How to recover a burned domain?

A burned domain has accumulated negative reputation that causes widespread filtering. Recovery is possible but challenging.

Assessment first:

Check Gmail Postmaster Tools for reputation status

Check major blocklists (Spamhaus, Barracuda, Spamcop)

Review Microsoft SNDS data if available

Identify what caused the damage

Immediate actions:

Stop all problematic sending immediately

Request delisting from any blocklists (follow their processes)

Review and clean your sending lists

Fix any technical issues (authentication, content problems)

Recovery process:

Pause cold campaigns entirely

Send only to highly engaged, opted-in recipients

Rebuild reputation slowly over weeks

Monitor metrics closely for improvement

Gradually reintroduce cold sending only when metrics recover

When to start fresh:

Severe blocklisting (especially Spamhaus DBL)

Recovery taking longer than acquiring new domain

Permanent damage from long-term abuse

Sometimes retiring a burned domain and starting fresh with better practices is more practical than recovery. A badly damaged ship may be beyond repair.