How to Apply to AOL's Feedback Loop

AOL Feedback Loop Background

AOL operates one of the original email feedback loops. After registering your email server's sending IP address(es) with AOL, they'll forward copies of spam complaints to you. Spam complaints gets generated when AOL subscribers reports a message as being spam. These spam complaints may have some information, like the subscriber's email address redacted.

For more information about what an email feedback loop is, and why you would want to set one up, please see Email Feedback Loops. If you'd like to see details on applying for additional feedback loops, please see the How to Apply for Feedback Loops document.

Prerequisites

AOL requires you to provide the following information during the feedback loop application process. The contact related information is used by AOL if they wish to contact you about the feedback loop. These communications usually take place via email:

1. Name - either your name, or the name of the person that AOL should contact if they have any questions about the feedback loop application
2. Phone number
3. Contact's email address - this can be, but doesn't have to be the same as the feedback loop email address
4. A list of IP addresses that you wish to register. AOL will send you spam complaints for email that originates from these IP addresses. This list should only consist of IPv4 addresses. AOL does not support the registration of IPv6 addresses.
5. Confirmation email address. This should be abuse@, postmaster@, or domain-adm@ the reverse DNS domain, or a parent of the reverse DNS domain for each IP address. AOL uses this address to confirm that you are authorized to create the feedback loop registration.
6. Feedback loop email address - the email address that AOL will send spam complaints to. We recommend that you either not have a spam filer in place for this address, or if you do, that you whitelist the address that AOL sends complaints from. As of 2015-10-07, AOL sends spam complaints from [email protected]. AOL requires that this address either be at the same domain as the confirmation email address, or at a subdomain of it. For example, if your confirmation email address is [email protected], then [email protected], and [email protected] would both be acceptable to AOL.

You may also wish to have a method for automatically processing spam complaints.

How to Apply

Here's how to apply for the AOL feedback loop:

1. Go to AOL's feedback loop application page
2. Fill in your name, phone number, email address, and feedback loop email address. In the "Feedback Loop Request" dropdown menu, select "Create New FBL", then click "Next":

   

3. Select a confirmation email address. You must be able to receive email at this address in order to complete the feedback loop application process. AOL will send a confirmation email to this address which will contain a link that must be clicked to enable your feedback loop registration:

   

4. Enter the IP address(es) that you wish to register, fill in the captcha, then click "Submit Ticket".
5. You should receive two emails within a few minutes. One is simply a confirmation that AOL received the feedback loop application. The other email contains a confirmation link which must be clicked to continue the feedback loop registration process. The confirmation email is set to the confirmation email address that was provided earlier. Click the confirmation link.
6. Wait for AOL to process the feedback loop application. This normally takes a few hours. Once the application has been processed, AOL will send you a follow up email, letting you know whether the feedback loop application has been approved or denied.