Passive Spam Blacklist: What Is It and How To Remove Yourself From It

What Is The Passive Spam Blacklist?

The Passive Spam Blacklist sets up spam traps to reduce the amount of spam sent on the Internet.  The blacklist may be referred to as PSBL for short.  This Blacklist allows users to easily remove themself from the list.  The main goal of the Passive Spam Blacklist is to block the hosts that send spam mail, but not the innocent users who use the same mail server.

How Does The Passive Spam Blacklist Work?

Spam traps are set up by the Passive Spam Blacklist to identify spam on the Internet.  When an IP Address gets caught in the spam trap, the IP Address gets added to the Passive Spam Blacklist.

How Can I Remove Myself From The Passive Spam Blacklist?

Luckily, the Passive Spam Blacklist allows any user to request removal.  They strive to be an easy on and easy off blacklist.  The reason they allow this is because some users are completely innocent, they just coincidentally share a server with a spammer.

To remove an IP Address from the Passive Spam Blacklist, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Passive Spam Blacklist website
2. Type in an IP Address in the designated box
3. Press “submit”

If you are an innocent IP Address, removal is usually immediate.  If the Organization recognizes your IP Address as a repeat offender, removal may take longer.

The Passive Spam Blacklist also recommends applying for whitelisting to permanently keep your mail server safe from PSBL and other blacklists.  Applications may be submitted here.

How do I reduce my risk of getting onto the Passive Spam Blacklist?

The best way to avoid getting listed on a blacklist is to engage in proper email practices such as...

• Verify all email addresses before attempting outreach
• Avoid sending unnecessary emails
• Avoid the use of spam words within your email drafts
• Keep your sending volume to a minimum (30-50 a day if your inbox has been warmed up with us for at least 30 days

Related Terms:

Blacklist: An online database that aggregates email addresses and domains that have been reported on multiple occasions to be sending out spam or malicious content to others on a large scale. These blacklists are used as a reference by mail servers in order to determine how safe it is to accept messages coming from unknown domains and addresses.

IP Address: Internet Protocol is a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network.  IP is the set of rules governing the format of data sent via the internet or local network.