How to analyze email validation reports in Truemail for improved campaign results

If you’re running email campaigns, you already know: bad data kills results. Bounces, spam traps, and fake addresses waste your time and can even get you blacklisted. That’s where email validation tools like Truemail come in. But here’s the rub—most people just run their list through, glance at the report, and move on. If that’s you, you’re leaving money (and deliverability) on the table.

This guide is for anyone who wants to get more out of their Truemail reports. I’ll show you what to look for, what to ignore, and how to actually use these insights to get better campaign results. No fluff, no sales pitch, just what works.

1. Get to Know the Truemail Report: What’s Actually Useful?

Before you start slicing and dicing, let’s get clear on what Truemail gives you. When you upload a list, you get back a report with several columns. Some are gold; some are noise. Here’s the breakdown:

The Key Columns

  • Email Address: Obvious, but this is your reference point for everything.
  • Status: This is the big one. Usually shows: valid, invalid, accept all, unknown, disposable, catch-all, or spamtrap.
  • Reason: More detail on why something is invalid (e.g., syntax error, mailbox full, domain doesn’t exist).
  • Suggested Action: Sometimes, Truemail gives you a nudge (e.g., “Remove from list” or “Re-validate later”).
  • Risk Level: Not always in every export, but can flag high-risk emails.

What to Ignore (Most of the Time)

  • Domain Country or Provider: Unless you’re running geo-targeted campaigns, it’s just extra info.
  • MX Record Details: It’s technical and rarely changes what you do next.
  • Last Validation Date: Useful only if you’re reusing old lists.

Pro tip: Don’t get distracted by columns you don’t need. Focus on status and reason—they drive your decisions.

2. Filter and Segment: Don’t Just Hit “Delete All Invalid”

Truemail will tempt you to “clean” your list in one go. That’s fine, but you’ll get better results if you dig a little deeper. Here’s how to break down your report:

Step 1: Separate the Obvious

  • Valid: Keep these. They’re your bread and butter.
  • Invalid: Remove these. No exceptions—they’ll bounce or are fake.
  • Disposable: These are temporary inboxes (like mailinator.com). Usually junk, but if you’re running a promo or freebie, check if you want to keep them.

Step 2: Dig Into the Gray Areas

  • Catch-all / Accept-all: These addresses might accept anything, but you can’t know for sure if the individual mailbox exists.
    • For cold outreach or high-stakes campaigns: Remove or set aside. These can hurt deliverability if too many bounce.
    • For newsletters or low-risk: Consider keeping, but monitor engagement. If you see bounces or zero opens, cull them next time.
  • Unknown: Sometimes a server won’t confirm if an address is valid. Treat these like catch-alls: risky, but not always bad.
  • Spamtrap: If Truemail flags any as a spamtrap, delete them immediately. These can get you blacklisted fast.
  • Role-based (e.g., info@, sales@): Not always flagged by status, but worth filtering—these addresses rarely convert and sometimes trigger spam filters.

Pro tip: Always export your cleaned list and your “maybes” separately. Don’t just delete everything Truemail doesn’t mark as “valid”—sometimes, you’ll want to revisit unknowns or catch-alls.

3. Analyze Patterns: Don’t Just Look at Individual Emails

If you’re managing multiple lists or running regular campaigns, patterns matter. Here’s what to look for:

a. High Rate of Invalid or Disposable Addresses

  • What it means: Your sign-up process is too easy to game, or you’re buying low-quality lists.
  • What to do: Add email verification at sign-up, or rethink your list sources. If you’re seeing more than 5-10% invalids, that’s a red flag.

b. Lots of Catch-alls or Unknowns

  • What it means: Targeting lots of business domains, or the validation tool can’t get a clear answer.
  • What to do: If your campaigns depend on high deliverability, consider warming up new domains or using a double opt-in.

c. Frequent Spamtraps

  • What it means: Your list is old, scraped, or has been resold. Serious deliverability risk.
  • What to do: Consider starting fresh. Never email these addresses again.

Pro tip: Keep a running log of your validation rates and trends. If things start going south, you’ll know before your inbox placement tanks.

4. Put the Data to Work: How to Use Your Cleaned List

You’ve filtered and flagged. Now what? Here’s how to actually use your hard-earned clean list:

a. Upload Only the Good Stuff

  • Only send to addresses marked “valid.”
  • Keep catch-alls and unknowns in a separate segment if you want to experiment with them—but consider throttling sends or testing with low-stakes content first.

b. Monitor Engagement—Don’t Trust Validation Alone

  • Sometimes, an address is technically valid but never opens anything. After a couple of campaigns, cull these too.
  • Set up simple tracking: If someone hasn’t opened in 3–6 months, move them off your main list.

c. Set Up Re-Validation Reminders

  • Email lists go stale fast. Schedule re-validation every 3–6 months, especially if your list is growing or you’re seeing more bounces.

Pro tip: Don’t get obsessed with having a massive list. Smaller, cleaner, and more engaged lists always win.

5. What Actually Moves the Needle (And What Doesn’t)

Let’s be real—email validation is just one piece of the puzzle. Here’s what actually matters for better campaign results:

What Works

  • Regular validation: Keeps bounces low and protects your sender reputation.
  • List hygiene: Remove unengaged users, even if they’re valid.
  • Segmenting: Send different content to new vs. old subscribers, or to re-engage inactive users.

Don’t Waste Time On

  • Chasing every last “unknown”: You’ll never get a perfect list. Focus on the clear wins.
  • Over-analyzing technical data: Unless you’re running a deliverability consultancy, most of it won’t help you.
  • Obsessing over open rates: Apple’s privacy features have made these less reliable. Focus on clicks and replies.

6. Troubleshooting: When Truemail Results Don’t Make Sense

Sometimes, your Truemail report looks weird—maybe you see tons of catch-alls, or a sudden spike in invalids. Here’s what to check:

  • Are you using an old list? Old emails go stale. Expect higher invalid rates.
  • Imported from a CRM or third-party tool? These often have junk data. Clean before importing.
  • Weird domain patterns? If you see lots of addresses from the same oddball domain, it’s probably a bot or a fake sign-up.

If you’re stumped, try running a batch of the “unknowns” through the tool again in a week. Sometimes, mail servers just have bad days.

7. Quick Checklist: Your Truemail Report Workflow

  1. Upload your list to Truemail.
  2. Download the full report.
  3. Filter:
    • Remove all invalid, disposable, and spamtrap addresses.
    • Set aside catch-all and unknown for a second look.
    • Flag role-based emails.
  4. Analyze:
    • Check invalid/unknown rates. Are you trending up or down?
    • Spot patterns in domains or sources.
  5. Export:
    • Save your clean list and your “maybes” separately.
  6. Use:
    • Send campaigns to the clean list only.
    • Monitor engagement. Prune regularly.
    • Schedule re-validation.

Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Don’t let reports and validation data paralyze you. The goal isn’t a perfect list—it’s a healthy, engaged one. Use Truemail to do the heavy lifting, trust your process, and keep refining. Most importantly, don’t forget to actually send great emails to the people who want them. That’s what gets results.