So, you’re getting more leads than you can handle—or at least more than you want to wade through manually. Maybe you’re tired of sifting through junk emails, or you just want to make sure your sales team isn’t wasting time on dead ends. If you’re nodding, you’re in the right place.
This guide is for anyone who wants to stop fussing with spreadsheets and start automatically scoring leads as they hit your system. We’ll use Usebouncer to check and validate emails, then use Zapier to glue everything together—no code, no drama.
Let’s get practical.
Why Automate Lead Scoring?
If you're reading this, you probably already know the pain: lead forms flooded with fake emails, or sales wasting time chasing down leads that never reply. Manual checking is boring, inconsistent, and honestly, nobody wants that job.
Automated lead scoring does a few things: - Filters out obvious junk (think: “asdf@asdf.com”). - Prioritizes leads that actually look promising. - Saves your team a ton of time.
But automation isn’t magic. It works best as a filter—not as the final say on whether a lead is gold or garbage.
What You’ll Need
Before you get started, make sure you’ve got these basics covered:
- A Usebouncer account (paid or trial, doesn’t matter for this walkthrough).
- A Zapier account. Free is fine for simple workflows.
- Your lead capture tool (could be a form builder like Typeform, Google Forms, or your CRM).
- A place to store leads (Google Sheets, Airtable, or your CRM).
If you don’t have all of these yet, pause here and set them up. Otherwise, you’ll be doubling back, and nobody wants to do things twice.
Step 1: Understand What “Lead Scoring” Means for You
Before you start wiring things up, get clear on what you actually care about. Otherwise, you’ll set up a Rube Goldberg machine that doesn’t help anybody.
Common lead scoring criteria: - Is the email valid (not disposable, typo, or gibberish)? - Is the company domain legit or a free email (like Gmail)? - Did the lead fill in all fields, or just the bare minimum? - Are there specific keywords in the data (job title, company size, etc.)?
Pro tip: Don’t try to score everything. Start simple—“Is this a real person at a real company?” is plenty for most businesses.
Step 2: Set Up Usebouncer for Email Validation
Usebouncer is an email verification tool. It checks whether an email is valid, if it’s disposable, or if it’s likely to bounce. You’ll need to grab your API key:
- Sign up or log in at Usebouncer.
- Go to the dashboard and find your API key (usually under settings or integrations).
- Copy it somewhere safe—you’ll need it in Zapier.
What works: Usebouncer is good at catching obvious fakes and disposable emails.
What doesn’t: No tool can 100% guarantee every email is human and interested. Don’t expect miracles.
Step 3: Build Your Lead Capture Form
Most people already have a form. If you don’t, any of these will do: - Google Forms (quick and dirty) - Typeform (pretty, but can get expensive) - Gravity Forms (if you’re on WordPress) - Direct integration with your CRM
Make sure your form collects at least: - Name - Email - (Optional) Company, Job Title, or anything else you care about
Ignore: Fancy multi-step forms or progressive profiling unless you really need it. Simpler is often better.
Step 4: Set Up Your Lead Storage
You’ll want a place to store leads after they’re scored. Here are the common options: - Google Sheets: Fast, free, and easy to audit. - Airtable: Slicker interface, more features. - CRM: If you’ve already got one, use it.
Caveat: If you’re using a CRM, check what Zapier integrations are available. Not all CRMs play nice.
Step 5: Connect Everything in Zapier
Here’s where Zapier does its thing. The basic flow:
1. Trigger: New lead is submitted via your form.
2. Action: Usebouncer checks the email.
3. Filter (Optional): Only continue if Usebouncer says the email is valid.
4. Score the lead: Add columns for “Email Valid?” and maybe “Company Domain?” Zapier can write this data to your sheet/CRM.
5. Output: Store the scored lead or send to your sales team.
Let’s walk through a Google Sheets example:
5.1. Create a New Zap
- Trigger: “New Response in Google Forms” or “New Row in Google Sheet”
- Action: “Usebouncer – Verify Email Address”
- Paste in your API key.
- Map the email field from your form.
- Action: “Update Row in Google Sheet” (or “Create Row” if you want a log)
- Add a column for the Usebouncer result (valid, risky, invalid, disposable, etc.).
5.2. Add a Filter (Optional, but recommended)
- Insert a “Filter” step in Zapier.
- Only continue if Usebouncer result is “valid.”
- You can get fancy and score higher for business domains (not Gmail, Yahoo, etc.).
5.3. Scoring Logic (The Real World Version)
- Add a “Lead Score” column.
- Use Zapier’s built-in “Formatter” or “Code by Zapier” step to set rules. Example:
- +10 if email is valid
- +5 if domain is not Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo
- +3 if company field is filled
You don’t need AI for this. Simple logic usually beats black-box models.
Step 6: Use the Scored Leads
Now you’ve got a list of leads with scores. What next?
- Send high-scoring leads to sales automatically.
- Send low scores to a nurture campaign or ignore.
- Set up alerts for “hot” leads via Slack or email.
Pro tip: Review your results every few weeks. If too many good leads are getting filtered out, loosen your rules. If junk is sneaking through, tighten up.
What to Ignore (For Now)
- Don’t overcomplicate with 20+ scoring criteria. Start with 2-3.
- Don’t trust any tool to spot 100% of bad leads. Automation is a filter, not a crystal ball.
- Don’t try to automate the entire sales process on day one. Get lead scoring working first.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - Automating obvious stuff (like email validity) saves real time. - Zapier is reliable for simple workflows. - Usebouncer’s API is straightforward and does what it promises.
What doesn’t: - No tool can read a lead’s mind—don’t expect to spot “intent” with automation. - Overengineering makes things fragile. Keep it simple. - Relying solely on email validation means you might miss good leads with oddball addresses.
Summary: Start Simple, Iterate Often
Automating lead scoring with Usebouncer and Zapier is a smart way to cut busywork and let your sales team focus on real leads. But don’t get sucked into complexity for its own sake. Start with basic email validation and a couple of scoring rules. Tweak as you go.
Remember: The goal is to make things easier, not to build a Rube Goldberg machine. Keep it simple, check your results, and adjust as needed. That’s how you win with automation.