Contents
- What is email address validation?
- Reasons for validating email addresses
- When should you check the database?
- How do validators work?
What is email address validation?
Email address validation, also known as email validation, is the process of checking the correctness of email addresses to exclude those that cannot receive messages. This process is carried out using specialized services called email validators. Popular tools include MailValidator, MillionVerifier, and QuickEmailVerification, which help ensure the reliability of addresses in your database.
Reasons for validating email addresses
Conducting email address validation has several important benefits:
- Improved deliverability: High deliverability of emails contributes to the improvement of the sender's domain reputation. The better the reputation, the less likely your emails are to end up in the "Spam" folder or be blocked by email services.
- Reduced mailing costs: By validating addresses, you can avoid unnecessary expenses on storing subscribers and sending emails that do not reach recipients.
When should you check the database?
It is recommended to check the database before sending a mailing, especially if you haven't used this database for a long time. It is important to validate addresses in the following cases:
- If the database was collected without double opt-in, which increases the likelihood of typos and invalid addresses.
- When collecting addresses offline, for example, using paper forms, the number of errors may increase due to incorrect data entry.
- If the addresses in the database are older than one year and no mailings have been sent during that time, which may lead to inactive mailboxes.
- If you have already conducted a mailing and noticed more than 10% invalid addresses, it is recommended to suspend further sending and check the remaining addresses.
How do validators work?
Validators apply various methods to check the correctness of email addresses:
- Syntax check: Programs analyze the address for compliance with writing standards and look for typos. For example, "gmail.cm" can be corrected to "gmail.com".
- MX record check: Validators check for the existence and correctness of the DNS record indicating the server that handles mail. An incorrect MX record can prevent emails from being received.
- Detection of role-based addresses: For example, addresses like abuse@ or postmaster@. Such addresses are often associated with groups, making them less reliable for sending.
- Identification of spam traps: Validators use lists of known spam traps to prevent landing in spam and blocking.
- Search for disposable addresses: Addresses intended for one-time use are meaningless for mailings and should be removed.
- SMTP check: Validators can send requests to addresses to check their activity, which further confirms their correctness.