URIBL — Check, Delist & Monitor
Check if your domain is listed on URIBL. Domain-based URI blacklist used by SpamAssassin and content filters. Monitor your domain reputation automatically.
Impact & Usage
Widely used by SpamAssassin and content-filtering systems. Checks domains in email URIs, so listings indicate your domain appears in spam message bodies.
Typical users: SpamAssassin and other content-filtering systems that check URIs against blacklists
What Gets You Listed
Domains extracted from URIs in spam messages detected by distributed spam collection network
How to Get Delisted
- Check your domain at uribl.com/about.shtml to confirm the listing and review the lookup results.
- Investigate the source — determine whether your domain is being spoofed in spam, your website is compromised, or your legitimate emails are triggering detections.
- Address the root cause: enforce DMARC to stop spoofing, clean compromised web pages, or improve sending practices.
- URIBL listings auto-expire over several days once your domain stops appearing in spam URIs. Monitor with mxio Blacklist Check to confirm clearance.
Expected Timeline
Several days (automatic)
Auto-delist: Automatic removal when domain is no longer seen in spam; can take several days
Common Causes
- Domain spoofing in phishing or spam campaigns where attackers include links to your domain
- Compromised website hosting malicious content that gets linked in spam messages
- Affiliate or partner abuse — third parties using your domain URLs in unsolicited bulk email
- URL shortener or redirect service on your domain being abused to mask spam destinations
Prevention Tips
- Deploy DMARC with p=reject and monitor aggregate reports to detect and prevent domain spoofing
- Audit your website for compromise — malware, phishing pages, or unauthorized redirects that could land your domain in spam
- If you operate URL shorteners or redirect services, implement abuse detection and rate limiting
- Review third-party and affiliate use of your domain URLs — contractual and technical controls prevent abuse
Overview
URIBL is a domain-based URI blacklist that operates similarly to SURBL but with its own independent data collection network. It checks domains found in the URIs of email messages — if your domain appears in links inside spam, URIBL will flag it. Like SURBL, this is a content-level check, not a sender-IP check. Your domain can end up on URIBL even if you never sent a single spam message yourself.
URIBL is widely deployed. SpamAssassin includes URIBL lookups in its default configuration, and many commercial content-filtering systems reference it alongside SURBL. When both SURBL and URIBL list your domain simultaneously, the spam-scoring impact compounds — messages containing your domain URLs receive penalty points from both lists, making delivery significantly harder.
The most common cause of a URIBL listing is domain spoofing. Attackers include links to legitimate-looking domains in phishing emails, either as direct URLs or through redirect chains. If your website has been compromised and is hosting phishing pages or malware, those URLs will appear in spam and trigger URIBL detection. Less commonly, affiliates or partners may abuse your domain URLs in unsolicited bulk campaigns.
DMARC enforcement is your strongest defense against spoofing-driven listings. While DMARC controls the From header and does not directly prevent attackers from placing your URLs in message bodies, widespread DMARC rejection reduces the overall volume of fraudulent messages carrying your domain, which reduces URIBL exposure. Listings auto-expire over several days once your domain drops out of active spam streams.
Monitor Your Blacklist Status
Get alerted the moment your IP or domain appears on a blacklist. Catch listings early, before they impact deliverability.
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