What is a DNSBL, and why should I use it?

A DNS-based Block List or DNSBL is a means by which an Internet site may publish a list of IP addresses. It is published in a format which can be easily queried by computer programs on the Internet. As the name suggests, the technology is built on top of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). Most Mail Transfer Agents (MTA, also simply referred to as mail server) and anti-spam software can be configured to reject or flag messages which have been sent from an IP address listed by a DNSBL provider.

Sometimes incorrectly referred to as a Realtime Blackhole List or RBL, the definition of the acronym "DNSBL" varies - but all its variations are describing the same type of service for blocking network connections based on IP addresses. As well as "DNS-based Block List", DNSBL has also been known to stand for "DNS Black List" as well as "DNS Blackhole List". The term "Realtime Blackhole List" (RBL) is a registered trademark of MAPS, which is now owned by Trend Micro. Because it is a registered trademark of a service, it is not the appropriate term to use to generically refer to DNSBL providers.

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