What is the general feeling about email verification companies?

Summary

The general feeling about email verification companies is mixed, ranging from cautious optimism to outright skepticism. Some marketers find them useful for data collection at signup, correcting typos, and gauging the health of unknown lists, especially for real-time validation. Others warn about the poor quality of some services, questionable practices (like false claims of spam trap removal), and the potential for harm when validating poorly collected data. Experts recommend focusing on proper list hygiene and opt-in practices rather than relying solely on verification. The cost-benefit analysis depends on list size and quality; smaller, well-maintained lists may not justify the cost. Technical documentation emphasizes the importance of adhering to email address syntax standards and leveraging API services for validation. There is a consensus that vendor selection must be done carefully, and verification should be part of a broader email hygiene strategy.

Key findings

  • Mixed Opinions: Marketers' opinions on email verification companies range from cautiously optimistic to skeptical.
  • Specific Use Cases: Email verification is considered useful for data collection, typo correction, and assessing the health of unknown lists, especially through real-time validation.
  • Quality Issues: There are significant concerns about the quality and ethical practices of some email verification services, including false claims of spam trap removal and reselling data.
  • Alternative Practices: Experts recommend prioritizing proper list hygiene and opt-in practices over relying solely on email verification.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: The cost-effectiveness of email verification depends on the size and quality of the email list, with smaller, well-maintained lists potentially not justifying the cost.
  • Technical Standards: Adhering to email address syntax standards and leveraging API services is crucial for effective email validation.

Key considerations

  • Vendor Selection: Choose reputable email verification vendors carefully, focusing on transparent practices.
  • Comprehensive Strategy: Implement email verification as part of a broader email hygiene strategy, including proper list hygiene and opt-in practices.
  • Data Quality: Address the root causes of poor data quality rather than solely relying on verification services to fix issues.
  • Real-Time Application: Employ real-time validation at signup to prevent bad data from entering the system.
  • Compliance: Ensure compliance with email address syntax standards and data privacy regulations.
  • Opt-In Processes: Use good opt-in processes when collecting emails rather than focusing on fixing them later.

What email marketers say
13Marketer opinions

The general feeling about email verification companies is mixed. Some marketers find them useful for data collection at signup, correcting typos, gauging the health of unknown data, and removing bad emails from dormant lists. However, there are concerns about the quality of some services, with reports of reselling, double-sided businesses, and questionable practices like spam trap removal claims. Many sources suggest carefully selecting reputable vendors and using verification in conjunction with other list hygiene practices like engagement metrics and lifecycle marketing.

Key opinions

  • Use Cases: Email verification is seen as useful for data collection at signup, correcting typos in real-time, and assessing the quality of unknown or dormant lists.
  • Quality Concerns: There are significant concerns about the quality and ethics of some email verification services, including reselling data and making false claims about spam trap removal.
  • List Cleaning vs. Data Collection: Email verification is generally considered more appropriate for preventing bad data from entering a system (data collection) than for cleaning already purchased or harvested lists.
  • Real-time validation: Real-time APIs are helpful for subscription forms to highlight mistyped domains.
  • Cost-Benefit: The cost-benefit analysis of email verification depends on list size and quality. Larger, poorly maintained lists benefit more than smaller, well-maintained lists.

Key considerations

  • Vendor Selection: Carefully vet email verification vendors, looking for reputable companies with transparent practices.
  • Combined Approach: Use email verification as part of a broader email list hygiene strategy, including engagement metrics, lifecycle marketing, and sunsetting inactive contacts.
  • Data Source: Address the source of your data and ensure good data quality and opt-in processes are used instead of relying on list cleaning services.
  • Real-time Verification: Consider real-time verification to improve user experience by correcting typos immediately
  • Regulations: Note COI isn't as common in the US as elsewhere.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that the cost-benefit analysis depends on list size and data quality. For large, poorly maintained lists, verification is worth the investment to improve deliverability. For smaller, well-maintained lists, the benefits might not justify the cost.

February 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks finds real-time APIs helpful for subscription forms to highlight mistyped domains. For bad quality lists, they recommend deleting the list or using engagement metrics, lifecycle marketing, and sunsetting inactive contacts.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares a mystery shopping experience, finding that outside the top tier, it's a cesspool of reselling and double-sided businesses. They had a test address receive realtor spam within 10 minutes. One service validated addresses through a bounce campaign advertising dodgy loans.

August 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares they've cautiously recommended email verification companies, finding them relevant for data collection on subscription forms, not for cleaning lists. They question whether these companies could exist without clients using them for purchased or harvested lists.

September 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends only two email verification companies that don't advertise "spam trap removal", considering those that do as junk platforms. They find them useful for brands that have gone dormant, removing known bad emails (e.g., gnail). They note that COI isn't as common in the US.

September 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from NeverBounce Blog shares that email verification is crucial for maintaining a clean and engaged email list. It helps reduce bounce rates, improve deliverability, and protect sender reputation. Regular verification is essential for successful email marketing campaigns.

October 2024 - NeverBounce Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that email validation should be used when users subscribe to a newsletter, register on a website, make a purchase, or update their profiles. This helps prevent typos and ensures accurate data collection.

July 2023 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog highlights that email verification leads to higher deliverability, better engagement, and increased ROI. By removing invalid and risky email addresses, senders can improve their sender reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.

March 2023 - ZeroBounce Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Clearout Blog advocates for real-time email verification at signup. This helps prevent bad data from entering the system, improves user experience by correcting typos immediately, and reduces the risk of sending to invalid addresses.

October 2021 - Clearout Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Hunter.io Blog explains that they offer both email finding and verification tools. They emphasize the importance of verifying found email addresses to ensure deliverability and prevent sending to invalid or risky addresses.

February 2022 - Hunter.io Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that using an email verification service for an old list is a good idea to remove invalid addresses. They advise cleaning the list before sending to improve deliverability and engagement, but warn to be careful about the specific service used, advising to pick reputable brands.

February 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow answers that while regular expressions can be used for basic email format validation, they are not foolproof. A more robust solution involves sending a confirmation email to verify the address and ensure it is deliverable and valid.

March 2024 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that email verification services help reduce errors with offline collection (e.g., business cards). They're also useful for gauging the health of unknown data following acquisitions, running against CRM data or ESP lists, and for real-time validation on signups. Ken considers using them to 'clean' acquired lists misguided and highlights that validation services vary in quality. They skew towards the US, where data is cheap.

December 2021 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Experts generally express caution and skepticism towards email verification companies. A significant concern is that many are actually spammers or provide inaccurate data. While real-time verification at signup can be useful, bulk checking of purchased lists is discouraged. A key point is that these services often make false claims, especially regarding spam trap removal. Email verification can even be harmful when validating addresses collected using poor practices, and it doesn't solve underlying list hygiene issues. Therefore, a focus on proper list hygiene and opt-in practices is recommended over relying solely on list cleaning services.

Key opinions

  • Vendor Concerns: Many email verification companies are suspected of being spammers or providing inaccurate data.
  • False Claims: Email verification companies often make false claims, particularly regarding spam trap removal.
  • Potential Harm: Using email verification services can be harmful if applied to poorly collected data.
  • Alternative Solutions: Focusing on proper list hygiene and opt-in practices is recommended over relying solely on list cleaning services.
  • Abortive SMTP connections: Some email verification services may use abortive SMTP connections, and it is important to be aware of those.

Key considerations

  • Reputable Vendors: If using email verification, choose reputable vendors carefully.
  • Data Quality: Address the underlying issues of data collection practices instead of relying solely on verification.
  • Holistic Approach: Implement comprehensive list hygiene strategies, including opt-in processes.
  • Real-Time vs. Bulk: Prioritize real-time verification at signup over bulk checking of purchased lists.
  • Transparency: Look for transparent methods and vendors that don't make exaggerated claims.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks mentions that Kickbox doesn't use abortive SMTP connections, and there are a few other companies that do not use them either.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that email verification services can cause damage, especially when validating addresses collected using poor practices. They state that address verification doesn't fix underlying problems and can make deliverability worse.

April 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that many email list cleaning services use questionable methods and that marketers should approach them with caution. They recommend focusing on proper list hygiene and opt-in practices rather than relying solely on list cleaning services.

June 2021 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that email verification companies all claim to remove spam traps, but they are lying about that and everything else. He jokes that his favourite are the ones who guarantee to remove all SpamHaus traps.

July 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that many email verification companies are actually spammers under a different brand or are incompetent, providing inaccurate data. Real-time checking at signup, with a reputable company, is useful in some cases, as is checking for transcription errors during import of offline capture. Bulk checking of purchased lists is bad, hiding bounce rates from an ESP.

March 2025 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Email address validation, as documented across RFC specifications, AWS SES, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Mailgun, encompasses defining email address syntax, offering tools for address verification, and enabling policy-driven address management. RFC specifications provide the foundational rules for email address structure, while platforms like AWS SES and Mailgun offer APIs and services for verifying email addresses, ensuring compliance and improving deliverability. Microsoft Exchange Server enables organizations to manage email addresses consistently through address policies.

Key findings

  • Standardization: RFC specifications (e.g., RFC 5322) provide the standard syntax and structure for email addresses.
  • Service Integration: Cloud platforms (e.g., AWS SES, Mailgun) offer integrated services for validating email addresses, enhancing deliverability.
  • Policy Management: Server environments (e.g., Microsoft Exchange Server) support policy-based email address management, ensuring consistency.
  • Different types of Checks: There are different types of checks that can be performed such as syntax validation, domain checks, and MX record lookups, to determine the deliverability of an email address.

Key considerations

  • Compliance: Adhere to RFC specifications for email address formatting to ensure compatibility.
  • API Utilization: Leverage APIs provided by cloud services to implement email validation for improved deliverability.
  • Centralized Management: Implement policy-driven email address management for consistent and controlled email environments.
  • Data Validation: Ensure data validation for compliancy.
Technical article

Documentation from AWS explains how to use Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) to validate email addresses. It details the steps for verifying email addresses to comply with sending limits and improve deliverability. Verifying helps ensure that you are only sending to valid recipients.

February 2025 - AWS Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Learn describes how to configure email address policies in Exchange Server. These policies automatically generate email addresses for recipients based on defined rules. This ensures consistency and helps manage email addresses across the organization.

April 2023 - Microsoft Learn
Technical article

Documentation from Mailgun details how to use their email validation API to verify email addresses. It explains the different types of checks performed, such as syntax validation, domain checks, and MX record lookups, to determine the deliverability of an email address.

December 2022 - Mailgun Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains the formal syntax and structure of email addresses. It defines the components of an email address, including the local-part and domain, and specifies the rules for valid characters and formatting.

January 2024 - RFC Editor