If you’re running ongoing email campaigns, you already know bad addresses cost you—in wasted sends, annoying bounces, and sometimes even blacklisting. Doing a one-time list clean is better than nothing, but lists rot fast. The real fix: set up recurring email verification tasks so you’re always sending to good, live addresses. That’s where Debounce comes in.
This guide is for anyone serious about email deliverability—marketers, ops folks, or founders who don’t want to babysit their email lists every week. We’ll skip the fluff and get straight to setting up recurring verifications in Debounce, what actually works, and what to avoid.
Why Recurring Email Verification Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
Let’s be real: not everyone needs to automate email verification forever. But if you’re:
- Adding new contacts regularly (newsletters, lead magnets, forms)
- Running campaigns where “freshness” of emails actually impacts results
- Tired of surprise bounces or deliverability issues
…then setting up recurring checks is worth the 10 minutes. Otherwise, don’t overcomplicate it—just run a manual clean before big sends.
Pro tip: If your list is static (say, quarterly webinars with static invites), recurring verification is overkill. Save your energy.
Step 1: Get Familiar With Debounce’s Recurring Tasks
Before you dive in, understand what Debounce can (and can’t) do:
- Recurring tasks in Debounce let you schedule list verifications on a regular basis. This isn’t just “set it and forget it”—you still need to check reports and deal with flagged addresses.
- You can connect Debounce to most major platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.) or upload files via SFTP, Google Drive, or manual upload.
- Debounce won’t auto-remove bad emails in your ESP unless you set up integrations—otherwise, you’ll get flagged addresses in a report and have to clean up.
What Debounce doesn’t do:
- Fix typos automatically (it’ll flag, not edit)
- “Warm up” cold addresses
- Guarantee 100% deliverability (nobody can)
Step 2: Choose the Right Integration Method
How you connect your lists to Debounce determines how smooth (or frustrating) your workflow is. Here’s what actually works:
1. Direct ESP Integrations
If you use Mailchimp, HubSpot, Sendinblue, etc., this is the lowest-maintenance option. Debounce pulls your lists, verifies them, and (sometimes) can write back results.
What works: - Direct sync—no need to export/import files. - Some platforms let you auto-remove invalid emails.
What to watch for: - Not all ESP integrations support two-way sync. - API limits—if your ESP throttles API calls, be careful with large lists. - Sometimes, data fields don’t map perfectly (e.g., custom tags).
2. File-Based (CSV, SFTP, Google Drive)
If you’re using a CRM or tool Debounce doesn’t support directly, schedule uploads from shared drives or SFTP.
What works: - Good for teams using shared lists, or where IT controls the data. - Can handle big lists well.
What to watch for: - Manual steps—someone still has to upload/download files unless you automate it. - Version control—easy to mix up “latest” lists if you’re not careful.
3. API Integration
If you’ve got a dev team or use custom tools, Debounce’s API is solid. Build your own automations—just be sure you actually need this level of control.
What works: - Full automation, tailored to your stack. - Real-time verification possible.
What to watch for: - Requires someone who can write and maintain scripts. - API limits and authentication headaches.
Bottom line:
If you can use a direct integration, do it. Only go API if you have unique needs or lots of volume.
Step 3: Decide How Often to Verify
Here’s where people overthink things. More frequent isn’t always better—it just costs more and can annoy your team.
- Weekly: Best for fast-growing lists or daily signups.
- Biweekly: Good for active lists that change, but not at breakneck speed.
- Monthly: Fine for most newsletters or periodic campaigns.
Don’t:
- Schedule daily checks unless you’re running high-volume, transactional emails.
- Forget to factor in cost—Debounce charges per verification, so unnecessary checks burn budget.
Pro tip:
Start monthly, then tighten up if you see lots of new invalids slipping through.
Step 4: Set Up Your First Recurring Task in Debounce
Let’s get practical. Here’s the quick version:
- Log into Debounce.
- Go to the “Recurring Tasks” or “Automations” tab (the exact name changes, but you’ll find it).
- Click “Create New Task.”
- Select your list source:
- Pick your ESP integration, upload a file, or connect Google Drive/SFTP.
- Set your schedule:
- Pick weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
- Choose what happens after verification:
- Get a report? Auto-remove? Sync results back to ESP?
- Save and enable the task.
What to ignore:
- Don’t fuss with advanced filters unless you have a real reason (e.g., only want to verify new signups, not the whole list).
- Don’t set up tons of separate tasks for minor list segments—combine where practical.
Step 5: Handle Results (and Actually Clean Your List)
Recurring tasks are useless if you don’t act on the output. After each run, Debounce gives you a report with:
- Valid: Good to go.
- Invalid: Remove or suppress these.
- Catch-all/Unknown: Risky—some ESPs hate these addresses.
- Disposable/Role-Based: Up to you, but consider suppressing.
What works: - Auto-suppressing invalids if your ESP integration supports it. - Tagging risky addresses for review, rather than deleting outright.
What to ignore: - Don’t obsess over every “unknown”—some servers never confirm addresses. - Don’t permanently delete addresses without a backup. Suppression lists are safer.
Step 6: Monitor and Adjust
Recurring automations are “set and forget” only up to a point.
- Check reports periodically. Are you seeing a spike in invalids? That could mean a bad signup source.
- Adjust frequency if you’re seeing almost no changes between runs (cut back), or too many new invalids (speed up or check your forms).
- Watch your ESP’s bounce and complaint rates—if they’re still high, email hygiene isn’t your only problem.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
What Actually Makes a Difference
- Get your forms in order. Most bad emails come from typos or spam bots. Use double opt-in, CAPTCHAs, or email validation at the form level if you can.
- Suppress, don’t delete. Suppression lists let you keep a record and avoid accidentally re-importing junk.
- Don’t chase “zero invalids.” Every list has some churn. Aim for minimal invalids, not perfection.
What to Ignore
- Endless list segmentations for verification. Just verify your active lists.
- Marketing claims that “AI-powered verification” is wildly better. The tech is solid, but nobody can verify every address with 100% accuracy.
- Over-complicated workflows. More steps = more places for things to break.
When Recurring Verification Isn’t Enough
If you’re still seeing high bounce rates after all this, look at:
- Your list sources (are you buying lists? Please don’t.)
- How you handle unsubscribes
- Your sending reputation (warm up new domains, watch volume spikes)
Email deliverability is a moving target—verification helps, but isn’t magic.
Keep it simple. Start with monthly recurring verification in Debounce, automate what you can, and don’t stress over every detail. You can always tweak your setup later. The best setup is the one you’ll actually maintain, not the fanciest.