Let’s be honest: if your CRM is stuffed with fake emails, typos, and “Mickey Mouse” at Disney.com, you’re not alone. Nobody wants to waste time chasing bogus leads, but manual cleanup is a drag. If you’re tired of sifting through garbage data, or watching your sales team roll their eyes at another bounced email, this guide is for you.
Here’s how to actually automate lead verification in your CRM using Verifybee workflows — with practical steps, caveats, and no fluff.
Why bother with lead verification automation?
Before we get to the how, let’s be clear on the why.
- Less Junk: Bad data means wasted time, money, and morale. Cleaning it up after the fact is a pain.
- Happier Sales Teams: Verified leads = fewer embarrassing bounces and more focus on real prospects.
- Better Reports: Dirty data skews your metrics. Fixing it up front gives you a truer picture.
Manual verification is a slog. Automating it isn’t magic, but it’s a big step forward.
Step 1: Get the basics set up
You can’t automate what you don’t understand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A CRM: This guide assumes you’re using a mainstream CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.). If you’re on a homegrown system, some steps may need tweaking.
- A Verifybee account: Sign up and poke around their dashboard before you try to wire things up.
- API access or app marketplace permissions: Most integrations need you to be an admin, or at least have the right role.
Pro tip: If you’re not the CRM admin, loop them in early. Chasing permissions slows everything down.
Step 2: Map your lead flow
Automation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Take five minutes to sketch (on a notepad or whiteboard) how leads enter your CRM:
- Web forms?
- Manual imports from spreadsheets?
- Landing page tools (Unbounce, Typeform, etc.)?
- Sales team adding them by hand?
Why this matters: You need to hook Verifybee in where the data comes in. If leads sneak in through a side door, they’ll skip verification.
Step 3: Connect Verifybee to your CRM
Now, link things up.
Option 1: Native integration
Some CRMs are directly supported. In Verifybee, look for an “Integrations” or “Connected Apps” section. Common steps:
- Select your CRM (e.g. HubSpot).
- Authenticate: Log in and let Verifybee talk to your CRM.
- Choose your object: Usually “Leads” or “Contacts.”
- Pick trigger: New record created, form submitted, etc.
If you see your CRM here, congrats — this is the fastest path. The docs are usually decent, but if you get stuck, Verifybee’s support is responsive (in our experience).
Option 2: Zapier or similar connector
If there’s no direct integration, use an automation tool (Zapier, Make, Pabbly, etc.):
- Trigger: New lead in CRM.
- Action: Send lead info to Verifybee for verification.
- Result: Update the lead with Verifybee’s response (valid/invalid).
This adds a small delay (a few seconds at best), but works for most setups. It’s not rocket science, but test it with a few fake leads before you trust it.
Option 3: API integration (for the technical crowd)
If you need something custom, Verifybee has an API. You’ll need:
- API keys (from your Verifybee dashboard)
- A developer (unless you’re handy with REST calls)
- A plan for error handling — what if Verifybee is down, or the API rate limits you?
Don’t overcomplicate it if you don’t have to. Most teams can get by with options 1 or 2.
Step 4: Set up your Verifybee workflow
This is where the magic (well, logic) happens. In Verifybee, you’ll build a workflow that:
- Receives the lead data
- Runs verification (email, phone, or both)
- Returns a result
Workflow basics
- What gets checked? Most teams start with email, sometimes phone. Don’t waste credits on data you don’t care about.
- What counts as “valid”? Decide: are you only accepting deliverable emails, or do you want to flag role-based addresses (like info@ or sales@) too?
- What happens with invalid leads? Options:
- Tag or mark them in the CRM
- Assign to a “Review” or “Junk” pipeline
- Auto-delete (not recommended unless you’re really confident)
Pro tip:
Start by tagging, not deleting. You’ll want to spot-check Verifybee’s results for a few weeks.
Step 5: Test with real (but safe) data
Don’t go live on day one. Run a batch of test leads through the workflow:
- Use a mix of real, fake, and edge-case emails (typos, disposable emails, catch-alls, etc.)
- Check how Verifybee flags them
- Make sure the CRM updates as expected
If you see weird results (good leads marked invalid, or vice versa), tweak your workflow settings. Every business is a little different.
Step 6: Decide what to do with the results (and automate it)
Verification is only half the battle. You need to decide how your team will use the results.
- Auto-disqualify obvious junk: For example, block disposable email domains or clear fakes.
- Flag “iffy” leads for manual review: Maybe some emails are technically valid but look sketchy (e.g. no company domain).
- Route good leads as usual: Only verified leads go to the main sales pipeline.
In most CRMs, you can use automation or workflows to move, tag, or assign records based on the Verifybee status.
Don’t overthink it: Start simple. You can always get fancier later.
Step 7: Monitor and tweak
No system is perfect out of the box. Once you’re live:
- Review rejected leads weekly: Are you missing good ones? Any false positives?
- Watch for API hiccups: Sometimes integrations break after a CRM update.
- Check your credit usage: Verifybee charges per verification. You don’t want a surprise bill because someone imported a 100k-record spreadsheet.
If you see patterns (certain sources always produce junk, or certain domains always fail), refine your forms or lead sources too.
What works (and what doesn’t)
The good
- Automating verification saves a ton of time. No more manual checks or angry salespeople.
- Verifybee catches obvious junk and most fakes. Typos, disposable emails, etc. get flagged reliably.
- Setup is doable for most teams. You don’t need a developer unless you want something fancy.
The not-so-good
- It’s not 100% foolproof. Some clever bots (and real people with bad data) can sneak through.
- Phone verification is hit-or-miss. Email is more reliable. If you rely on phone, expect some false negatives.
- You can’t fix upstream messes with downstream automation. If your forms are wide open and invite garbage, you’ll still get some.
What to ignore
- Don’t obsess over every single “maybe” lead. You’ll drive yourself crazy chasing perfection.
- Don’t automate deletion right away. Always review what you’re throwing out for at least a month.
Quick tips for smoother automation
- Keep your forms simple but firm: Use email validation at the point of entry if you can.
- Document your workflow: So others can maintain it and you don’t have to redo everything when someone leaves.
- Communicate with sales and marketing: Let them know what’s changing and why. Surprises = panic.
- Start small: Automate one entry point at a time, not everything all at once.
Wrapping up
Automating lead verification with Verifybee isn’t rocket science. Take it step by step, keep your workflow visible, and don’t try to solve every edge case on day one. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s just to waste less time on junk leads and make life a little easier for everyone. Start simple, see what breaks, and tweak as you go. Good luck!