If you run outreach campaigns, you know the pain of seeing your emails bounce or, worse, land in spam. Wasting time (and burning your domain’s reputation) on bad email addresses is a rookie mistake—one that’s totally avoidable. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually reach real inboxes, not just check off the “sent” box.
Here’s how to use Contactout to find, check, and verify emails before you hit send. No fluff, just what works, what to watch out for, and how to avoid nasty surprises once your campaign goes live.
Why Email Deliverability Matters (and What’s at Stake)
Let’s keep it simple: if your emails don’t reach real people, nothing else matters. You could have the world’s best pitch, but it won’t help if you’re emailing dead addresses or tripping spam filters.
Here’s what’s on the line: - Sender reputation: Too many bounces and spam complaints? Email providers start flagging you as a problem sender. That reputation is tough to shake. - Campaign results: Low deliverability = low open rates, zero replies, and wasted effort. - Blacklists: Keep pushing to bad addresses and you could end up on blocklists. Getting off those is a nightmare.
Bottom line: Quality trumps quantity. Better to send 100 emails that land, than 1,000 that go nowhere.
Step 1: Build Your List with Quality in Mind
Before you even think about verification, make sure you’re starting with a decent list. If you’re scraping emails off random websites or buying sketchy lists, you’re already behind.
What actually works: - Targeted prospecting: Use reputable sources and tools. Contactout, for example, helps you find work emails tied to real people on LinkedIn. - Keep it fresh: Old lists rot fast. People change jobs, companies rebrand, domains die. Build your lists close to your send date.
Avoid: - Buying email lists. Seriously, don’t do it. - Scraping emails from places where people didn’t expect to be contacted.
Pro tip: It’s easier to verify a smaller, relevant list than to clean up a giant mess.
Step 2: Use Contactout to Find and Export Emails
Contactout is popular for a reason: it pulls work emails (and sometimes phone numbers) for LinkedIn profiles. Here’s how to use it without overcomplicating things:
- Install the Chrome Extension: You’ll need it to pull emails directly from LinkedIn.
- Search and Collect: Browse LinkedIn, view a profile, and hit the Contactout extension. If there’s an email, it’ll show up. Save it to your Contactout dashboard.
- Export Your List: When you’re done, export your leads (usually as a CSV).
Honest take:
Contactout’s data is pretty solid, but no tool’s perfect. Expect a small percentage of outdated or invalid emails, especially for people who’ve switched jobs recently. That’s why verification is still a must.
Step 3: Verify Emails Before Sending
Just because an email looks real doesn’t mean it’ll land. You need to check if it actually works. Contactout has basic built-in verification, but let’s dig into what that means—and whether it’s enough.
3.1. How Contactout’s Verification Works
When you export emails from Contactout, you’ll see a verification status (like “valid,” “risky,” or “invalid”). Here’s what those mean:
- Valid: The email server responded, and the address should exist.
- Risky: The server didn’t confirm, or it accepts all emails (a “catch-all” domain). These might work, but are less reliable.
- Invalid: The address is dead, or the server says it doesn’t exist.
What to trust:
“Valid” is pretty safe. “Risky” is a gamble—some will work, some bounce. “Invalid” means don’t even try.
3.2. Should You Use a Separate Verification Tool?
If you’re sending a small campaign and most addresses are marked “valid,” you’re probably fine. But if: - You have a big list, - There are lots of “risky” or unverified emails, - Or you’re extra cautious about deliverability,
…then run your list through a dedicated verifier like NeverBounce, ZeroBounce, or Kickbox. They’ll usually catch a few more bad apples.
What doesn’t matter:
Don’t waste time on “free” online verifiers—they’re unreliable and often just want your data.
Step 4: Clean Up Your List
Now’s the time to prune. Go through your exported CSV and:
- Delete all “invalid” emails.
- Decide on “risky” emails: If you’re feeling bold, you can keep some, but be prepared for a slightly higher bounce rate. If you’re protecting a new domain or warming up an inbox, it’s best to cut them.
- Keep only “valid” emails for your main send.
Pro tip: Save a backup of your full list. If you ever want to try risky addresses later, you won’t need to rebuild from scratch.
Step 5: Prep Your Sending Infrastructure
Even the best-verified list can flop if your sending setup is off. Here’s what to check before you send:
- Use a reputable sending platform: Don’t send mass emails from Gmail or Outlook—they’ll throttle you, and it looks spammy.
- Warm up your domain: New domains need time to build trust. Send a small batch first, watch the results, then ramp up.
- Set up proper authentication: Make sure you’ve got SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records set up. If those sound like gibberish, ask your IT person or use your email platform’s setup guides.
- Limit daily sends: Don’t blast thousands of emails at once, especially from a new or cold domain. Slow and steady wins here.
What’s overrated:
“Deliverability hacks” like weird subject line tricks or fancy HTML designs won’t save you if your list or setup is bad.
Step 6: Send a Test Campaign
Before you go all-in, send a small test batch (maybe 20–50 emails) to see what happens:
- Check bounce rates: If you verified well, you should see less than 2% hard bounces. Higher? Double-check your list.
- Monitor replies and opens: If nobody’s opening or responding, your emails might be going to spam—or your messaging needs work.
- Look for spam flags: If you use a sending platform, check if any ISPs are blocking or flagging your emails.
If something looks off:
Pause. Figure out if it’s your list, your content, or your setup before you scale up.
Step 7: Iterate and Keep Your List Healthy
Lists go stale. People change jobs, domains expire, stuff happens. Here’s how to stay on top of it:
- Re-verify old lists: If it’s been more than a month since you built your list, verify again before sending.
- Remove hard bounces and unsubscribes: After every campaign, update your list. Ignoring this is how you get flagged as spam.
- Don’t overthink it: Fancy automations are nice, but simple is better. Just keep your list clean and updated.
Honest FAQ: What People Get Wrong About Verification
Q: Can I just skip verification if my list is small?
A: You can, but why risk it? Even a handful of bounces can hurt your sender reputation.
Q: Are “catch-all” or “risky” emails worth it?
A: Sometimes they work, sometimes not. If you want to play it safe, skip them. If you’re willing to accept a bounce or two, include a few—but monitor results.
Q: Will verifying emails guarantee perfect deliverability?
A: Nope. Verification helps, but your sending reputation, content, and setup matter just as much.
Q: Does Contactout sell my data if I upload a list?
A: As of writing, Contactout doesn’t require you to upload your own list for verification—so you avoid that headache. Always check a tool’s privacy policy before uploading anything sensitive.
Keep It Simple: The TL;DR
Don’t get caught up in gimmicks. If you build your list carefully, verify emails with Contactout (or another solid tool), and keep your sending setup clean, you’ll avoid most deliverability nightmares. Start small, learn what works, and tweak as you go.
The world doesn’t need more spam. It needs more emails that actually reach people who care. That’s what you’re aiming for—keep it straightforward, and you’ll do just fine.