, you can check if your IP exists on a blacklist for free using the tool above.