How Veml Checks Your Email List
Veml checks an email list in your browser and with a live mailbox check, then tells you which addresses look good and which ones to fix or drop. Here's what happens, step by step.
The steps
- Add your list. Upload a CSV or TXT file, or paste your addresses. Using Excel? Save the file as CSV first.
- See the price. Veml pulls out the email addresses, removes exact duplicates and shows the price for that list size.
- Pay once. Pay by card through Stripe, then come back to the Veml page.
- Let the checks run. This usually takes a few minutes. Very large lists can take up to an hour. Keep the tab open, or reopen Veml in the same browser to resume.
- Get your results. Download a CSV or copy the Passed emails. Your results stay available in that browser.
What Veml checks
Each address goes through these checks. The examples show the kind of thing each one catches.
Format
Is it a properly written email address? Something like jane.cooper@@northwind.com (two @ signs) or jane [email protected] (a space) can never receive mail.
Common typos
People mistype popular domains all the time. [email protected] almost certainly meant gmail.com, so Veml flags it and suggests the fix.
Can the domain receive email?
Every domain that accepts email publishes the address of its mail server in its DNS records (the internet's address book). If oldbrokerage.com has no mail server listed, no address on it can receive email.
Domain registration status
Veml looks at the domain's public registry record. A domain registered very recently, about to expire, or put on hold is a warning sign.
Parked domains
A parked domain shows a placeholder or "for sale" page instead of a real website. Addresses on those domains usually aren't in real use.
Throwaway inboxes
Veml knows about 9,000 throwaway (disposable) email domains, like mailinator.com. People use them to grab a download without giving a real address, and they stop working quickly. More in our guide: What is a disposable email address?
Shared inboxes
Addresses like [email protected] or sales@ belong to a team, not one person. They can be fine for business lists, but nobody in particular signed up, so Veml flags them.
Random-looking usernames
An address like [email protected] is often a fake signup. Veml flags usernames that look like random letters.
Live mailbox check
Every address that passes the basic checks gets a live mailbox check. Our verification partner, BillionVerify, asks the receiving mail server whether that mailbox exists. A backup provider, mail-verif.com, may be used instead. No email is sent to anyone. This is the check that finds people who have left a company even though the company's domain still works.
Sample results
This is an example of what you get back (not real data):
| Veml Status | Veml Reason | Suggested fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [email protected] | Passed | Mailbox exists | |
| [email protected] | Risky | Likely typo: did you mean gmail.com? | [email protected] |
| [email protected] | Risky | Shared inbox | |
| [email protected] | Risky | Throwaway inbox | |
| [email protected] | Invalid | Domain does not accept email | |
| [email protected] | Unknown | Mail server didn't give a clear answer |
The CSV you download keeps all of your original columns and adds three: Veml Status, Veml Reason and Suggested fix. Or you can simply copy the Passed emails.
What each status means
Passed The address got through every check and the mail server said the mailbox exists. What to do: keep it.
Risky The address might work, but something about it is a warning sign, such as a likely typo, a shared inbox or a throwaway domain. Some mail servers accept every address you try (called "catch-all"), so the mailbox can't be confirmed either way; those are marked Risky too. What to do: read the reason. Fix typos, drop throwaway addresses, and decide case by case on the rest.
Unknown The mail server didn't give a clear answer. What to do: if you send to these, send carefully and remove any that bounce.
Invalid The address can't receive mail, for example because the domain doesn't accept email. What to do: remove it from your list.
Want to understand bounces in more depth? Read why emails bounce or our guide to cleaning an email list.
Check my list
Frequently asked questions
Does Veml send an email to the addresses on my list?
No. The mailbox check asks the receiving mail server whether the mailbox exists. No email is sent to anyone.
How long does a check take?
Usually a few minutes. Very large lists can take up to an hour.
What if I close the tab while it's running?
Reopen Veml in the same browser and the check picks up where it left off. Your results also stay available in that browser.
Can I upload an Excel file?
Save it as a CSV first, then upload the CSV. You can also upload a TXT file or paste your list straight into the page.
If an address is Passed, will my email definitely be delivered?
No checker can promise that. Passed means the address got through every check and the mail server said the mailbox exists at the time of the check. Servers can change or be wrong, so still remove any address that bounces after you send.