- Operator
- UCEPROTECT Network
- Zone
- ips.backscatterer.org
- Lists
- IP addresses
- Status
- Active
- Severity
- Standard
- Lookup
- www.backscatterer.org
- Removal
- test/remove tool on site; auto-clears: www.backscatterer.org
- Cost
- free to wait
- Turnaround
- auto-clears after listing window
- Auto-expiry
- 4 weeks from last event
What is Backscatterer?
Backscatterer (ips.backscatterer.org), run by the UCEPROTECT network, lists IP addresses that generate backscatter: non-delivery reports, out-of-office autoresponders and sender-verification callouts sent to the forged From addresses in spam. Every such message is unsolicited mail to a victim, which is why the list exists.
The fix is on the receiving side of your own server: reject undeliverable mail during the SMTP session instead of accepting it and bouncing later, and stop autoresponders and callouts from replying to unauthenticated mail. The site's test tool shows whether the IP is listed; there is no manual removal, and entries expire four weeks after the last recorded event.
How serious is a Backscatterer listing?
Standard: a smaller footprint, used mainly as a scoring signal by some receivers. Fix the cause it points at; weigh the listing itself calmly. The lookup at www.backscatterer.org is the reference for whether you are listed today.
Why your IP got listed
What the operator lists: Misdirected bounces, autoresponders, sender callouts (backscatter).
Why there is no removal form, and how the listing clears
test/remove tool on site; auto-clears. There is no form and nobody to write to; the list rebuilds from its own observations, and an entry ages out on its own (4 weeks from last event) once the behavior it recorded stops.
- 1
Fix the cause; there is no form to fill
Misdirected bounces, autoresponders, sender callouts (backscatter). Test/remove tool on site; auto-clears.
- 2
Wait for the listing to age out
Auto-expiry: 4 weeks from last event. Typical turnaround: auto-clears after listing window. Nothing you send to the operator shortens it.
- 3
Verify with the operator's lookup
www.backscatterer.org shows the current state; receivers' caches can lag it by hours.
- 01Listing confirmedwww.backscatterer.org
- 02Fix the causeno form to fill
- 03Wait4 weeks from last event
- 04Verifyauto-clears after listing window
cost: free to wait
How long removal takes
Typical turnaround: auto-clears after listing window. Automatic expiry: 4 weeks from last event. Cost: free to wait.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get removed from Backscatterer?
There is no removal form: test/remove tool on site; auto-clears. Fix the cause and the listing clears on its own (4 weeks from last event; typically auto-clears after listing window).
How long does a Backscatterer listing last?
Automatic expiry: 4 weeks from last event. Removal turnaround: auto-clears after listing window. A listing that returns after clearing means the cause is still live.
Does Backscatterer removal cost anything?
Free to wait. No third party can remove a IP from Backscatterer faster than the operator's own process, so paid "express delisting" offers add nothing.
What does Backscatterer list?
IP addresses: Misdirected bounces, autoresponders, sender callouts (backscatter). Zones: ips.backscatterer.org.
How do I check whether I am on Backscatterer?
Use the operator's lookup at www.backscatterer.org, or the live check on this page, which queries ips.backscatterer.org directly.
Record checked against the operator's site on ; the whole set was last reviewed on . Cells that say undocumented or not found are gaps in the operator's own material, left as they are.