What is DroneBL?

Your IP just got flagged on a blocklist, but it's not because you sent a bad campaign. It's because something on your network has been quietly hijacked. That's the kind of problem DroneBL was built to catch.

DroneBL is a DNS-based blocklist focused on compromised machines rather than intentional spammers. Think bots, hijacked routers, open proxies, and devices that have been pulled into a botnet without the owner ever knowing. The name comes from the word "drone" as in a machine operating under someone else's control.

DroneBL lists things like:

• Open proxies (SOCKS, HTTP, and similar)
• Compromised routers and IoT devices
• Botnet command-and-control infrastructure
• Open DNS resolvers being abused for amplification attacks
• Machines showing bot-like behavior patterns

Its primary audience is IRC networks and mail servers that care specifically about botnet detection. The impact on standard email deliverability is low to medium. Most major mailbox providers don't rely on DroneBL directly, but some receiving servers do query it, and showing up there is still a sign that something on your infrastructure needs attention.

If you find your IP on DroneBL, the listing isn't about your content or your list hygiene. It's a security signal. You'll need to actually fix the underlying issue (patch the device, close the open relay, clean up whatever got compromised) before requesting removal. DroneBL provides a lookup and removal request form at dronebl.org/lookup, and the process requires you to show the problem is resolved, not just ask nicely.

Zone: dnsbl.dronebl.org

Not sure if your sending IP is listed anywhere? Our free blocklist checker runs your IP or domain across major blocklists in seconds. If something serious is flagged, our SOS hotline is free and we actually help you work through it.