IADB Query

The IADB is the ISIPP Accreditation Database, which is our certified senders DNSRL (DNS-based reputation list). It is also known, for ease of explanation, as the ISIPP “Good Senders List” (GSL). We also offer the IADB2, which provides an aggregate score rather than a detailed granular response, and which is explained more fully below. There is no charge (and never will be any charge) to query or transfer the IADB.

IADB Good Senders List Query Instructions

The ISIPP Accreditation Database is an in-addr prefix style DNS list which resides at iadb.isipp.com. Note that a query to the IADB can return more than one response for any given listing; each response reveals one particular unique data point. For example 127.0.0.1 means that the site is listed in the IADB, and 127.3.100.10 means that all mailing list email coming from that IP address is built with confirmed (double) opt-in. Thus for a site which is listed in the IADB and uses 100% confirmed opt-in to build their mailing lists, a query will return “127.0.0.1; 127.3.100.10”, providing the querying site with the very specific information that the site is listed in IADB, and that they only use confirmed (double) opt-in, never single opt-in or opt-out. A return of “127.0.0.1; 127.3.100.200” would indicate that the only email coming from that IP address is one-to-one or transactional email, and that no bulk email is sent from that IP address.

This level of granularity allows querying sites to make decisions based on precise information regarding a listing in the IADB. (For sites which prefer an aggregate score, we offer the IADB2.)

When queried, the IADB will return one or more records for any IP address which is listed in the IADB. A sample of these data response codes is as follows (for a full list of the IADB Data Response Codes see here.)

127.0.0.1 Listed in IADB
127.0.1.255 Vouched listing
127.2.255.1 Publishes SPF record
127.2.255.102 Participates in ReturnPath/Validity’s Bonded Sender program
127.3.100.7 All mailing list mail is opt-in
127.3.100.8 All mailing list mail is at least opt-in, and has confirmed (double) opt-in mechanism available, used less than 50% of the time
127.3.100.9 All mailing list mail is at least opt-in, and has confirmed (double) opt-in mechanism available, used more than 50% of the time
127.3.100.10 All mailing list mail is confirmed (double) opt-in
127.3.100.100 The only email which comes from this IP address is mailing list email, and that mailing list email is entirely confirmed (double) opt-in
127.3.100.200 The only email which comes from this IP address is one-to-one or transactional email. No bulk email is sent from this IP address

Thus, a sample query, let’s say for 3.136.248.200, would return the following:

3.136.248.200 is on the Good Senders List and has the following entries:

127.0.0.1 present in the IADB
127.0.0.2 present in the IADB
127.0.1.255 vouched
127.2.255.1 Publishes SPF record
127.2.255.2 Publishes Microsoft “Sender I.D.” and / or SPF
127.2.255.3 Publishes Domain Keys or the newer DKIM record
127.2.255.4 Publishes rDNS
127.3.100.10 All mailing list mail is confirmed (double) opt-in

ISIPP also offers receivers the option of receiving one “aggregated data point response” rather than the individual data point returns described here. This is particularly useful to large ISPs looking to make email delivery handling decisions. For more information about the aggregate return, see the section below on “IADB2”.

The level of granularity provided by IADB allows querying sites to make decisions based on precise information regarding a listing in the IADB.

A detailed explanation of the full set of data response codes is available here. ISIPP SuretyMail also accepts recommendations for other data response codes which would be useful in addition to those listed. If you would like to suggest a data point return which would be useful to email receivers, please email your suggestion support@suretymail.com

In addition, although not required, IADB listees may choose to include “X-IADB-IP:” and
“X-IADB-IP-REVERSE:” headers in the email they send (followed by the sending IP address, and sending IP address reversed, respectively). This provides a notice to receiving systems that a) the IP address in the X-IADB header should match the sending IP address, and b) the sending IP address and additional information about the sender can be found in IADB.

IADB2

The IADB2 contains the same database data as IADB, however its responses are presented as an aggregate data point return ‘score’, rather than individual data point returns. Where IADB will tell the user that a given listed site is, for example, a vouched listing, and will also tell the user that the site publishes an SPF record, the IADB2 will return one single response which provides a weighted aggregate IADB score.

IADB2 allows large receivers to do a lookup, get a single-record return, and say, for example, “do X with email from any IP which returns a .30 or greater at the end of the record” (such as “accept”), and “do Y with email from any IP which returns anything smaller than .20” (such as, say, do a DNSBL check), or whatever they want to do, based on whatever “score” they decide is appropriate. The IADB2 aggregated response codes can be found here.

IADB provides the same information but with a greater degree of granularity and specificity about each bit of data, which is more useful to some sites and spam filter programs, such as Spam Assassin.

WADB

ISIPP also offers the WADB, the Withdrawn Accreditation Database. This is a list of IP addresses which were once listed in the IADB, but have violated our criteria to the point of being removed, and listed in the WADB. Note that there is rarely anyone listed in the WADB, as our criteria to apply for certification is very strict.

It is free to query all of the IADB, IADB2, and WADB.