What is RepCheck?
RepCheck is an email blacklist monitoring service that constantly evaluates the
reputation of your IP addresses and website domains with over 200 of the Internet's blacklists.
By using RepCheck, you can identify potential email delivery issues before you send your mailing.
What are Blacklists?
Blacklists are lists of Internet IP addresses and domain names accused of sending
spam or violating email security standards. Many ISPs and
email administrators will block, bounce, or destroy messages using blacklists.
They are managed by a variety of organizations and individuals, each of whom have different
criteria for adding IP addresses or domains to their lists.
Which Blacklists does RepCheck monitor?
There are over 200 blacklists in existance today—all of which are monitored by RepCheck.
Some of the most prominent ones are SpamCop,
Spamhaus, and SORBS.
Does TowerData maintain a Blacklist?
TowerData does not maintain any blacklists itself. We only monitor and report on them.
How did I get on a Blacklist?
There are numerous reasons why you may have been placed upon a blacklist. A recipient of one of your emails (or one from the same Domain or ISP) most likely reported you to a blacklist administrator. Listings are often arbitrary and unfounded, and following best practices for opt-in email is not a guarantee you won't be listed. A single complaint from a person who forgot he signed up to receive email from you could result in thousands of blocked messages.
RepCheck will immediately let you know if you've been put on a blacklist.
How do I get off a Blacklist?
Fortunately, the most commonly used blacklists have established methods for removal or will de-list you after a period of time. For time-based lists such as SpamCop, avoid sending mail during the time you're listed. For others, follow the instructions provided by the list administrator. There are some lists where it is almost impossible to get removed, but generally these are minor lists that would not impact your mailings.
RepCheck provides instructions on how to be removed from any blacklists you're on.
Why should I monitor my domain?
Domains, like IP addresses, can be put on blacklists. Email administrators may block
your messages simply based upon your domain name, whether it's in the header or
the body of the email. In addition, the setup of your domain can greatly impact your
ability to deliver email.
The domain tests provided in RepCheck will provide continuous checks of your domains and their setup
to help ensure your messages reach their destination.
What domain tests does RepCheck perform?
RepCheck will perform a series of tests on the setup of your domains. These tests will:
- Verify that there is a MX record for every domain.
- Confirm that the MX records use hostnames.
- Validate your hostnames to see if they are properly formatted.
- Examine your MX records to make sure they use public IP addresses.
- Check that the MX records do not use CNAMES.
- Determine if there are duplicate MX records.
- Test that the hostnames provided by your MX records can be resolved back and forth correctly.
If any of these tests fail, your email may not be accepted by its destination.
By using RepCheck, you'll have the peace of mind knowing that you, your system
administrator, or your email service provider, didn't make a mistake in setting
up your domains.
Why is Reverse DNS for my IPs important?
Reverse DNS (rDNS) is a method of resolving an IP address into a domain name, just as the domain name system (DNS) resolves domain names into associated IP addresses. Testing for reverse DNS is a common spam filter. Here's how it works: Typically, a spammer uses an invalid IP address, one that doesn't match the domain name. A receiving mail system can thus use a reverse DNS lookup program to compare the IP addresses of incoming messages to a DNS database. If no valid name is found to match the IP address, the server blocks that message.
Most ISPs will reject email from IP addresses that do not have reverse DNS setup. For example,
see AOL's
email delivery standards. RepCheck ensures that every IP address your mailing
from has reverse DNS, and that it properly matches the sending domain.
How does RepCheck work?
Provide us with the IP addresses of your mail servers and a list of your domain names,
and we'll verify that they are setup properly to send email,
and we'll actively monitor over 200 blacklists for their presence. If your
IP address or domain is blacklisted, you'll receive an email notifying you of
which lists you are on along with a link to instructions on how to get removed.
Additionally, we will notify you if there are any problems with the setup of
your domains or IP addresses.
With the notifications provided by RepCheck, you can avoid
sending email at a time when it won't get through to your
subscribers.
I send email through an Email Service Provider. Can I use RepCheck?
Yes you can! Typically, if you're using an Email Service Provider (ESP), the IP address your
email is sent from is shared with other companies. Your IP can easily become blacklisted
because of the mailing practices of someone else, and RepCheck is an easy way to verify your IP
address hasn't been compromised. Even if you have a dedicated IP, you never know when someone
on your list will make a complaint that puts you on a blacklist.
By using RepCheck, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing your IP is clean.
When will I know I'm blacklisted?
RepCheck works continuously to monitor the status of your IPs and domains, and it
will send you an email notification as soon as it detects a change in
status of one your IPs or domains. Changes in status include a new listing on a blacklist,
removal from a blacklist, or a change in configuration monitored by the domain tests.
In addition, RepCheck delivers a status update on either a weekly or daily basis, as you wish.
How much does RepCheck cost?
RepCheck is purchased as a 3 month or annual subscription. To see our pricing plans,
click here. To maximize your email delivery, try using RepCheck in conjunction
with
Content Consultant—the industry's leading email content evaluation solution,
guaranteed to increase the deliverability of your email marketing. Register for
both and ask about our bundle pricing!
How do I start using RepCheck?
RepCheck is easy to use.
Register here for a 30 day free trial, or contact us to become a paid subscriber.
Start monitoring your IP addresses and domains today!
