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Our current shared hosting can't be used any longer to send email to hotmail/live accounts - presumably due to other users spamming, though none of the IP addresses are on blacklists and SenderBase gives them neutral email rep (except for a related domain, same provider). So, I need to change providers.

Is there a way to check in advance if a provider will be blocked by hotmail/live or other Microsoft services? Unfortunately our users often have hotmail accounts; we don't want to switch providers and have the same problems.

FWIW we never send out group emails - we're only replying to customer inquiries received from our website.

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  • Microsoft runs their own blacklists and can be rather difficult. They are said to run their own anti-spam filters that are wrong-headed or too sensitive. You may be able to find a host, however, you may be in the same boat again at some point regardless of the provider. You may want to consider using a e-mail host with a good reputation. That may be easier. If you are still trying to find a host, go with a high quality company with a good reputation for hosting. As well, do not use shared hosting if you can help it. Dedicated hosting is far less risky. Cheers!!
    – closetnoc
    Mar 6, 2017 at 16:09
  • "You may want to consider using a e-mail host with a good reputation." which makes no difference, they could still block it; most users don't know if a host has DKIM or SPF or whatever so standard reputation is irrelevant. Trawling hosts and then trying to work out their email sending IP's doesn't sound like fun - then there seems no way to test them; the current host looks innocuous for example. Ergo the question. Dedicated hosting is far more expensive. Can you name some hosts that have never been blocked by Microsoft? (Is that allowed here?).
    – pbhj
    Mar 6, 2017 at 17:29
  • I used to be a web host years ago before retiring and the very first registered ISP. I was also involved in ISPCon. The world has certainly change hasn't it? I do not know one host from another. Sorry. With so many servers sitting around... well... I put some of them to work. You can ask that question on our chat page here: chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/524/webmasters It is not very active, however, several people check it every couple of days and often respond. E-mail is often a thorne in the side anymore for the reasons you mentioned. Cheers!!
    – closetnoc
    Mar 7, 2017 at 2:02
  • You're better off using one of the various email sending services. It's in their interest to keep their IPs off the blacklists, and that way your web host is irrelevant, since the emails aren't sent from there.
    – Tim Fountain
    Mar 7, 2017 at 22:39
  • @TimFountain you mean like an email marketing service (like MailChimp)? The irony! So send our non-marketing emails using a marketing service to stop MS blocking them as marketing emails because the marketing service pay MS (presumably?) to not be blocked ..?
    – pbhj
    Mar 13, 2017 at 16:48

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