Verify uses the Validity BriteVerify API to make sure the contact and lead email addresses in your CRM are valid addresses.
Verify is available in DemandTools Free Edition and Elements Edition.
Prerequisites
Before beginning your first Verify scenario, you will need to create two custom fields in your CRM to store your verification results and run dates. You can name them anything you like, but we recommend something easy to identify in a dropdown menu.
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Verification Result Field: This field will populate with the verification status of the email.
- Either set as a Text field or
- Set as a Picklist field with the values set to Valid, Invalid, Accept_All, Unknown.
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Verification Run Date Field: This field will populate the date the verification was run.
- Set as a Date or Date/Time field.
Starting a Verify Scenario
To begin a new scenario, select Verify from the module list on your Dashboard.
To start from an existing scenario, select a Verify scenario from Scenarios on your Dashboard. Your object and record selection criteria will already be set for you. You can keep all settings or change them as you go.
Step 1: Select Records
The Verify module automatically pulls data from the CRM environment you are logged in to and viewing.
- For large jobs, check the box beside Bulk API. This option groups your records into larger batches, so it uses fewer API calls. Learn more about the Bulk API option.
Under the Object to Verify dropdown menu, select the object you want to verify.
- Because only the Contact and Lead objects have email addresses associated to them, these are your only two options at this time.
In the Record Selection Criteria section, choose Add Selection Condition to narrow down the accounts included in your search. Learn more about Record Selection Criteria.
- In this example, set the Mailing City to start with P.
Save Results lets you select which email field to verify and where to store results.
- Email Field: Choose an email field to verify, since a contact or lead could have business, personal, or other alternate email addresses. You can only verify one email field at a time.
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Verification Result Field: This posts the verification results to the custom field you previously created in your CRM.
- Email Bounced Reason, for example.
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Verification Run Date Field: This posts the date when the verification was run to the custom field you previously created in your CRM.
- Email Bounced Date, for example.
To go to Step 2, choose Calculate Credits.
Calculate Credits
Before you can verify your selected records, Verify calculates how many records will be included in this action and tells you the number of credits needed to proceed.
- Verify credits are pay-as-you-go so you use only what you need.
- Each account is granted 500 Verify credits on signup.
- 1 record = 1 credit. Credits expire every 30 days.
- When calculating credits, Verify automatically removes records with no value in the Email field.
- Only Admin users can add credits. If you are a Standard or Basic user, contact an Admin to add credits for your use.
Admin Users:
If you have enough credits to complete the verification, you will be shown your credit balance after proceeding and the Proceed button will be available. You can still add credits at this time.
If you do not have enough credits to complete the verification, you will be shown the number of additional credits needed to proceed and will need to select Add Credits.
To add credits, select one of the credit packages and then select Purchase [x] Credits. Your purchase will be charged to the card on file, and you will be returned to the Calculate Credits popup, where you will be shown your new balance.
Standard and Basic users:
If you have enough credits to complete the verification, you will be shown your credit balance after proceeding and the Proceed button will be available.
If you do not have enough credits to complete the verification, you will be shown the number of additional credits needed to proceed and will need to contact your Admin to add credits.
When you are ready, select Proceed to go to Step 2.
- Caution: Unlike most modules, this action does not have a cancel function. Please check the number of records to be verified before you proceed.
- Large sets of records may take hours to process. Please keep a web connection open so that Verify can work in the background.
- You will be notified by the DemandTools app when your verification is complete.
Step 2: Results Summary
Once your verification is complete, a results summary appears. In the blue message bar near the top of the summary page, you can choose View log file for full details to open a spreadsheet with the status for each individual record. You don’t need this option to export your results, however—exporting is explained below.
Your results summary includes a pair of charts showing the number of verified emails and the number and percentage breakdown of Valid, Invalid, Unknown, and Accept All emails. A third chart shows you the number of records from your set that did not have emails associated.
Select the View category definitions link for additional information. Categories are defined as follows:
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Valid: The email has a valid account associated with it. Safe to mail.
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Invalid: The email is invalid. Do not mail. Reasons may include:
- Incorrect formatting
- Domain doesn't exist
- Account doesn't exist at that domain
- Mailbox is full
- Email address is disposable and will self-destruct
- Role account (may be valid, but often will not perform)
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Unknown: The email address looks good, but the associated domain is not responding. This could be a temporary status for domains having intermittent issues or a permanent issue for dying domains. There will be some bounces from the Unknown category, so consider the following before mailing:
- If your ESP's bounce threshold is 5% or less: Do not mail.
- If your ESP has given you a dedicated IP: Mail slowly.
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Accept All: These emails are when a server is set to receive all emails at a specific domain, meaning these domains accept any email you send to them at first. It appears as if all the emails are Valid at that domain, but the company actually has a firewall or another spam tool that may remove the email message or send a bounce message at a later time. Since it's possible there will be some bounces from the Accept All category, please consider the following before mailing:
- If your ESP's bounce threshold is 5% or less: Do not mail.
- If your ESP has given you a dedicated IP: Mail slowly.
Since Verify has already updated the fields you selected in Step 1, to finish, you can simply click the DemandTools home button to return to the Dashboard or optionally Export your results by selecting Export [x] Records. You must name your document under Save As, select a location, and choose a file format (.csv or .xlsx). You can also add tags to the metadata of your document.
If you want to re-run this scenario again in the future, open the Scenarios bar slider and select Save As, then name your scenario and select Save.