DomailfixHow to clean an email list before your next campaign
Email lists go bad faster than most people think. People change jobs, companies change domains, and typos slip in at sign-up. Sending to an old list means bounces, spam complaints and a damaged sender reputation. Cleaning it takes a few minutes.
Step 1: Export your list
Export your contacts from your email or CRM tool as a CSV file. Keep the email column, and any columns you will need when you import the list back, such as name and company.
Step 2: Remove duplicates and obvious junk
In a spreadsheet:
- remove duplicate addresses
- remove rows with no email, or with spaces or missing @ signs
- remove test addresses such as test@ or asdf@
Step 3: Verify every address
Upload the CSV to an email verifier. With Domailfix, open the Bulk list tab, drop in your file or paste the addresses, and click Verify list. Each address comes back as:
- Deliverable: keep it.
- Undeliverable: remove it. The mailbox or domain does not exist.
- Risky: decide case by case. These include catch-all addresses (what that means), full mailboxes, temporary addresses and role addresses such as info@.
- Unknown: no answer this time. Domailfix checks these again automatically, and you are not charged for them.
Download the results as a CSV.
Step 4: Decide what to do with Risky addresses
- Remove disposable (temporary) addresses and spam traps. They never help.
- Keep, but send separately, catch-all addresses at real companies, in small batches.
- Think twice about role addresses such as info@ or sales@. They often reach a shared inbox, and complaints are more likely.
Step 5: Import the clean list and send
Import the cleaned CSV back into your email tool. Send to Deliverable addresses first, then to the Risky addresses you decided to keep, in a smaller batch.
How often should you clean your list?
- Before every big campaign, if the list is more than a few months old.
- Every 3 to 6 months for active lists.
- At the point of entry, by checking each new address on your sign-up form. See the integrations for forms and CRMs.
Signs your list needs cleaning now
- a bounce rate above 2 percent
- falling open rates
- more emails landing in spam
- a list you have not emailed for more than 3 months
Domailfix credits never expire, so you can clean a list today and use the rest of your credits next quarter.
Clean your list now with Domailfix.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to clean an email list?
With Domailfix, one address uses one credit, and Unknown results are free. Credits are bought once and never expire.
Can I clean a list without sending emails?
Yes. An email verifier checks each address with its mail server without sending any message.