Verify Email Address Without Sending Email

Many email marketers wonder about how to verify if an email address is real or fake without sending an email. Verifying email addresses without sending an email can be a good idea since spam bots will often target their junk emails to those who send content to them, or you may simply want to verify emails on an already established email list.  

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about email address verification tools available that can help. Keep reading to get all the information. 

Is There a Way to Verify an Email Address?

There are several ways you can verify an email address. One of the most common is an email verification tool, also known as an email verifier. A verification tool will typically authenticate emails that sign up for your list by sending a code or button to the listed email address that signed up. 

However, this involves sending an email, which some may not want to do. It also may not be possible for those who already have accounts on an established list that need to be verified. 

Is There a Way to Check If an Email Address Exists?

While email verifiers that send an initial email are common practice and usually safe to deploy, those who don’t want to go that route (or can’t) may wonder if there’s some kind of database or email checker program that can check an email address. 

Essentially, the answer to this question is a yes and no. While there’s no one database that can for sure guarantee that an email address exists, there are several well-studied methods that can help you determine with almost full certainty that someone who signed up for your email list is real. The following sections will dive into these possibilities in more detail. 

Can An Email Address Be Traced Back to Its Owner?

There is no real way to trace an email address back to a person. Exceptions can be if your first and last name is in the username or syntax of the address or if you have established accounts online with your name and email address attached that can be traced back to you. 

In terms of trying to verify emails for email marketing, trying to figure out if the name of the account holder and the listed email address match up may not be the best or most efficient method to verify accounts on your list. 

How Can I Verify an Email Address Without Sending an Email?

If you’re wondering how to verify an email address is real without sending an email, there are several methods available. 

• Ping the server: This is a technical method, but it is a rather effective manual way to verify email addresses without sending them anything. Tools like PuTTY and Telnet can be used for this manual process and send a ping to the email server. If you get a positive response back, then there’s a good chance it’s real. 
• IP address lookup: You can also look up the IP address that was used to sign up for an account. You would use tools like MXToolbox for this, which would also involve some technical and time-consuming processes, but it could let you know if the account holder used an IP address that registers as spam. 
• DNS lookup: A DNS lookup tracks information associated with the email’s domain to determine if it’s usually flagged as spam. You would again use tools like MXToolbox to perform this process. 
• Bulk email verifier: The fastest method is a bulk email verification tool that can run through the above processes and more to verify emails on your list without sending them any content. This process usually takes seconds or minutes, so it’s much more efficient than other manual methods. 

As you can see, email verification tools like bulk verifiers are very valuable. Let’s take a look at what they are to give you a better idea of their capabilities. 

What Is Email Verification Tool?

Email verification tools are software programs designed to authenticate emails that sign up for your list. They use several detection methods to determine if the domains and usernames used are spam or invalid. 

Many verification tools send an initial email upon someone signing up for your list, which helps get a response and verify that the email used is real. 

You also have bulk verifiers that can process thousands of emails on an established list to determine which ones are authentic and active using technical verification methods like DNS lookups, IP address lookups, and server pings, as were described above, just through automated systems. 

What Is the Difference Between Email Validation and Email Verification?

While email validation and verification sound very similar, these are two distinct terms and should be understood when choosing an email verifier to use. 

Email verification is the term used for ensuring that an email address is active and capable of receiving messages. 

On the other hand, email validation is the term used for making sure an email address is syntactically correct. The syntax is the domain associated with the email, such as @gmail.com or @outlook.com. Many who input fake emails will misspell the syntax slightly, such as @gmaail.com. 

Typically, email verification tools will perform validation functions, so you should be well-covered when you choose one. 

How AudiencePoint Can Help

AudiencePoint offers email insight software and tools that provide simple ways you can improve your email marketing campaigns. 

One of the ways AudiencePoint can help with email verification and improving deliverability is through our tool ListFit. AudiencePoint’s ListFit works by using our second party data pool of real email engagement data to verify addresses are active and worth your time. 

AudiencePoint’s solution stands out from other options through the use of second-party data from a large data pool that can help determine if the emails used are active not just valid. Our tools also have the ability to get accurate metrics through solutions like isolating Apple MPP opens from reporting that could make subscribers appear active when they aren’t. 

In addition to ListFit, AudiencePoint also offers tools called Real Time Optimization and Send Time Optimization. These tools provide you with data in real-time the moment subscribers engage and accurate insights on the best times to send new content to optimize engagement rates. 

Contact us today to learn more about how AudiencePoint can help with your email marketing needs.