Overview
The Kempt blocklist lists IP addresses that send spam through an open relay or to Kempt spam traps. The Kempt blocklist aims to quickly identify and list new hosts sending spam. Older and well-known open relays and spam sources are listed by other blocklists. Also, spam messages are not identified by their content to help reduce false positives.
- Listings occur at the IP address level.
- The impact on deliverability is generally low.
Reasons for getting listed
IP addresses are listed for:
- Sending spam through an open relay
- Sending email to Kempt’s pristine spam traps
- A system infected with malware and sending spam
How to get off this blocklist
This blocklist automatically removes IP addresses after 24 hours. Subsequent listings of the same IP address for each new offense are usually listed for longer periods of time.
You can ask for an IP address to be removed by sending an email to bl-remove@kempt.net. In the email you need to:
- Identify the IP address
- List all known blocked messages
- List the times and sender email addresses (return-path) for each known blocked message
- Mention the steps taken to fix the problem
- Mention the steps taken to prevent the problem from recurring
- Ask for additional information about the listing so you can identify the cause
If you don’t provide this information, Kempt will most likely ignore your request.
Tips for staying off this list
- Make sure your servers are not configured for open relays
- Don’t purchase email lists
- Don’t use list harvesting techniques such as web scraping or spambots
- Use opt-in or confirmed opt-in permission methods for all new subscribers
- Consistently use list hygiene best practices
- Run security scans consistently on your systems to ensure they are not infected with malware used to send spam
