[Verification] Understanding list cleaning results
Each result has a unique code. Use below table and descriptions to interpret the results.
| TEXT CODE | NUMERIC CODE | DESCRIPTION | SAFE TO SEND? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syntax | 1 | Not an email. | No |
| Spam Trap | 2 | Spam-trap by ESPs. | No |
| Disposable | 3 | A temporary, disposable address. | No |
| Accept-All | 4 | A domain-wide setting. | Maybe Not recommended unless on a private server |
| Deliverable | 5 | Verified as a real address. | Yes |
| Invalid | 6 | Verified as not valid. | No |
| Unknown | 7 | The server cannot be reached. | No |
| Role | 8 | Role accounts such as info, support, etc. | Maybe Not recommended |
Syntax
Programmers, developers and IT professionals are all well-versed in the world of syntax errors. Often, we see them in the form of a pesky dialogue box after inputting a piece of invalid code. Unfortunately, when these little typos take place while entering email addresses into your CRM, they can wreak havoc on your email marketing lists and upset your analytics.
DON’T SEND – These lines are not an email address in logic.
Spam-trap
A spam trap is a honeypot used to collect spam.
Spam-traps are usually e-mail addresses that are created not for communication, but rather to lure spam. In order to prevent legitimate email from being invited, the e-mail address will typically only be published in a location hidden from view such that an automated e-mail address harvester (used by spammers) can find the email address, but no sender would be encouraged to send messages to the email address for any legitimate purpose. Since no e-mail is solicited by the owner of this spam-trap e-mail address, any e-mail messages sent to this address are immediately considered unsolicited.
The term is a compound of the words "spam" and "trap", because a spam analyst will lay out spam-traps to catch spam in the same way that a fur trapper lays out traps to catch wild animals. The provenance of this term is unknown, but several competing anti-spam organizations claim trademark over it.
DON’T SEND – These emails will ruin your sending reputation.
Disposable
Disposable emails are temporary accounts used to avoid using a real personal account during a sign-up process. Common providers of disposable emails include Mailinator, Guerilla Mail, AirMail, and 10 Minute Mail.
DON’T SEND – These emails are fake or temporary emails and are not safe for sending.
Accept-All
This is also known as a “catch-all”. This is a domain-wide setting where all emails on this domain will be reported as a catch-all. There is no definitive way to determine whether this email is valid or invalid.
A catch-all address is commonly used in small businesses to ensure a company receives an email that has been sent to them, regardless of typos. Additionally, these are also found in larger government, medical and educational organizations. Oftentimes these are in fact valid emails. However, some organizations may utilize this setting as a security feature to prevent unsolicited emails.
Commonly the server will accept all mail and then bounce it back to the sender, which in turn hurts the sender's IP Reputation.
SAFE – If you have a dedicated email server with your own IPs, catch all emails may be safe for sending dependent on the overall health of your list.
DON’T SEND – If you use a third-party email provider that requires a bounce rate below 4%, these emails are not safe for sending.
Valid
A valid email address has been verified as a real email that is currently accepting mail.
SAFE – These emails exist and have been verified for safe sending.
Invalid
An invalid email address has been verified as a bad recipient address that does not exist or is not accepting mail. Invalid emails will result in a bounce.
DON’T SEND – These emails do not exist and are not safe for sending.
Unknown
We are unable to definitively determine this email’s status. This email appears to be OK, however, the domain and/or server is not responding to our requests. This may be due to an issue with their internal network or expired domain names. Unknown addresses are checked up to 75 times before this result code is given.
SAFE – If you have a dedicated email server with your own IPs, unknown emails are normally safe for sending.
DON’T SEND – If you use a third-party email provider that requires a bounce rate below 4%, these emails are not safe for sending.
Role
Role-based email addresses (like admin@, help@, sales@, leads@) are email addresses that are not associated with a particular person, but rather with a company, department, position or group of recipients. They are not generally intended for personal use, as they typically include a distribution list of recipients.
SAFE – If you are familiar with the email owner.
DON’T SEND – If you obtain the email from the registration form.
