The List-Cleaning Pipeline Before You Import a Single Lead

The List-Cleaning Pipeline Before You Import a Single Lead
A dirty list burns domains faster than bad copy. Run this gauntlet first.

— Stage 1: syntax + MX check via NeverBounce or ZeroBounce. Drop hard-invalids.
— Stage 2: catch-all flagging. Don't delete catch-alls — bucket them into a slower, separate sequence.
— Stage 3: role-account filter. Strip info@, sales@, support@ — they kill reply rates.
— Stage 4: dedupe by domain, cap to 1-2 contacts per company to avoid internal spam reports.
— Stage 5: suppression match against past unsubscribes and bounces.

Pros
— Bounce rate drops under 2%, protects sender reputation
— Catch-all bucketing salvages reachable leads
Cons
— Verification costs ~$0.003-0.01 per email
— Over-cleaning trims legit deliverable contacts

Verdict: ZeroBounce or NeverBounce pays for itself in one un-burned domain. 4.5/5.

Who it's for: Anyone buying or scraping lists before import.