Blacklist removal guide

SURBL removal: how to get delisted

SURBL does not list senders. It lists the domains found inside unwanted mail, so a listing means a link to your domain has been turning up in messages that filters classify as spam, phishing or malware. Removal goes through SURBL's own analysis page.

Published 5 min read
SURBL, at a glanceChecked
Operator
SURBL LLC
Zone
multi.surbl.org
Lists
domain names
Status
Active
Severity
Major
Removal
self-service via SURBL Analysis page: www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis
Cost
free (public zone, query-limited)
Turnaround
undocumented
Auto-expiry
undocumented
Check SURBL nowmulti.surbl.org

What is SURBL?

SURBL is a domain list queried by content filters against the URLs in a message body. Its combined zone, multi.surbl.org, answers with a bitmask: 8 for phishing (PH), 16 for malware (MW), 64 for spam abuse (ABUSE) and 128 for cracked sites (CR), summed when a domain sits in several categories. A domain gets there by appearing in mail that hit SURBL's sources, whether you sent that mail or someone else linked your site.

Because it is a domain list, the sending IP is irrelevant: a compromised website, an open redirect on your domain, or a link-shortener that spammers borrowed will all list the domain while your mail infrastructure looks fine.

What multi.surbl.org answersthe A record the zone returns for a listed query
127.0.0.8PH: Phishing site
127.0.0.16MW: Malware site
127.0.0.64ABUSE: Spam abuse
127.0.0.128CR: Cracked site
127.0.0.72Phishing + spam abuse
127.0.0.192Spam abuse + cracked site

How serious is a SURBL listing?

Major: corporate gateways and scoring filters consult this list, so a listing costs placement at a meaningful share of receivers. Clear it promptly. The lookup at www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis is the reference for whether you are listed today.

Why your domain got listed

What the operator lists: Domains used in phishing, malware, spam advertising.

How to remove your domain from SURBL

  1. 1

    Look the domain up at www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis

    The operator's own lookup shows whether the domain is listed and, where the list publishes reasons, why. Third-party checkers can lag or misread the zone.

  2. 2

    Fix the cause before you ask

    Domains used in phishing, malware, spam advertising. A removal request while the cause is live is the fastest route to a repeat listing, and repeat listings are slower to clear.

  3. 3

    Request removal at www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis

    Self-service via SURBL Analysis page. Cost: free (public zone, query-limited).

  4. 4

    Verify and watch for a return

    Typical turnaround: undocumented. Re-run the live check after that window; a listing that comes back means the source is still active.

  1. 01Look it upwww.surbl.org/surbl-analysis
  2. 02Fix the causebefore you ask
  3. 03Self-service removalwww.surbl.org/surbl-analysis
  4. 04Verifyundocumented

cost: free (public zone, query-limited)

The removal path for SURBL, from the operator's own documentation: undocumented; expiry: undocumented.

How long removal takes

Typical turnaround: undocumented. Automatic expiry: undocumented. Cost: free (public zone, query-limited).

Getting off SURBL removes a block; it does not restore the trust the providers withdrew while you were listed. If placement does not recover within a couple of weeks, the domain needs a structured re-warm, and the warmup guide for your provider has the ramp and the limits it runs against. Re-running the free blacklist checker monthly stops the next listing getting a head start.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get removed from SURBL?

Self-service via SURBL Analysis page, at www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis, after the cause is fixed. Cost: free (public zone, query-limited). Typical turnaround: undocumented.

How long does a SURBL listing last?

Automatic expiry: undocumented. Removal turnaround: undocumented. A listing that returns after clearing means the cause is still live.

Does SURBL removal cost anything?

Free (public zone, query-limited). No third party can remove a domain from SURBL faster than the operator's own process, so paid "express delisting" offers add nothing.

What does SURBL list?

Domain names: Domains used in phishing, malware, spam advertising. Zones: multi.surbl.org.

How do I check whether I am on SURBL?

Use the operator's lookup at www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis, or the live check on this page, which queries multi.surbl.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.

Sources

Every claim above that rests on a third party links to that party's own page. Checked . If something has changed since, tell us and we will correct it.