Are all blocklists reputation-based?

Blocklists operate on different philosophies:

Evidence-based lists like Spamhaus list IPs and domains based on direct evidence of spam, spamtrap hits, or abuse reports. They react to specific incidents.

Policy-based lists like some DNSBLs list IPs for technical violations like open relays or missing rDNS, regardless of actual spam behavior.

Reputation-scoring lists aggregate multiple signals into trust scores, listing senders who fall below thresholds.

Trap network lists specifically track senders hitting their spamtrap addresses.

Understanding why you are listed helps determine remediation. An evidence-based listing requires different action than a policy violation.

Blocklists are different port authorities with different rules. Some ban ships for smuggling. Some ban ships for paperwork violations. Some ban ships for accumulated minor infractions.