Overview
TrackersList maintains a blacklist of trackers that are excluded from the public lists. This ensures users only receive reliable, safe, and functional trackers. The blacklist is regularly updated as part of the automated testing process.The blacklist helps maintain the quality and reliability of TrackersList by filtering out problematic trackers before they reach users.
Blacklist Categories
Trackers are blacklisted for several distinct reasons:Antivirus Detection
Flagged by antivirus software as potentially malicious
Technical Malfunction
Not responding or returning errors consistently
Fake Seeds
Artificially inflating seed/peer counts
Registered Torrents Only
Private trackers requiring registration
Administrator Request
Removed at the request of the tracker admin
Duplicate Trackers
Same tracker accessible via multiple URLs/IPs
Blacklist Statistics
As of the latest update, the blacklist contains 342 entries across various categories.Examples by Category
Detected by Antivirus Software
These trackers are flagged by antivirus software as potentially dangerous:Why are these dangerous?
Why are these dangerous?
Trackers flagged by antivirus may:
- Inject malicious scripts or ads
- Harvest user data without consent
- Redirect to phishing sites
- Distribute malware payloads
- Perform man-in-the-middle attacks
Malfunctioning Trackers
Trackers that consistently fail to respond or return errors:What causes malfunctions?
What causes malfunctions?
Common causes:
- Server down - Hosting expired or terminated
- Configuration errors - Tracker software misconfigured
- Network issues - Unreachable due to ISP blocks
- Abandoned projects - Maintainer stopped supporting it
- DDoS protection - Overly aggressive rate limiting
- SSL/TLS errors - Certificate expired or invalid
Can malfunctioning trackers return?
Can malfunctioning trackers return?
Yes! TrackersList’s automated bot continuously checks all trackers, including blacklisted ones.If a previously malfunctioning tracker:
- Starts responding correctly
- Passes health checks for multiple days
- Shows stable performance
Fake Seeds
Trackers that report false peer/seed counts:How are fake seeds detected?
How are fake seeds detected?
TrackersList’s bot detects fake seeds by:
- Cross-referencing peer counts across multiple trackers
- Testing connectivity to reported peers
- Analyzing patterns in reported statistics
- Community reports from users and other tracker operators
Administrator Requests
Trackers removed at the request of their system administrators:Tracker administrators may request removal for various legitimate reasons:
- Transitioning to a private/invite-only tracker
- Server capacity limitations
- Legal or policy concerns
- Network infrastructure changes
Registered Torrents Only
Private or semi-private trackers that only work with registered torrents:What are registered torrents?
What are registered torrents?
Some trackers only accept torrents that were:
- Created specifically for that tracker
- Registered in their database
- Associated with a user account
While these are legitimate trackers, they’re excluded from public lists because:
- They won’t work with arbitrary torrents
- They require user accounts/registration
- They’re designed for specific communities
- Adding them to random torrents wastes resources
Sample of Additional Registered Torrent Trackers
Duplicate Trackers
Multiple URLs pointing to the same tracker:How are duplicates identified?
How are duplicates identified?
TrackersList’s bot identifies duplicates by:
- IP address matching - Different domains pointing to same server
- Response fingerprinting - Identical tracker software responses
- Timing correlation - Same uptime/downtime patterns
- Administrative verification - WHOIS and DNS records
Why remove duplicates?
Why remove duplicates?
Removing duplicates:
- Reduces list size - Makes lists more manageable
- Prevents redundant connections - Clients don’t connect to the same tracker multiple times
- Improves performance - Less overhead in BitTorrent clients
- Cleaner data - Easier to analyze tracker health
Sample of Duplicate Trackers
Many popular trackers have multiple mirrors or alternate domains:Deprecation and Redirects
Some trackers are deprecated by their owners or redirect to other URLs:When a tracker redirects to a new URL, the old URL is blacklisted and the new URL is added to the active lists.
How the Blacklist is Maintained
Automated Monitoring
A bot continuously checks all known trackers (including blacklisted ones) for:
- Response time and latency
- Error rates
- Peer counts and statistics
- SSL/TLS certificate validity
Antivirus Scanning
Tracker URLs are checked against:
- Multiple antivirus engines
- Malware databases
- Community reports
- Security research feeds
Duplicate Detection
Advanced algorithms identify:
- Same IP addresses
- Identical responses
- Related infrastructure
- Known mirror relationships
Manual Review
Human moderators review:
- Community submissions
- Administrator requests
- Edge cases and exceptions
- Appeals and reinstatement requests
Requesting Blacklist Changes
Report a Bad Tracker
Found a malicious or broken tracker in the lists?Open an issue on GitHub
Request Removal
Tracker administrator wanting to be removed?Contact the maintainer with proof of ownership
Appeal a Blacklisting
Think your tracker was wrongly blacklisted?Open an issue with evidence it’s working correctly
Report a Duplicate
Found a duplicate tracker in the lists?Submit details showing they’re the same
Understanding Blacklist Comments
Each blacklist entry includes a comment explaining why it’s excluded:Blacklist Comment Types
Blacklist Comment Types
| Comment | Meaning |
|---|---|
detected by antivirus software | Flagged as malicious |
malfunction | Not responding or errors |
error | Connection or protocol errors |
fake seeds | Reporting false statistics |
requested by sysadmin | Admin requested removal |
registered torrents | Private/semi-private tracker |
duplicate of <url> | Same tracker, different URL |
deprecated by owner | Owner shut down tracker |
redirects to <url> | URL changed permanently |
detected as suspicious | Potential security concern |
Impact on Users
Better Security
Avoiding malicious trackers protects your system and data
Improved Performance
No wasted connections to broken or fake trackers
Higher Quality
Only working, reliable trackers in your client
Cleaner Lists
Shorter, more manageable tracker lists
Viewing the Full Blacklist
The complete blacklist is publicly available:blacklist.txt
View the full blacklist on GitHubUpdated daily with 342 entries and growing
Best Practices
Use Official Lists
Always use TrackersList’s curated lists instead of random tracker URLs found online
Related Resources
I2P Trackers
Anonymous network trackers
Yggdrasil Trackers
Mesh network trackers
WebTorrent
WebSocket tracker information