What is my Email Verification all about?
Email verification is an important process that assists in making sure the email addresses in the database are valid, are deliverable (able to be sent), as well as being safe to contact (not abusive). In email marketing, email verification assists the sender in knowing what emails are deliverable for best results. Without understanding email verification, the sender may encounter many issues.
What Is Email Verification?
Email verification is when an email address is confirmed to be valid and active and can receive emails. There are several steps to be taken to ensure that the email address exists, the domain is active, and the mailbox can receive emails.
How Does Email Verification Works
Verifying an email means using a series of questions to explore the different dimensions of an email address. Here's a more in-depth explanation of the individual parts involved in the process of verification.
Before going anywhere with the email this verification step must be performed to make sure the email address is in an accepted formation, and does not break any formatting rules according to the RFC. This includes:
- An @ sign must be present in the email
- There must be characters on either side of the @ sign
- There is a clearly structured domain
- There are no unusual special characters
For example: "user@example.com" ✓ Valid | "user@example" ✗ Invalid
This step is verifying the domain exists, and can receive emails by testing the following.
- DNS Records: checks that the domain has operational DNS entries
- MX Records: determines email exchange servers are not misconfigured
- Domain Status: determines domain is not expired
This is the most important part of the process that needs no introduction, this process determines the email can in fact receive messages, and that is exists.
- Makes a connection to the domain through the Mail Server with SMTP
- Starts the process of sending an email, while not actually sending the message
- Waits for a response confirming the housing mailbox exists
Important Note:
Rest assured, no verification email is actually send, so the reputation of your sender address is not affected, nor alerts the email address holder.
Identifying high-risk email addresses is a key component of advanced verification.
High Risk Types
- • Disposable / temporary emails
- • Spam traps
- • Role based addresses (info, admin, etc.)
- • Known complainers
Detection Methods
- • Pattern recognition
- • Blacklist checking
- • Historical data analysis
- • Behavioral indicators
Types of Email Verification
Confirms emails are valid in real-time, usually at the time of signup or data collection.
Best For:
- • Signup forms
- • Lead capture pages
- • User registration
- • Contact forms
Works through large batches of email addresses, good for cleaning old databases.
Best For:
- • Cleaning databases
- • Validating before a campaign
- • Importing lists
- • Regular database maintenance
Email Verification Results
When emails are verified, they are returned with a status code. Knowing the status code is important in making informed email list decisions.
✓ Valid / Deliverable
Email address exists, the mailbox is active, and the mailbox can be sent emails. Safe to send to.
✗ Invalid
Email address does not exist, the email domain is invalid. Remove the email address from the list immediately.
⚠ Risky / Unknown
The email is likely verified, however, there are other risks associated (catch-all domain, temporary emails, etc.). Proceed with caution.
◉ Catch-All
The domain takes and accepts every email, regardless of whether the individual mailbox exists. Verification not possible.
○ Role-Based
Could be info@, support@, admin@, etc. Legit, yet has a much lower engagement rate.
Best Practices for Email Verification
Verify at Point of Collection
Implement real-time verification on sign-up forms to stop invalid emails from infiltrating your database.
Regular List Cleaning
Establish a schedule, like quarterly or monthly, for bulk verifications to keep your list maintained and to remove decayed emails.
Verify Before Major Campaigns
To maximize deliverability, ensure that your list is verified prior to sending out any significant email campaigns.
Handle Results Appropriately
Remove invalid emails immediately, risky ones should be segmented, and keep a close eye on catch-all domains.
Use a Reputable Service
Seek out quality email verification providers who will offer you high accuracy and thorough checking services.
Common Misconceptions
❌ "Email verification just sends test emails"
Reality: No, today's verification system will use SMTP handshakes, and will not send any emails, which protects your sending reputation. 😌
❌ "One-time verification is enough"
Reality: Email addresses will decay over time. To keep the quality of your list high, verification needs to be a continuous process.
❌ "All verification services are the same"
Fact: Accuracy rates are different for each service. Use services that stand above the rest and have detailed verification processes.
Conclusion
To automate email verification is not simply a technical action, but it is a due diligence for every email marketer, sales email sender, or customer outreach professional. When verification is done efficiently, one can:
- Ensure the sender reputation is not tarnished
- Improve campaign performance and email deliverability
- Reduce costs by attrition of fake contacts
- Gain trust of ISPs and email providers