🐝100 free contacts every month. No credit card, no demo.Start free
Buzzlist
Sign inStart free

Guide

What does "catch-all" mean in email verification?

A catch-all, or accept-all, email domain accepts mail sent to any address at that domain, real or not. So an email checker cannot confirm that a specific mailbox exists. The address may work, but it carries more bounce risk than a confirmed one.

Get my 100 free contactsSee how it worksNo credit card
SampleBuzzlist Find results: a table of people with job title, company, location, industry and which contact details are available
Find. Every match shows the details Buzzlist has before you spend a contact.

Key takeaways

  • Catch-all means unconfirmed. Many of these addresses work.
  • Send to confirmed addresses first and watch your bounce rate.

What should you do with catch-all emails?

  1. Check the whole list. Before you send, not after the bounces.
  2. Split by result. Confirmed, catch-all, unknown and invalid.
  3. Send confirmed first. Build your sending reputation on the safest addresses.
  4. Add catch-alls slowly. If bounces climb, stop and call instead.
What does "catch-all" mean in email verification?, at a glance
ResultWhat it meansWhat to do
ConfirmedThe mailbox existsSend
Catch-allThe server accepts everythingSend a few, watch bounces
UnknownThe server did not answerRetry or skip
InvalidNo such mailboxNever send

How does Buzzlist show catch-all?

On paid plans, work emails carry their check result, and accept-all addresses are marked so you can leave them out. Buzzlist never counts a catch-all as checked. Buzz Send also pauses a sending address if bounces reach 5 percent over a week, after at least 20 sends.

Answered by the Buzzlist team. Published , last reviewed .

Common questions

Should I delete catch-all emails?

No. Many work. Treat them as higher risk and send carefully.

Can any tool confirm a catch-all address?

Not with certainty from the mail server alone.

100 free contacts every month.No credit card, no demo.Get my 100 free contacts

Keep going

Do itI need a list of dentists in Tampa with email addressesFind restaurant owners in Chicago who might need a POS systemHow to find accounting firm owners and CPA partnersHow to find local business owners by ZIP code
Learn itCatch-all emailB2B data and prospecting glossary
RelatedVerified business emailAre Buzzlist emails verifiedFind a business owner's emailHow many contacts does Buzzlist have?
Next stepSee how it worksSee every price

Try it yourself

100 contacts a month.
Free, with no demo.

Claim my 100 free contacts

Busier than a bumblebee, so you don’t have to be.

100 free contacts every month.No credit card, no demo.Get my 100 free contacts