Result Codes

Every verification returns a status code. Here's what each one means and what to do with it.

Status values

Status	Meaning	Safe to Send	Recommended Action
valid	The email address exists and can receive email. MX and SMTP checks passed.	✅ Yes	Send with confidence
risky	Likely valid but on a catch-all domain. Check `catchall_score` to decide.	⚠️ Conditional	Send if `catchall_score ≥ 70`; skip if below 30
unknown	Cannot determine validity. Server didn't respond or timed out.	❓ Use judgment	Skip for cold outreach; retry for high-value contacts
invalid	The email address does not exist or the domain has no MX records.	❌ No	Remove from your list
disposable	Temporary/throwaway email address from a known disposable provider.	❌ No	Remove from your list

The safe_to_send field

safe_to_send is a boolean convenience field that summarizes our recommendation:

true — We recommend sending. Address is valid or has a high catch-all score.
false — We recommend not sending. Address is invalid, disposable, or has a very low catch-all score.

For most use cases, filtering by safe_to_send: true is the simplest and most effective approach.

ℹ️

Some risky addresses have safe_to_send: true when their catchall_score is high (≥70). Others have safe_to_send: false when the score is too low to recommend.

Catch-all scoring

Catch-all domains accept all SMTP connections, making standard verification impossible. VeriMails uses proprietary signals to score each address 0–100:

Score Range	Interpretation	Recommendation
80–100	Very likely valid. Strong signals suggest real mailbox.	✅ Send
50–79	Probably valid. Review in context of campaign risk tolerance.	⚠️ Optional
30–49	Uncertain. More likely invalid than valid.	⚠️ Skip for cold email
0–29	Likely invalid pattern on catch-all domain.	❌ Skip

Additional detail fields

Field	Description
`is_role_account`	Addresses like info@, admin@, support@ — often monitored by multiple people or filtered. Lower engagement expected.
`is_free_provider`	Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. Useful for segmenting B2B vs B2C lists.
`mx_found`	Domain has valid mail exchange records. If false, the domain can't receive email at all.
`smtp_check`	The mailbox-level SMTP handshake accepted the address. Most reliable signal for non-catch-all domains.