So, you’ve got a big list of emails, and you’re about to hit “send” on your next outreach campaign. But here’s the thing: if you don’t verify those addresses, you’re practically begging for bounces, spam folder doom, and a trashed sender reputation. This guide is for anyone who wants to do bulk email outreach right—not just spray and pray.
If you’re tired of false promises from tools that overcomplicate things, you’ll want a straightforward, reliable way to weed out the bad emails. That’s where Hunter comes in. Let’s walk through exactly how to use it to verify bulk emails—without wasting hours or getting lost in the weeds.
Why Bother Verifying Emails Before Outreach?
Before you start, it’s worth being clear about the “why.” Here’s what you’re dodging by verifying:
- High Bounce Rates: Too many bad addresses, and your emails start bouncing—fast.
- Bad Sender Reputation: ISPs and email services notice. If you look spammy, you’re headed to the junk folder.
- Wasted Effort: No one wants to chase ghosts or fill up their CRM with junk.
You’re not just following best practices—you’re protecting your own time and results.
What You Need Before You Start
Don’t overthink it. Here’s what you need:
- A CSV file with the emails you want to check (Hunter likes CSVs best).
- A Hunter account. Free plans exist, but you’ll probably want credits for bulk jobs.
- A bit of patience (big lists take a few minutes).
Pro tip: Clean up your CSV first. Remove obvious garbage, empty cells, and duplicates. Hunter’s good, but it can’t make sense of “johndoe@gmail,com” or “noreply@thisisfake.”
Step 1: Log In and Get to the Bulk Email Verifier
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Log in to your Hunter account.
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If you don’t have one, sign up. The free tier is fine for testing, but you’ll hit a ceiling fast if you verify lots of emails.
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Head to the Bulk Email Verifier tool.
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In the left menu, look for “Bulk” or “Bulk Email Verifier.” Hunter moves menus around sometimes, but it’s easy to spot.
Step 2: Upload Your Email List
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Prepare your CSV.
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Make sure your emails are in one column. You don’t need names, but you can add them if you want.
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Click “New Bulk Verification.”
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Name your list (helps keep things organized).
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Upload your CSV.
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Drag-and-drop or use the upload button.
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If Hunter asks you to map columns, just make sure the email column is correctly matched.
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Start the verification process.
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Hit the big, obvious button. You’ll see a progress bar.
Heads up: If your list is huge (thousands of emails), Hunter will chew through it, but it might take a little while. Don’t refresh or close the window until you see confirmation it’s done.
Step 3: Review the Results
Hunter will split your list into several categories:
- Valid: These should be safe to email.
- Accept all: The domain accepts all emails—Hunter can’t guarantee these are real, but they might be.
- Invalid: Guaranteed bounce. Don’t bother.
- Unknown: Couldn’t verify—maybe the server doesn’t cooperate.
What Actually Matters?
- Send to “Valid” only if you care about deliverability. That’s the safest route.
- “Accept all” is a gamble. Some domains, especially big companies, accept all emails but don’t deliver them. Your call, but don’t blame Hunter if bounce rates go up.
- Skip “Invalid.” Seriously, don’t email these.
Pro tip: Download the results. Hunter lets you export a CSV with all the verification statuses. Use filters in Excel or Google Sheets to pull out just the “valid” emails.
Step 4: Clean and Organize Your List
Now’s the time to get picky:
- Remove invalid and unknown emails.
- Decide what to do with “accept all.” If your campaign is high-stakes, skip them. If you’re less risk-averse, you might include them—but keep an eye on bounce rates.
- Check for duplicates again. Sometimes lists merge weirdly.
If your outreach tool supports custom fields, keep other info (like names or company) paired with the email. But for deliverability, only the email address matters.
Step 5: Import to Your Outreach Platform
Once you’ve got a clean, verified list:
- Upload the “valid” emails to your outreach software (Mailshake, Lemlist, Woodpecker, or whatever you use).
- Test with a small batch first. No point nuking your sender reputation if something slipped through.
- Monitor bounces and replies. Even “valid” emails might bounce 1–2% of the time—servers change, people leave jobs, stuff happens.
Pro tip: Don’t send from your main domain unless you’re okay with risking it. Use a domain you can afford to burn if things go sideways.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Hunter is good, not magic. No tool can guarantee 100% accuracy. Some servers are just stubborn.
- Don’t obsess over “accept all” results. Decide your risk tolerance and move on.
- Ignore most “deliverability hacks” you see online. The basics—clean lists, good targeting, solid copy—matter way more than technical tweaks.
What doesn’t work: Sending to unverified lists. You’ll burn your sender reputation and waste your time.
What works: Keeping it simple. Use Hunter to verify, filter to valid emails, and focus on the content of your message.
Common Questions and Honest Answers
Is Hunter worth paying for?
If you’re sending more than a few hundred emails a month, yes. Free tools are fine for tiny jobs, but they’re slow, cap your usage, and don’t scale well. Hunter’s UI is fast and the results are reliable.
Can I skip verification if my list is “opted in”?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Even “opted in” lists rot over time. People leave jobs, change emails, etc. Verification makes sure your emails hit real inboxes.
What about GDPR or privacy issues?
Hunter only verifies the addresses you provide. Just don’t upload lists you obtained in sketchy ways, and you’re fine. But always check your local laws.
Does Hunter integrate with other tools?
Yes—Hunter has integrations and a Zapier app. But for bulk verification, uploading and downloading CSVs is usually faster and less error-prone.
Don’t Overthink It
Bulk email verification isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential. Use Hunter to check your list, filter to valid emails, and focus your effort where it actually counts—writing emails people want to read. Keep things simple, iterate as you go, and don’t buy into hype. The basics work. Stick with them.