Recover IP reputation
Isolate a damaged IP, remediate traffic quality, and warm the IP back into service.
- Difficulty:
- Advanced
- Prerequisites:
- IP inventory, Ability to shift traffic off the IP
- Last updated:
- 2026-07-15
- Author:
- empire
Objective
Recover damaged reputation
Restore deliverability after complaint spikes, trap hits, or blocklist/filter damage.
Starting state
IP-specific filtering or listings; domain may be healthier
Prerequisites
- IP inventory
- Ability to shift traffic off the IP
Estimated time
2–4 hours
Difficulty
advanced
Required access
- ESP/IP provisioning
- DNS
- blocklist/postmaster views
Inputs
- IP address
- Traffic that used the IP
- Listing evidence
Step-by-step instructions
- Drain the IPMove production traffic off the damaged IP while you investigate.
- Fix root causesRemove trap-prone cohorts and confirm PTR/HELO still align.
- Re-warm the IPReturn engaged traffic gradually using a dedicated IP warmup plan.
Verification
- Listings clear or improve; IP metrics stabilize at low volume
Common mistakes
- Putting full volume back on a still-listed IP
- Retire the IP vs rehabilitate it?
Rollback / recovery
- Keep traffic on healthier pools
Expected outcome
The IP can again carry planned volume without dragging the domain.
When to escalate
- Repeated listings after hygiene fixes