From "Risky" to "Good": Understanding Email Validation Statuses

You've just run your email list through a validation service, and you're faced with a report broken down into categories like "Good," "Risky," and "Bad." What do they actually mean, and what should you do with them? Let's break it down.

"Good" (or Deliverable)

These are the gold standard. Emails marked as "Good" have been verified to exist on a valid domain and are safe to send to. The associated mail server has confirmed the specific inbox is active. They have a very low probability of bouncing.

Action: Keep these emails and send to them confidently. This is the core of your healthy list.

"Bad" (or Invalid)

These are addresses you should remove immediately and never send to again. Sending to these will result in hard bounces, which severely damages your sender reputation. They fall into several categories:

• Invalid Syntax: The email format is structurally incorrect (e.g., missing '@' symbol, spaces, etc.).
• Non-existent Domain: The domain (the part after '@') does not exist or has no mail servers (MX records).
• Disposable Email: The address is from a temporary "burner" email provider, indicating a low-quality, transient lead.
• Typo: Obvious typos in common domains (e.g., 'gnail.com' instead of 'gmail.com').

Action: Delete these from your list immediately. Do not attempt to fix them manually unless you are certain of the correction.

"Risky" (or Catch-All / Unknown)

This is the gray area, and it's the most misunderstood category. A "Risky" status means the validation service couldn't definitively confirm the email's validity. This often happens with "catch-all" servers, which are configured to accept mail for any address at their domain, making it impossible to verify if a specific inbox exists without actually sending an email. Role-based emails (like `support@` or `sales@`) are also often categorized as risky because they are not tied to a single person and may have lower engagement.

Action: The decision here is strategic. Sending to risky emails can have a higher bounce rate than "Good" emails, but there are also many valid emails in this category.

• Low-Risk Strategy: If your priority is maintaining the highest possible sender reputation, only send to your "Good" emails.
• Calculated-Risk Strategy: Create a separate segment for your "Risky" emails. Send to them carefully, perhaps less frequently, and monitor bounce rates closely. If bounces are low, you can continue. If they're high, it's best to stop and remove them.

Cleanmails provides this clear categorization, empowering you to make the best decisions for your list hygiene and campaign success.