Agency SOP: Re-Verify Every Client List Before Every Campaign
The rule: no client campaign launches from a list verified before the agreed window. Make it a named step with an owner, a date field and a sign-off, so nobody has to remember it on launch day. This SOP is short enough to paste into your ops doc.
Purpose
Stop avoidable bounces from reaching a client's sending domains. Lists age, so a clean list in March is a risky one in May.
Scope
Every list used for outbound for a client, including lists built in-house, supplied by the client, and rolled over from a previous campaign.
The procedure
- Check the date. Look at the verification date stored on the list. Within 30 days and no new rows: you can continue. Older, or new rows added: re-verify. Background in reverify leads older than 30 days.
- File and upload. Upload the list under the client's workspace on the verify page, so the run is tied to the client.
- Export by result. Valid, risky and invalid, separately.
- Compare with last time. If the invalid share is clearly higher than on the previous run, tell the account lead before sending. Do not guess at causes; look at the source of any new rows first.
- Send only the approved groups. Valid goes out. Risky follows the client's agreed plan (see what to do with catch-all emails). Invalid never goes out.
- Log it. Write the date, counts, owner and decision in the client file. Put the status and date on each lead as in storing verification status and date on every lead.
- Set the next date.
Roles
| Role | Does |
|---|---|
| Ops or VA | Runs steps 1 to 3 and 6 |
| Account lead | Reviews step 4 and approves step 5 |
| Client | Approves any risky group sent, in writing |
When to skip it
Almost never. A same-day follow-up to a list verified yesterday is fine. A list a client "just exported from their CRM" is not a reason to skip; their CRM is usually where the stale addresses live.
What the SOP does not promise
It lowers the chance of bounces. It does not remove them, since mailboxes change between the check and the send, and catch-all addresses cannot be confirmed by any verifier.
Volume planning
Re-verifying counts toward your monthly checks, so build it into your plan. Our post on how many client lists fit in 750,000 checks a month shows how to budget it.
Next step
The Agency plan gives you the volume, client workspaces and branded reports to run this SOP across every client. See /agencies or pricing.
Common questions
How often should an agency re-verify a client list?
Before every campaign that uses it, and on a fixed calendar if a list is sent to on a rolling basis. A list verified months ago has changed, because people leave jobs and mailboxes close.
Do I have to re-verify the whole list?
The simplest rule is yes for anything older than 30 days. Addresses added since the last check need verifying either way.
What should the SOP record?
The date, the list and client, who ran it, the valid, risky and invalid counts, and what was sent. Store the status and date on every lead so the record travels with the list.
Does re-verifying use up the monthly volume?
Each address checked counts toward your plan's monthly volume. On Agency that is 750,000 checks a month at full speed, then lists keep running slower and are never cut off.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.