Question 1

What is email verification?

Accepted Answer

Email verification is the process of checking whether an email address is valid, exists, and can receive emails. It involves syntax validation, domain checking, MX record lookup, and SMTP verification to determine if an email will bounce or successfully deliver.

Question 2

How does email verification work?

Accepted Answer

Email verification works in multiple steps: First, it checks the email syntax format. Then it verifies the domain exists and has valid MX records. Finally, it connects to the mail server to verify the mailbox exists without actually sending an email. This process identifies invalid, disposable, role-based, and catch-all addresses.

Question 3

Why should I verify email addresses before sending?

Accepted Answer

Verifying emails before sending protects your sender reputation, reduces bounce rates, and improves deliverability. High bounce rates can get your domain or IP blacklisted, cause emails to land in spam, and waste resources on invalid addresses. Clean lists lead to better engagement metrics and ROI.

Question 4

What types of invalid emails can be detected?

Accepted Answer

Our verification detects: invalid syntax errors, non-existent domains, missing MX records, non-existent mailboxes, full inboxes, disabled accounts, disposable/temporary emails, role-based addresses (info@, support@), catch-all domains, and spam trap indicators.

Question 5

What is the difference between email verification and email validation?

Accepted Answer

Email validation typically refers to checking the format/syntax of an email address (e.g., user@domain.com). Email verification goes deeper by actually checking if the mailbox exists and can receive mail. Our tool does both: validation for format and verification for deliverability.

Question 6

How many emails can I verify for free?

Accepted Answer

You can verify up to 10 email addresses for free using this tool. For bulk verification of larger lists, sign up for a SendScale account where you can verify thousands of emails at once with detailed reporting and list management features.

Question 7

What do the verification statuses mean?

Accepted Answer

Verified means the email appears deliverable (this includes both valid and formerly risky checks). Invalid means the email will definitely bounce. Can't verify means verification couldn't be completed, often due to server timeouts or anti-bot measures.

Question 8

Are catch-all domains safe to email?

Accepted Answer

Catch-all domains accept mail for any address, making it impossible to verify if a specific mailbox exists. While some catch-alls deliver mail normally, others may silently discard unknown addresses. In SendScale UI, these are grouped under Verified when they pass checks.

Question 9

How accurate is email verification?

Accepted Answer

Our verification achieves 99%+ accuracy for detecting invalid emails. Some edge cases like catch-all domains and certain corporate servers with anti-verification measures may return inconclusive results, which we surface as Can't verify rather than making false claims.

Question 10

Does email verification send actual emails?

Accepted Answer

No. Email verification connects to mail servers using SMTP protocol to verify mailbox existence without sending any actual emails. The recipient never receives anything, and the verification leaves no trace in their inbox.

Question 11

How often should I verify my email list?

Accepted Answer

Verify your list before every major campaign, and at minimum every 3-6 months for active lists. Email addresses decay at about 22-30% per year as people change jobs, abandon accounts, or domains expire. Regular verification prevents accumulated bounces from damaging your reputation.

Question 12

What are disposable emails and why avoid them?

Accepted Answer

Disposable (or temporary) emails are created for one-time use and are discarded quickly. People use them to avoid spam or bypass sign-up requirements. Sending to disposables leads to bounces, hurts engagement metrics, and wastes your outreach efforts on people who will never see your email.

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