Spamhaus ZEN
zen.spamhaus.org
The most widely-used and highest-impact blacklist in existence. ZEN combines Spamhaus SBL, XBL, and PBL in a single query. A listing here will block your email with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and most major mail providers.
Spamhaus SBL
sbl.spamhaus.org — Spamhaus Block List
Lists IP addresses confirmed as sending spam or controlled by known spammers. A manual-review listing — more serious than an automated listing.
Spamhaus XBL
xbl.spamhaus.org — Exploits Block List
Lists hijacked computers, open proxies, and malware-infected systems sending spam. If listed here, your server or a device on your network may be compromised.
Spamhaus PBL
pbl.spamhaus.org — Policy Block List
Lists IP ranges that should not be sending email directly — typically residential ISP and dynamic IP ranges. Static mail server IPs can request removal. Dynamic (home internet) IPs should route through their ISP's SMTP relay.
Spamhaus DBL
dbl.spamhaus.org — Domain Block List
A domain-based blacklist that flags domain names used in spam — not IP addresses. A DBL listing means your domain itself has been flagged, affecting deliverability even if your IP is clean.
Barracuda BRBL
b.barracudacentral.org
Maintained by Barracuda Networks, one of the largest enterprise email security vendors. Widely used by corporate mail gateways worldwide. A listing here blocks email at many businesses and organizations.
SpamCop BL
bl.spamcop.net
Built from spam reports submitted by SpamCop users. IPs are listed when they generate enough reports and are automatically removed after 24 hours with no new reports. Widely used by ISPs and smaller mail providers.
Invaluement SIP
sip.invaluement.com — Sender IP Reputation
A private subscription-based blacklist focused on spam-sending IPs. SIP stands for Sender IP — it lists IPs identified as chronic spam sources. Used by mail filtering systems and hosting providers. A listing means your IP has been flagged for sending unsolicited email.
UCEProtect L1 / L2 / L3
dnsbl-1, dnsbl-2, dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
Three tiers of coverage. L1 lists individual spam-sending IPs. L2 lists entire ranges where too many IPs are sending spam. L3 lists entire ISP networks. Note: UCEProtect charges for expedited removal, which is controversial in the email industry.
SORBS
dnsbl.sorbs.net — Spam and Open Relay Blocking System
One of the oldest blacklists, covering multiple categories via sub-zones: spam senders, open relays, open proxies, dynamic ranges, and more. The combined zone is the most widely checked. Impact varies by sub-zone.
CBL / Abusix
cbl.abuseat.org — Composite Blocking List
Lists IPs detected sending spam directly, particularly from systems exhibiting botnet or malware behavior. Uses automated detection from spam traps. A listing strongly suggests your server or a network device is compromised or misconfigured.
Blocklist.de
bl.blocklist.de
A German-operated blacklist collecting attack reports from servers running fail2ban and intrusion detection systems. Lists IPs involved in brute-force attacks, SSH scanning, and automated attacks — not just email spam.
Backscatterer
ips.backscatterer.org
Lists mail servers that send backscatter — automated bounce messages sent in response to forged spam using your domain as the sender. Backscatter floods innocent third parties and is itself treated as spam.
PSBL
psbl.surriel.com — Passive Spam Block List
A conservative blacklist populated from spam trap data. Easy to get listed on (one spam to a trap = listed) but also easy to remove from — uses an automatic no-questions-asked removal system.
GBUdb Truncate
truncate.gbudb.net
GBUdb tracks the ratio of good to bad email from each IP. The Truncate zone lists IPs with an overwhelmingly bad reputation — meaning nearly all email from that IP has been identified as spam or malicious.
SpamRATS
all.spamrats.com
Focuses on IPs with no valid PTR (reverse DNS) record, dynamic IP ranges, or confirmed spam senders. Particularly relevant for mail servers without proper reverse DNS configuration.
SenderScore
bl.score.senderscore.com
Operated by Validity. SenderScore assigns a 0–100 reputation score to sending IPs. The BL zone lists IPs with scores low enough to indicate a spam source. A low score can affect deliverability with major mailbox providers even without a formal blacklist listing.
SURBL & URIBL
multi.surbl.org / multi.uribl.com
URI-based blacklists that flag domain names found inside email bodies — not the sending IP. If your domain appears in spam messages (even spam you did not send), it can be listed here, causing your emails to be filtered even with a clean sending IP.