Cleaning the contact base from non-existent email addresses and spam traps
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2025 4:35 am
Where do non-existent addresses come from?
The most popular source of non-existent addresses is disposable (temporary) mail services. Such "disappearing" addresses are used specifically for registration on websites (in mobile and web applications) so as not to receive spam later. Those who want to take an interesting lead magnet, but do not want to receive advertising mailings, do the same. The second point is the deletion or deactivation of previously existing mailboxes (for violations, for inaction, at one's own request, etc., very often corporate mail accounts fall into this category). The third source is errors when entering addresses (intentional and unintentional).
What are spam traps
These are special email addresses that cannot open letters to confirm subscriptions, and therefore they are used as a kind of marker for careless mailing senders. If a letter is sent to this address (and permission for this could not technically be obtained), the sender is automatically added to the spammer list. In order not to fall into such a trap and not to ruin your reputation, you should never buy (take) ready-made databases and you should not collect contacts from open sources.
Why do you need email validation?
Due to attempts to send letters to non-existent addresses and spam traps, the sender's rating may suffer (already mentioned above). In addition, the quality indicators of mailings may drop: the percentage of refusals ( what is the Bounce rate ), deliverability , etc. Well, and as usual - the costs of sending are optimized.
When should this be done?
The very first check for the existence of the address should be carried out immediately after filling out the subscription form - by means of a confirmation letter (using the Double Opt-In system). But such checks can be carried out by "temporary" addresses and corporate mailboxes. Therefore, it is useful to clean the database:
when the bounce rate increases above 5%,
when moving to a new postal service (so as not to drag along a “tail” of debts),
before any large mailings (for example, before starting a thailand phone number data new email advertising campaign, it makes sense to conduct a small test mailing to check that same bounce rate),
if you suspect the presence of spam trap addresses,
if there are problems with address syntax (errors, typos, etc.).
It is advisable to determine the most convenient frequency of checks for yourself: once a month, twice, six times. Everything will depend on the activity of your audience, as well as the quality of the base.
How to clear (validate)
Only special validation programs (this can be desktop software or specialized online services) can check the existence of an email database. The database is loaded in a compatible format, and at the output you get two separate lists: valid emails and inoperative ones (a more detailed division or the setting of special features is possible).
Some services may use checks based on complex combined conditions: correctness/compliance of email address syntax, checking domain MX records, finding synonyms, searching for spam traps, etc. The most reliable check is carried out through test sendings (at the same time, the server response is analyzed, for example, in the case of an overflowing mailbox).
Almost always, email validation is a paid service.
The most popular source of non-existent addresses is disposable (temporary) mail services. Such "disappearing" addresses are used specifically for registration on websites (in mobile and web applications) so as not to receive spam later. Those who want to take an interesting lead magnet, but do not want to receive advertising mailings, do the same. The second point is the deletion or deactivation of previously existing mailboxes (for violations, for inaction, at one's own request, etc., very often corporate mail accounts fall into this category). The third source is errors when entering addresses (intentional and unintentional).
What are spam traps
These are special email addresses that cannot open letters to confirm subscriptions, and therefore they are used as a kind of marker for careless mailing senders. If a letter is sent to this address (and permission for this could not technically be obtained), the sender is automatically added to the spammer list. In order not to fall into such a trap and not to ruin your reputation, you should never buy (take) ready-made databases and you should not collect contacts from open sources.
Why do you need email validation?
Due to attempts to send letters to non-existent addresses and spam traps, the sender's rating may suffer (already mentioned above). In addition, the quality indicators of mailings may drop: the percentage of refusals ( what is the Bounce rate ), deliverability , etc. Well, and as usual - the costs of sending are optimized.
When should this be done?
The very first check for the existence of the address should be carried out immediately after filling out the subscription form - by means of a confirmation letter (using the Double Opt-In system). But such checks can be carried out by "temporary" addresses and corporate mailboxes. Therefore, it is useful to clean the database:
when the bounce rate increases above 5%,
when moving to a new postal service (so as not to drag along a “tail” of debts),
before any large mailings (for example, before starting a thailand phone number data new email advertising campaign, it makes sense to conduct a small test mailing to check that same bounce rate),
if you suspect the presence of spam trap addresses,
if there are problems with address syntax (errors, typos, etc.).
It is advisable to determine the most convenient frequency of checks for yourself: once a month, twice, six times. Everything will depend on the activity of your audience, as well as the quality of the base.
How to clear (validate)
Only special validation programs (this can be desktop software or specialized online services) can check the existence of an email database. The database is loaded in a compatible format, and at the output you get two separate lists: valid emails and inoperative ones (a more detailed division or the setting of special features is possible).
Some services may use checks based on complex combined conditions: correctness/compliance of email address syntax, checking domain MX records, finding synonyms, searching for spam traps, etc. The most reliable check is carried out through test sendings (at the same time, the server response is analyzed, for example, in the case of an overflowing mailbox).
Almost always, email validation is a paid service.