How do I request removal from Spamhaus?

You've just discovered your IP or domain is on Spamhaus. Your emails are hitting spam folders or getting rejected outright, and now you need to know how to get off the list. Here's the honest walkthrough.

Before you do anything, understand that Spamhaus runs several different lists. The SBL (Spamhaus Block List) is for domains and IPs tied to spam operations. The XBL (Exploits Block List) covers compromised IPs sending spam without the owner's knowledge. The PBL (Policy Block List) is for IPs that should never send email directly (think residential or dynamic IPs). Each list has its own removal path, so knowing which one you're on changes what you do next.

Step 1: Look up your listing. Go to spamhaus.org/lookup and enter your IP address or domain. The result page will tell you which list you're on, why you were listed, and what your removal options are. Read this page carefully. The reason matters more than the listing itself.

Step 2: Fix the problem first. This is the part people skip, and it's why they end up relisted a week later. If spam came from a compromised account, lock it down and audit your infrastructure. If you were sending to purchased or unverified lists, stop. If your authentication was missing or broken, set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before you touch anything else. Spamhaus will ask what you fixed. If your answer is "nothing yet", the request goes nowhere.

Step 3: Choose your removal path. After the lookup, Spamhaus will show you one of two options.

For self-service removal, there's a direct removal link on the lookup result page. This is available for PBL listings and some first-time XBL listings. Click it, confirm a few details, and the removal usually takes effect within minutes to a few hours. It's straightforward as long as you've actually fixed what caused the listing.

For manual removal requests (common for SBL listings), you'll fill out a contact form. This is where honesty pays off. Explain clearly what happened, what you've done to fix it, and what you're doing to prevent it from happening again. Don't blame your ESP, don't minimize the issue, and don't copy-paste a generic apology. Spamhaus reviewers read hundreds of these. A specific, honest explanation with real evidence of change will always outperform a polished non-answer.

Timeline expectations: Self-service PBL removals can happen within hours. Manual SBL reviews can take a few days to a week. If you're waiting on a manual review, don't send a follow-up request the next day. That slows things down and signals impatience, not good faith.

One thing worth knowing: repeat listings are harder to remove. If you've been on Spamhaus before, they'll know, and your request will get more scrutiny. That's not a wall, but it does mean your evidence of change needs to be more concrete, not just a promise.

Now if you're not sure what caused the listing in the first place, check out how to identify the root cause before you submit any removal request. Submitting without understanding what went wrong is one of the most common reasons requests get denied.

If this is an active emergency and emails aren't getting through right now, our SOS hotline is free. We won't pitch you anything. We'll just help you figure out what actually happened and what to do next.