# What is email verification and why does it matter?
> Verification checks whether an address can receive mail before you send. It cuts bounces, which protects the domain. It does not make the person want your product.
- HTML: https://omentir.com/help/what-is-email-verification
- Markdown: https://omentir.com/help/what-is-email-verification.md

A verifier asks the receiving server, in a careful way, whether the mailbox exists. Results come back valid, invalid, catch-all, or unknown. Invalid should never be sent. Catch-all is a gamble.

Sending to dead addresses creates hard bounces. Bounce spikes tell Gmail and Microsoft you are a sloppy sender. Verification is cheaper than a burned domain.

Verification is not consent. A valid mailbox can still complain. It is not enrichment of job title. It is plumbing.

Re-verify old lists. People leave jobs. Last year's valid file is this year's bounce farm.

If the verifier marks everything valid and you still bounce, the verifier is the problem. Stop using it.

## Related

- [What is a good cold email bounce rate?](https://omentir.com/help/what-is-a-good-cold-email-bounce-rate.md)
- [How do I find work emails from LinkedIn?](https://omentir.com/help/how-to-find-work-emails-from-linkedin.md)
- [Why are my cold emails going to spam?](https://omentir.com/help/why-are-my-cold-emails-going-to-spam.md)

## Frequently asked questions

**Does verification email the person?**

Good verifiers try not to. Some noisy methods can still produce a ping. Pick vendors that care about that.

**Should I send to catch-alls?**

In small tests, maybe. As a default, no. They hide invalids.

**Is a LinkedIn InMail a substitute for verification?**

InMail does not use their email. Different path. If you later email them, verify that address too.

**How fresh should verification be?**

Days to a few weeks, not a year. Verify close to send time.

[Create an Omentir account](https://omentir.com/signup). Pro is $49/month.