Bounces Hurt More Than You Think
Every bounced email damages your sender reputation. Enough bounces and your emails start landing in spam—even the ones to valid addresses. ISPs see high bounce rates as a signal of a bad sender.
The problem: you can't tell which emails will bounce by looking at them. [email protected] looks perfectly valid. But John left Acme two years ago. His mailbox doesn't exist. You send, it bounces, your reputation takes a hit.
Email validation prevents this. Before you send, we verify the mailbox exists and will accept mail. No bounces, no reputation damage, no deliverability problems.
"Our deliverability went from 72% to 94% after validation. We stopped hitting spam folders."— Marketing Director
How We Validate
Email validation isn't just format checking. We run multiple verification steps:
- Syntax validation. Is the address properly formed? Correct format, valid characters, no obvious errors.
- DNS lookup. Does the domain exist? Addresses at defunct domains will never deliver.
- MX record check. Does the domain receive email? Some domains exist but have no mail servers.
- SMTP verification. Does this specific mailbox exist? We ask the mail server directly.
- Catch-all detection. Some domains accept all mail. We identify these for separate handling.
- Disposable email detection. Mailinator, Guerrilla Mail, and other temporary services.
- Role address flagging. info@, support@, admin@. Often have different engagement patterns.
What You Get
Validation status. Valid, invalid, risky, or unknown. Each address categorized.
Failure reasons. Why did this address fail? Domain doesn't exist, mailbox not found, etc.
Risk flags. Catch-all domains, disposable addresses, role accounts. Valid but potentially problematic.
Quality score. Overall list quality. What percentage is safe to send?
Pricing
Email validation runs $0.01-0.03 per address, depending on volume.
Minimum project is $500. Most lists validated within 24 hours.
Common Questions
Do you send test emails?
No. SMTP verification confirms mailbox existence without sending messages. We connect to the server, ask if the address exists, then disconnect.
How accurate is validation?
93%+ accuracy for most lists. Catch-all domains are the main limitation—they accept all mail, so we can't verify specific mailboxes.
What about catch-all domains?
We flag catch-all domains separately. The domain is valid, but we can't verify the specific mailbox. You decide whether to send.
Can validation tell if someone will reply?
No. We verify the mailbox exists and accepts mail. Whether someone reads and responds is a different question entirely.
Protect Your Sender Reputation
Your deliverability depends on your reputation. Your reputation depends on your bounce rate. Validate before you send.
Related: Phone Validation | Pre-Import Validation | All Validation Services