What Are Catch-All Domains?
Catch-all domains are email domains that always return a “Valid” response from the SMTP service, regardless of whether the specific email address actually exists.
There are three main behaviors for catch-all domains:
- Nonexistent addresses are accepted: Emails sent to invalid addresses are delivered to a catch-all inbox. This does not harm your email reputation.
- Nonexistent addresses bounce: Some catch-all domains still bounce emails to invalid addresses, stating the user doesn’t exist. This does hurt your email reputation.
- Catch-all address is valid: Your email is delivered successfully.
Why Do Businesses Use Catch-All Domains?
Businesses often set up catch-all email addresses to ensure they receive all emails sent to their domain, even if the address is misspelled or invalid.
For example, if someone emails [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), the mail server forwards the message to the catch-all address. This helps companies avoid missing important emails.
Some mail server operators also use catch-all addresses to prevent email address harvesting from their SMTP servers.
Why Are Catch-All Domains Problematic?
The main issue with catch-all domains is that they always return a “valid” result, making it impossible to verify if an address is truly valid or invalid. Sending emails to catch-all addresses increases the risk of bounces.
Additionally, catch-all domains often attract large volumes of spam. Since mail services can’t determine address quality, spammers target them indiscriminately.
Keeping catch-all domains on your email list can increase your bounce rate or result in emails landing in inactive inboxes. Repeated bounces and low engagement can negatively impact your email deliverability.
How Does the Bouncify Email Verifier Handle Catch-All Domains?
Bouncify identifies all types of email addresses, including catch-all domains, with 99% accuracy.
Since it’s impossible to fully validate catch-all domains, Bouncify flags and labels these domains accordingly. You can then decide whether to email these addresses. Some may bounce, while others may be valid and reach real prospects.
If you choose to email catch-all domains, it’s best to segment them into a separate mailing list. This allows you to keep your clean emails separate and protect your marketing campaigns from negative impacts.
If emails to catch-all domains bounce or show no engagement, remove them from your lists.