How to Verify Catch-all Emails - An Email Marketer's Guide

Catch-all emailsⓘ might connect you with someone at a company. But they may put your emails and reputation at risk.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to define a catch-all, why companies use them, how they impact your email marketing campaigns, and how to verify them.

As a bonus, we'll show you how to score those catch-all addresses so you don't miss out on potentially valuable leads.

What is a catch-all email?

A catch-all email, or an accept-all email, receives all messages sent to incorrect addresses on their corresponding domain.

Users misenter addresses regularly. We may contact someone at a brand using a predicted email pattern, only to be incorrect in our entry. The server will direct the message to the catch-all inbox if the domain is correct and a catch-all email address is available.

Many brands utilize accept-all emails to ensure they don't miss out on vital communications. Something as simple as a typo can render an address invalid and cause an email to bounce. Instead, they would place the message in a valid inbox on their server rather than the alternative.

Why companies use catch-all email addresses

Many brands utilize accept-all emails to ensure they don't miss out on vital communications. Something as simple as a typo can render an address invalid and cause an email to bounce. Instead, they would place the message in a valid inbox on their server rather than the alternative.

Ideally, someone at the brand will manage the catch-all box. Once they understand the context of a message, they can forward it to the person best fit to deal with the email message.

How accept-alls impact your email marketing campaigns

Catch-alls exist to help brands deal with a high volume of communications. This should be great news for you as you can reliably connect with companies even if your lead address needs updating.

While a catch-all email is a valid address, there are problems you need to look out for as an email marketer.

Spammers target catch-all email address

The problem with an email address catching every message is that they also collect spam. You just need a domain name, not a name or role, to push your content to the inbox.

No one wants mystery content from unknown or untrusted senders.

As a company's catch-all inbox floods with unwanted content, they stop managing it as carefully. They may even abandon the inbox altogether. Your valuable content eventually sits unopened next to hundreds of spam messages where no one will ever see it.

Messages to an accept-all email may bounce

Some accept-all inboxes only serve a temporary purpose. Companies set up a catch-all address only to disable it later. It either fulfilled its purpose or became too contaminated with spammy content.

Most verification tools will only identify a catch-all. It can't tell you if it's inactive. Thus, you risk bounced messages when emailing an accept-all address.

Catch-all emailsⓘ can also be valuable prospects

Catch-alls are a tricky dilemma. Just because some brands abandon their catch-all emailsⓘ due to spam does not mean they all will. A dedicated person may manage the inbox, sorting the valuable content from the spam. If you email the correct catch-all address, you may receive a reply from a person at the company.

But leaving your email marketing to chance isn't an intelligent choice. Conserving your budget and protecting your reputation is safer than taking unnecessary risks.

Most email validators can only identify a catch-all

When it comes to invalid and risky email types, email validation is the solution. It helps email marketers differentiate real contacts from spam traps, catch-alls and other harmful address types.

An email validation tool also detects catch-all inboxes but stops there. You know which contacts on your email list have this status, but you still need to learn which is quality.

Purging an unknown catch-all email address is preferable to landing in a dormant inbox. Maintaining high clickthrough and engagement rates is better for your email reputationⓘ.

However, you paid to acquire these leads with your marketing efforts. You may lose out on substantial sale opportunities by outright abandoning a catch-all email address.

Fortunately, there is a solution available to help combat these known issues.

How accept-alls impact your email marketing campaigns

• 1Spammers target catch-all email address
• 2Messages to an accept-all email may bounce
• 3Catch-all emails can also be valuable prospects
• 4Most email validators can only identify a catch-all

How to verify a catch-all email

You must use an email validationⓘ service to verify your email contacts. This allows you to determine which addresses are valid and safe to message.

During the process, the service also helps you identify all types of problematic emails, including:

• Disposable emails
• Abuse emails
• Spam traps

You should purge all of these from your list without hesitation. Doing so will immediately reduce your bounce rate, improve engagement, and maximize inbox deliverability.

An email validationⓘ API can further protect your email list. This is code you can easily install on your websites, landing pages and wherever you collect email leads. Whenever a user enters their email on a form, the API validates it. If it happens to be invalid or risky, the API will automatically reject it from entering your email list.

But there's still the dilemma of understanding your catch-all emailsⓘ. Thankfully, we offer a solution with ZeroBounce Score.

With the help of artificial intelligence, our email validationⓘ service also detects recent email activity levels for each contact. It is a ten-point scale that describes each email address as follows:

Scoring provides you with the necessary information to adequately verify your catch-all emailsⓘ. Someone is likely managing the inbox if the address has a high score. On the other hand, catch-all emailsⓘ with low scores are safe to eliminate from your list.

You can then make informed decisions regarding your email list and campaigns. If you observe no activity or bounces from the catch-all address, promptly remove it from your email list.

Related links:

Email Bounce Validator

Disposable Emails

Spam Traps