Email Verification

An email sender reputation is a score that an internet service provider (ISP) assigns to an organisation. The higher the score, the more likely an ISP will deliver emails to the recipient. on the other hand, if a score falls below a certain threshold, the ISP will more likely direct their emails to the recipients’ SPAM folders.

There are several factors that organisations should consider when sending out emails to ensure safe ISP filtering:

• The amount of email sent by the organisation.
• How many emails are being successfully delivered if sending in batch (i.e., email campaigns)
• How many emails bounce due to being incorrect, unknown, or other reasons.
• Level of engagement from recipients; this could mean replying, forwarding, clicking links, or deleting emails from an organisation.
• How many recipients unsubscribe from the organisation’s email list.
• How often an organisation may hit a recipient’s spam trap.
• An organisation’s inclusion on other blacklists.

Spam traps are a common challenge in email marketing and for organisations trying to outreach. Someone on your contact list changing jobs (and email addresses), subscribers opting out, and even purchased email lists containing bad emails are just a few examples.
Verifying your email list is a straightforward solution to ensure emails are valid and deliverable and flagged for any privacy laws like GDPR.

A valid email address is an address that conforms to the standard format and rules for email addresses. Here are the key components and criteria for a valid email address:

1. Local Part: The local part appears before the @ symbol and can contain alphanumeric characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9), as well as certain special characters. Common special characters include period (.), underscore (_), hyphen (-), and plus (+). The local part should not begin or end with a period and should not contain consecutive periods.
2. @ Symbol: The @ symbol separates the local part from the domain part in an email address.
3. Domain Part: The domain part appears after the @ symbol and typically consists of a domain name and a top-level domain (TLD). The domain name should consist of alphanumeric characters, hyphens, or periods. The TLD can be a generic TLD (e.g., .com, .org, .net) or a country code TLD (e.g., .us, .uk, .au).
4. Length Limitations: Email addresses have certain length limitations. The total length of the local part and domain part combined should not exceed 254 characters. However, some email providers may have specific limitations on the length of the local or domain parts.

To check if an email address is valid, you can follow these steps:

1. Syntax Verification: Start by checking the syntax of the email address. Ensure it follows basic email formatting, which consists of a local part (before the @ symbol), followed by the @ symbol, and a domain part (after the @ symbol). Additionally, check for common errors like missing or extra characters, spaces, or incorrect symbols.
2. DNS MX Record Lookup: Perform a DNS (Domain Name System) MX record lookup for the domain part of the email address. MX records specify the mail servers responsible for handling emails for a particular domain. If there are no MX records found, it suggests that the domain is not configured to receive emails.
3. SMTP Verification: Connect to the mail server associated with the email address and initiate an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) conversation. Start by sending a "HELO" or "EHLO" command to establish the connection. Then, verify the existence of the email address by sending a test email or using the "VRFY" or "RCPT TO" command.
4. Response Analysis: Analyse the response received from the mail server. If the server responds with an OK status code (such as 250), it indicates that the email address is valid. However, if the server responds with an error code (such as 550 or 554), it suggests that the email address is invalid or does not exist.
5. Disposable Email Address (DEA) Check: Consider checking if the email address is from a disposable email service. Disposable email addresses are temporary and often used for spam or fraudulent activities. Several online services provide databases of known disposable email providers that can be used for this purpose.
6. Role Account Check: Some email addresses are not associated with individuals but rather with specific roles or functions (e.g., admin@, support@, info@). While these addresses may be valid, they are not typically used for personal communication.

The frequency of performing email verification depends on your specific needs and circumstances. Here are a few factors to consider when deciding how often to perform email verification:

1. Email Acquisition Method: If you collect email addresses through an online form or registration process, it's beneficial to validate them in real-time or immediately after submission. This ensures that you capture valid email addresses from the start and prevent the accumulation of invalid or fake addresses in your database.
2. Data Age and Source: If you have an existing email database that has been collected over a period of time, some email addresses may become outdated or invalid. In such cases, it's recommended to perform periodic email verification to ensure the accuracy and quality of your data. The frequency can depend on the rate of email address churn in your specific industry or target audience.
3. Email Sending Frequency: If you regularly send emails, it's advisable to conduct regular email verification to maintain a clean and deliverable email list. By identifying and removing invalid or inactive email addresses, you improve your email deliverability rates and reduce the risk of being flagged as spam.
4. Bounce Rates and Complaints: If you notice an increase in bounce rates (undeliverable emails) or recipient complaints, it may indicate that your email list needs verification. High bounce rates can negatively impact your sender reputation and deliverability. In such cases, you should consider verifying the email addresses in your list promptly.
5. System Integration: If you have an automated system or process in place that relies on email addresses, consider incorporating email verification into your workflows. For example, you can verify email addresses during user registration or before sending important communications.
6. Budget and Resources: The frequency of email verification may also depend on your available resources and budget. Some email verification services charge based on the number of email verifications performed, so you may need to consider the costs involved.

In general, performing email verification at regular intervals, such as quarterly or biannually, is a good practice to maintain good data quality and deliverability. However, if your email list is rapidly growing or if you have higher email engagement rates, more frequent verification, such as monthly or even weekly, may be beneficial.

Disposable emails, also known as temporary or throwaway emails, are email addresses that are created for short-term use or for a specific purpose. They are often used to protect personal information and maintain privacy when signing up for online services, accessing gated content, or participating in forums or discussions.
Some benefits of disposable emails include:

• Temporary Nature
• Anonymity and Privacy
• Email Forwarding or Self-Destruction
• Quick Setup
• Anti-Spam Measures
• Limited Functionality
• Publicly Available

It's important to note that while disposable email addresses provide convenience and privacy, they can also be misused for fraudulent activities, spamming, or creating fake accounts. To mitigate these risks, some online platforms and services implement measures to detect and block disposable email addresses during registration or communication processes.