Bulk email list verification – an indispensable tool for companies sending mass emails – determines whether or not a list of email addresses is fully valid and deliverable. The process involves an address-by-address analysis of each email on an uploaded list and is offered as hosted software.
The legitimacy of an email address can be measured through a combination of validation techniques and – depending on the internal database – proprietary algorithms.
At the end of the list validation process, any invalid addresses will have been filtered out, leaving a clean, fully deliverable email list, ready for marketing and business requirements.
Below, we’ve described in detail just how the email validation process – essentially, a process of separating the wheat from the chaff – works.
Email Address Syntax Check: This removes improperly formatted email addresses, according to IETF standards.
Domain/MX Records Check: This verifies the DNS entries of an email address. If a domain is found to be invalid, or an MX entry is missing, this process marks the corresponding email address as invalid.
Role-Based Account Detection: Email sends to role-based such as postmaster@, info@, sales@, admin@, etc. can negatively impact your deliverability, and even blacklist you with some ISPs. This process detects and flags such addresses.
Disposable Email Address (DEA) Detection: Throwaway/disposable email addresses, or “junk collector” email addresses,” are detected and processed
appropriately. These are usually used for signup forms or to bypass login forms which require a valid email address.
Honeypot/ Spam Trap Detection: This detects spam seeds, BOTs, honeypots, blacklisted, or bogus email addresses by checking the addresses in the list
against the known list of email addresses/domains, used for trapping spammers.
Checking DNSBLs and URI DNSBLs for blacklisting: A DNS-based blackhole list (DNSBL) or Real-time Blackhole List (RBL) is a list of IP addresses often used for spamming. A URI DNSBL is a DNSBL that lists domain names which have been found in the body of spam email messages but generally, have not been found inside legitimate messages. In the process, email addresses and IP addresses are checked against known DNSBLs and URI DNSBLs to trap spam networks.
Final Verification: This phase performs deep-level extended SMTP verifications on each email address. The addresses will be pinged for mailbox existence without sending an actual email to the inbox.
Most websites have forms asking for customer details, including an email address. While filling out such forms, it’s not uncommon for users to enter an incorrect email
address – whether intentionally or by mistake. All those incorrect email addresses added to your lists will be inaccurate – and undeliverable.
If you send emails to such addresses, the ratio of bounce-back emails will increase significantly. This bounce-back negatively impacts your mail server reputation, which is constantly monitored by Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, and other ISPs.
If your IP address develops a poor reputation, it may get blacklisted by popular email services like Gmail and the like.
This means that if you plan to run bulk email marketing campaigns, such as newsletters or sales emails, the identification and removal of invalid email addresses is essential.
Email verification ensures your email list is clean and thoroughly valid, which helps reduce bounce-back, ultimately saving you time and money.
Validating email addresses also helps you to maximize deliverability of your marketing campaign, and separates low-quality addresses from high-value contacts.
By harnessing the power of email list validation services, you can enjoy peace of mind with every send, knowing your emails go out to real, live humans.
Digital Marketer | Growth Hacker — Passionate about using the power of the Internet to help grow any business.