Verify a Crowdfunding Backer List Before the Next Project Update
A backer list is collected on one day and used for months, and addresses that were fine at pledge time may not be fine at shipping time. The surveys, address confirmations and delay notices you send are the messages backers most want to receive, which is why it is worth checking the file before you send them. Upload the export to the verify page and see which addresses can receive mail. The first 100 checks are free on a Google sign-in, no card.
Why backers become unreachable
- Time. Projects run longer than planned. Work and school addresses close, and some backers abandon the address they pledged with.
- Typos at checkout. A mistyped address still lets the pledge go through.
- Platform relay addresses. Some platforms hide the real address behind a relay; check what your export really contains before you pay for checks on it.
Step 1: Read the platform's terms
Backer data usually comes with rules about what you may do with it and where. Read them before you load the file into an email tool. A check does not change what you are allowed to do with the list.
Step 2: Export and prepare the file
Put the addresses in one column, with the pledge level or reward tier beside them. The remove duplicate emails tool takes out repeats; backers who pledged twice are common.
Step 3: Verify before the survey, not after
Upload to the verify page. The pledge survey is the one send you cannot afford to miss people on, since shipping depends on the answers. Send to valid rows first. Read email verification statuses explained if risky rows puzzle you.
Step 4: Give unreachable backers another route
For invalid rows, post in the project's update feed and use the platform's messaging for them, if available. Ask them to confirm contact details there. Keep a list so you can follow up personally later.
Step 5: Repeat before each large update
Run the file again before a shipping notice. How often to verify an email list gives a routine. A smaller check is enough if nothing has changed.
Fit for creators
Best email verifier for crowdfunding campaigns compares options for campaigns like this.
Check the list
SimpleVerifier Pro is $39 a month. The first 100,000 checks a month run at full speed, then they run slower, and you are never cut off, so one list and every file after it fit in the same plan. Start with 100 free checks, no card, on a Google sign-in. See the pricing page.
Common questions
Can I verify a backer export?
Yes. Upload the export's email column to be checked. Whether you may use backer addresses outside the crowdfunding platform depends on that platform's terms, so read them first.
What about backers whose address is invalid?
Use the platform's own messaging or update feed for them, if it offers one, and ask them to update their contact details.
How often should I verify during a long project?
Before any send that matters, such as the pledge survey, the shipping notice and the delay notice, because each is time-sensitive.
Does verification tell me a backer is real?
No. It tells you whether the address can receive mail, nothing about the person behind it.
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.