If your email campaigns keep landing in spam (or worse, bouncing), you’re not alone. Bad data is the enemy of good email deliverability. This is for marketers, sales pros, and founders who use email to reach prospects—and are tired of wasting time and money on emails that never get read. If you’re using Uplead to build your lists, you’ve got a head start, but you still need to verify those email addresses before hitting send.
Here’s how to actually do it—without getting sucked into pointless busywork or falling for overhyped claims.
Why Bother Verifying Emails in Uplead?
Let’s get this straight: even the best B2B data providers aren’t perfect. People change jobs. Companies go under. Typos sneak in. If you don’t verify, here’s what happens:
- Bounces go up. Too many bounces and your sender reputation tanks.
- Spam traps. Some “emails” are just traps to catch spammers. Hit those, and you’re toast.
- Wasted money. You pay to send to ghosts.
- Annoyed prospects. Nothing says “automated spam” like reaching out to someone who left the company a year ago.
Verifying isn’t just an optional “nice-to-have.” It’s the difference between a decent campaign and one that damages your domain.
Step 1: Build or Import a List in Uplead
Before you can verify anything, you need a list. Uplead lets you:
- Search for leads using filters (industry, company size, title, etc.)
- Upload your own list (CSV files only—no Excel, no Google Sheets direct import)
Pro tip: If you’re uploading, clean your file first. Remove weird characters, blank rows, and make sure the email column is labeled clearly. Uplead’s import tool is decent, but it won’t fix junk data.
Step 2: Understand How Uplead Handles Email Verification
Here’s what most people miss: Uplead claims to verify emails in real time when you download a list. That means every email marked as “Verified” should work. But the reality? No system is perfect. Here’s what you need to know:
- Green checkmark = “Verified.” Uplead says this address is good to go.
- Yellow warning = “Accept All.” The domain accepts all emails, so Uplead can’t confirm if it’s real. Riskier.
- Red X = “Unverified/Invalid.” Don’t bother with these.
Reality check: Even “Verified” emails can bounce occasionally. No provider can guarantee 100%. If your campaign is mission-critical, consider running a second verification with a dedicated tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) before sending.
Step 3: Download Only Verified Emails
Don’t get greedy. Download only the leads with the green checkmark:
- Apply the “Verified Emails Only” filter before exporting your list.
- Download as CSV.
This cuts out the obvious dead weight. Yes, your list will be smaller. That’s a good thing. Sending to 500 clean emails beats blasting 2,000 that get you flagged as a spammer.
What about “Accept All” emails?
These are a judgment call. Some are real, some bounce. If you’re warming up a new domain or have a fragile sender reputation, skip them. If you’re okay with a few bounces and need to hit quota, give them a try—but keep an eye on your bounce rate.
Step 4: (Optional but Smart) Re-Verify with a Third-Party Tool
No shame in double-checking. Uplead’s built-in verification is pretty good, but:
- Some servers are tricky (especially catch-alls and big orgs)
- Data gets stale fast
- If you’re doing high-volume outreach, a second layer of verification can save your bacon
How to do it:
Upload your Uplead CSV to a tool like NeverBounce, ZeroBounce, or BriteVerify.
- They’ll flag risky or dead addresses Uplead might have missed.
- Most charge a small fee per check—worth it if you care about deliverability.
Honest take:
Don’t bother with re-verification if you’re sending to a small, hand-picked list or just testing. But for big campaigns? It’s cheap insurance.
Step 5: Remove Duplicates and Obvious Junk
Uplead does an okay job at deduplication, but always double-check:
- Remove duplicate emails (easy in Excel or Google Sheets: use “Remove Duplicates”)
- Scan for weird formats (no @ sign, obvious typos, etc.)
- Delete generic role addresses unless you really want them (info@, sales@, support@). These tend to get ignored or flagged.
Pro tip: Keep a “Do Not Email” list handy—past unsubscribes, legal blocks, or competitors. Cross-check before sending.
Step 6: Test Before You Blast
Even after all that, don’t assume you’re bulletproof. Do a test send:
- Send to a small segment first (10–20 emails)
- Check your bounce rate. Under 2% is great; 5% is the upper limit before ESPs get twitchy.
- Watch for weird replies (out-of-office, spam complaints, etc.)
If your test goes sideways, pause. Re-check your list or try another verification pass.
Step 7: Monitor Results and Adjust
Email deliverability isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. Keep an eye on:
- Bounce rate (should stay low)
- Open rate (bad data = low opens)
- Spam complaints (if these spike, stop and rethink your approach)
If you see problems, don’t just blame Uplead. Sometimes it’s your message, your domain reputation, or the frequency of sends.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Sticking to “Verified” emails - Small, focused sends - Cleaning your own data before uploading
What doesn’t: - Blindly trusting any data provider (including Uplead) - Mass-emailing “Accept All” or unverified addresses - Thinking verification is a one-time job
What to ignore: - “Guaranteed deliverability” claims. Nobody can promise that. - Overpriced verification add-ons that do the same thing as cheaper tools. - Shiny dashboards that distract from the basics: send only to real, engaged humans.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Deliverability gets better when you trim the fat. Use Uplead’s built-in tools, double-check when it matters, and don’t overcomplicate things. If your results aren’t great, tweak and try again. The best senders don’t blast—they iterate.
Get your list clean, hit send, and see what works. Then do more of that.