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A catch-all email (also called accept-all) is a server configuration that accepts all emails sent to any address on a domain, regardless of whether that specific address exists. This makes it impossible to verify if individual email addresses are valid through standard SMTP verification methods.
Catch-all domains present a verification challenge. When you verify an email like john@catchall-domain.com, the server will accept the test message regardless of whether 'john' exists. This means the address could be valid, invalid, or a spam trap. Sending to unverified catch-all addresses increases bounce risk and can harm sender reputation.
When a domain is configured as catch-all, its mail server accepts emails sent to any address (e.g., anything@example.com). Instead of rejecting emails to non-existent addresses, the server routes all incoming mail to a designated inbox. During email verification, catch-all servers respond positively to all SMTP queries, making it impossible to determine if a specific address exists.
Not necessarily. Many legitimate businesses use catch-all configurations. Instead of removing all catch-all addresses, segment them and monitor their engagement. Remove only those that bounce or show no engagement over multiple campaigns.
Approximately 10-20% of business domains use catch-all configurations. This is more common among larger enterprises and companies with strict IT policies. Consumer email providers like Gmail and Outlook are not catch-all.
Standard SMTP verification cannot determine if specific addresses exist on catch-all domains. Advanced verification services may use additional signals (pattern recognition, historical data) to assess risk, but there's no guaranteed way to verify individual catch-all addresses.
Not necessarily hard bounce, but they carry higher risk. The address might exist but be monitored by IT, be a spam trap, or be inactive. Treat catch-all addresses as 'unknown' risk and monitor them separately from verified addresses.
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