This is the current published policy. See all policies in our Legal Center.
Adaptive Web Hosting — Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
Effective Date: January 1, 2025
Last Updated: November 7, 2026
> Changes on November 7, 2026: the policy is reorganised under headings and the link to its latest version is fixed; the rules themselves are unchanged. On November 7, 2026, Section 2.4 now asks you to include _spf.adaptivewebhosting.com in your SPF record; it covers only our customer mail servers.
This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") forms part of the Adaptive Web Hosting Terms & Conditions ("TOS") and applies to all users of Adaptive Web Hosting's infrastructure and services, including web hosting, email, domain registration, databases, and control panel access.
By using our services, you agree to comply fully with this AUP. Violations may result in account suspension, service termination, or legal action, with or without notice or refund.
1. Prohibited Activities
1.1 Illegal Conduct
You may not use Adaptive's services to:
- Violate any applicable law or regulation.
- Facilitate or engage in illegal activities such as fraud, identity theft, money laundering, or the unauthorized sale of goods or services.
1.2 Unsolicited Communications and Spam
- No spam or bulk email is allowed.
- You may not use our systems to send marketing, commercial, or mass communication without prior, verifiable consent (confirmed opt-in).
- All messages must contain a functional unsubscribe mechanism and valid sender identity.
1.3 Network Abuse and Security Violations
Prohibited actions include:
- Unauthorized access or scanning of any system, server, or account.
- DDoS attacks, traffic floods, or packet manipulation.
- Use of malware, spyware, rootkits, or any malicious code.
- Exploiting vulnerabilities in your own or others' software.
1.4 Impersonation and Fraud
You may not:
- Impersonate individuals, organizations, or Adaptive staff.
- Forge headers, spoof domains, or use deceptive IPs or emails.
- Register accounts under false identities or with fraudulent data.
1.5 Content Restrictions
Hosting or transmitting the following is strictly prohibited:
- Copyrighted or trademarked content without proper authorization.
- Protected Health Information (PHI) without HIPAA-compliant infrastructure.
- Child exploitation, pornography, terrorist materials, or hate content.
- Defamatory, misleading, or "fake news" content.
- Confidential data of others without consent.
1.6 Prohibited Services and Technologies
You may not:
- Host or operate cryptocurrency miners, crypto exchanges, faucets, or airdrop schemes.
- Stream audio or video (live or on-demand) from shared or reseller hosting plans.
- Run torrent portals, file dump sites, warez mirrors, or peer-to-peer services.
- Operate VPN services, proxy gateways, or email relays.
1.7 High-Risk Usage
Hosting high-risk applications (medical, nuclear, air traffic control, etc.) is not permitted without explicit, written approval from Adaptive.
2. Email Usage Policy
Email services provided through Adaptive (for example, SmarterMail) are for legitimate, authenticated personal or business use only.
2.1 Prohibited Email Practices
- No unsolicited commercial email (UCE), spam, or marketing messages.
- No bulk mail using generic inboxes or scripts.
- No use of Adaptive systems to promote scams, malware, or phishing.
- No relaying through third-party servers or use of catch-all configurations to receive junk mail.
2.2 Mailing List Compliance
All mailing list use must follow these rules:
- Confirmed double opt-in is mandatory.
- A clear, functioning unsubscribe link is required in every message.
- A valid sender identity and contact address must be included.
- Use of third-party tools (for example, Mailchimp or SendGrid) is required for bulk campaigns.
- Sending mass emails directly via SmarterMail or shared accounts is strictly prohibited.
2.3 Email Sending Limits
- No more than 250 unique recipients per mailbox per day.
- No automated scripts or CMS-based mailers for campaigns (for example, WordPress newsletter plugins).
- We reserve the right to throttle, block, or restrict accounts exhibiting abnormal or abusive patterns.
2.4 Required Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
To maintain email deliverability and prevent abuse, every domain sending email via Adaptive must be authenticated using the following DNS records.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework). Add the following TXT record to your domain:
```
Host/Name: @
Type: TXT
Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.adaptivewebhosting.com ~all
TTL: 3600
```
Only one SPF record is allowed per domain. If you combine it with other services, use a single consolidated record.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). Enable DKIM in your hosting control panel (Plesk). Adaptive generates the key pair and specifies the selector; add the DKIM TXT record to your DNS as instructed. For example:
```
Host/Name: default._domainkey
Type: TXT
Value: (public key provided in your control panel)
TTL: 3600
```
DMARC (recommended). Add the following TXT record to monitor and enforce authentication:
```
Host/Name: _dmarc
Type: TXT
Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]
TTL: 3600
```
You may change p=quarantine to p=reject after monitoring reports and confirming proper alignment.
2.5 IP Reputation, Abuse and Suspension
Email activity that results in any of the following will lead to immediate investigation, sending restriction, or service suspension:
- Blacklisting of Adaptive's IPs (Spamhaus, Proofpoint, Microsoft SNDS, etc.)
- High spam complaints or abuse reports
- SMTP delivery issues or domain reputation damage
Repeat offenses will result in permanent termination of mail services and blacklisting of the domain or account from future use.
3. Customer Security Obligations
You are solely responsible for:
- Securing scripts, databases, control panel, and web apps.
- Using strong, unique passwords for all accounts.
- Keeping all software, plugins, and CMSs up to date.
- Setting proper file permissions to limit unauthorized access.
Compromised websites, CMSs, or mailboxes will be suspended immediately to prevent harm to others.
4. Enforcement and Consequences
4.1 Zero-Tolerance Violations
We will suspend or terminate services without notice or refund for:
- Hosting malware, spam, or child exploitation content
- Causing denial of service to our infrastructure
- Repeated or severe abuse, even after a first warning
4.2 Additional Remedies
Adaptive may:
- Charge fees for blacklist removal or manual abuse remediation
- Report violations to law enforcement
- Block access to all services and prohibit future sign-ups
5. Reporting Abuse
Customers should report violations by opening a support ticket from the client area at cp.adaptivewebhosting.com. Non-customers, or anyone who cannot access an account, may email [email protected]. Include relevant headers, logs, screenshots, or URLs to support your report.
6. Updates to This Policy
We may update this AUP at any time. Continued use of the services implies your acceptance of all changes. The latest version is always available at adaptivewebhosting.com/terms#acceptable-use.
By using Adaptive Web Hosting services, you agree to this Acceptable Use Policy in full. Any breach may result in suspension, data deletion, or permanent service termination without liability.
