Domain listed on the Spamhaus Domain Blocklist (DBL)

What’s actually happening

Mail referencing your domain bounces with a DBL rejection, even when you send from a clean IP - the DBL lists the domain in the message body or envelope, not the sending IP. Some spam filters drop the mail silently. The listing follows the domain across every server it's used on, so switching mail providers changes nothing.

Common causes

• The site was hacked and is hosting or redirecting to spam/malware URLs that show up in spam Spamhaus traps
• Your domain appears as a link inside spam campaigns (sometimes sent by someone else, sometimes a forwarder/affiliate abusing it)
• A compromised shared host put your domain on the same reputation footing as bad neighbors, or a URL shortener/redirect on your domain is being abused
• Abused subdomain or wildcard DNS spinning up spammy hostnames
• An expired domain you bought carrying a bad history from its previous owner

How to fix it

1. Look up the exact listing reasonGo to Spamhaus' IP & Domain Reputation Checker (check.spamhaus.org) and query the domain. The result names which Spamhaus dataset listed it and gives context. Don't guess - the fix differs for a hacked site versus a domain spammed by a third party.
2. Remove the abuse and confirm the site is cleanIf hacked, find and delete injected redirects/spam pages (check .htaccess, CMS files, open redirect endpoints, and any /go/ or /url? handlers). Scan the document root server-side. Audit DNS for rogue subdomains. Spamhaus rejects delisting requests when the cause is still live.
3. Stop outbound campaigns until cleanPause marketing/transactional blasts that reference the domain. Continued sending while listed deepens the reputation hit and can re-trigger a listing right after delisting.
4. Request removal through the Reputation CheckerFrom the same check.spamhaus.org lookup, follow the removal instructions the form returns. If it can't auto-process, use the built-in Ticketing Center to communicate with Spamhaus. Don't submit repeatedly - excessive removal abuse gets the requester blocked.
5. Wait for propagationApproved removals clear on Spamhaus' side within minutes, but downstream filters caching DNSBL results can lag up to ~24 hours before mail flows normally again.