Guide
How to investigate reputation problems
Identify blacklist listings, reputation signals, and their impact on client email deliverability.
The situation
A domain or IP listed on a blacklist can cause significant deliverability problems. Understanding which blacklists matter and why the listing happened is essential before requesting removal.
Before you begin
For agencies: Blacklist listings often reflect a real sending problem. Before requesting removal, confirm the root cause — otherwise the listing will recur.
The operational path
The goal isn't just to find the error. The goal is to move from detection to a verified infrastructure state.
What could have caused this?
Cause
What changed
Possible impact
Spam complaints
Recipients marked messages as spam
Reputation damage, potential blacklisting
High bounce rate
Sending to invalid addresses
ISP reputation signals, blacklist risk
Sending without authentication
SPF/DKIM/DMARC not configured
Messages treated as suspicious
Compromised account
Unauthorized sending from the domain
Spam sent at volume — blacklist likely
Step by step
Not all blacklists have the same impact. A listing on Spamhaus is significantly more consequential than a minor one.
What to check
With Infraova
Infraova monitors blacklist status across multiple lists and tiers — surfacing listings by severity.
Removal without fixing the root cause leads to re-listing.
What to check
Address whatever caused the listing before requesting removal.
What to check
After fixing the cause, submit a removal request.
What to check
Expected result: The blacklist check passes. Monitor for re-listing over the following days.
You decide. Infraova executes.
Infraova can propose and execute an approved infrastructure change, but it does not independently decide to modify client infrastructure. Every proposed change requires explicit authorization before execution.
Key takeaway
Blacklist removal without fixing the root cause is temporary. Always investigate why the listing happened and fix the sending problem before requesting removal.
Turn this playbook into a continuous workflow
Without Infraova
With Infraova
The guide teaches you how to solve the problem once. Infraova keeps watching for it after you're done.
Continue the playbook
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Stop discovering infrastructure problems manually.
Infraova continuously monitors your client and business infrastructure, identifies meaningful problems, proposes the next action, executes approved changes, and verifies the result.