Spamhaus Intelligence API Checker
Spamhaus's proprietary reputation score, blocklist listing status, and threat tags via their Intelligence API.
Distinct from the site's Spamhaus DBL DNS-based lookup -- this queries Spamhaus's Intelligence API directly for its computed reputation score, current blocklist status, and threat tags. This is one independent signal used by the Domain Security Score, and can also be run on its own for any domain.
Based on: Spamhaus Intelligence API Documentation
About this validation
Spamhaus's proprietary domain reputation score, current blocklist listing status, and threat tags via their Intelligence API.
- Vendor documentation:
- Rules reviewed:
- Sep 5, 2026
SEOTechTests methodology: Data source: a live Spamhaus Intelligence API query (username/password login, bearer token) for this domain's computed reputation score and current-listing status. FAIL on a current listing or a notably negative score; PASS on a neutral/positive score or no data on file; UNKNOWN on an authentication or request failure. A separate, independent product from the Spamhaus DBL DNS check elsewhere on this site.
Standards and vendor-documented behavior can change. This reflects the source as last reviewed above, not a permanent guarantee.
FAQ
How is this different from the regular Spamhaus Checker on this site?
The Spamhaus Checker queries Spamhaus's DNS-based Domain Block List (a binary listed/not-listed lookup). This check instead queries Spamhaus's separate Intelligence API for a computed multi-dimension reputation score, current listing status, and threat tags -- a different product and methodology, kept as its own independent signal.
What does the reputation score mean?
Spamhaus's Intelligence API returns a numeric score where zero is neutral, a higher positive number means better reputation, and a more negative number means worse -- derived from signals across SMTP, identity, infrastructure, malware, and manual-research dimensions.
What does it mean if no reputation data is on file?
Spamhaus has never seen or scored the domain -- for most legitimate, low-traffic domains this is common and is treated as a low-confidence PASS, not a red flag.
Does a positive score guarantee a domain is safe?
No. It reflects Spamhaus's own signals up to the time of the query and can lag a very recent compromise -- treat it as one independent input alongside the site's other checks.
Why does SEOTechTests treat this as a separate signal from Spamhaus DBL?
Both ultimately come from Spamhaus, but through different infrastructure and methodology (a computed score vs. a binary DNS listing). They're kept independent rather than merged, at the cost that a domain flagged by both could, in principle, be seen as two sources by the score's multiple-detections override -- an accepted, transparent tradeoff rather than an oversight.