How to Verify Email Addresses in Close CRM Before Sequences
To verify emails in Close CRM, export a Smart View of the leads you plan to sequence, verify the email addresses, write the result back into a custom "Email status" field, and filter your sequence Smart Views so only valid contacts are enrolled. For leads arriving every day, add a verification step through the API or an automation tool.
Why verify inside the CRM workflow
Close is where your reps work, so a bad address in Close becomes a bounce in a sequence, which affects the mailbox the rep sends from. Verifying before enrolment protects those mailboxes and keeps reporting honest.
Step 1: Create a custom field for status
Add contact-level custom fields such as:
| Field | Values |
|---|---|
| Email status | valid, invalid, catch-all, risky, unknown |
| Email verified on | Date |
The date matters: a valid result from a year ago is not the same as one from last week.
Step 2: Export the contacts to check
Build a Smart View for the leads you plan to sequence, such as a new import or a target segment, and export it to CSV with lead ID, contact ID and email. Keep the ID columns; they are what let you update the right records.
Step 3: Clean and verify
- Remove duplicate emails with the duplicate email remover.
- Subtract anyone on your suppression list with compare two email lists.
- Upload to the verifier. Your ID columns stay in the export.
Step 4: Write results back
Re-import the verified file using Close's import tools so the "Email status" and "Email verified on" fields update on existing contacts. Test with a handful of rows first to confirm records are matched and updated rather than duplicated. For larger or repeated updates, the Close API can update contacts by ID.
Step 5: Filter sequences by status
Update the Smart Views you enrol from:
| Smart View | Filter |
|---|---|
| Ready for sequence | Email status is valid, verified in the last 90 days |
| Catch-all, low volume | Email status is catch-all |
| Needs re-check | Verified more than 90 days ago, or blank |
| Do not email | Email status is invalid |
Reps enrol from "Ready for sequence" only. Catch-all contacts go into a separate sequence with lower daily volume, if at all. Should you email catch-all addresses explains the trade-off.
Step 6: Automate new leads
If new leads come in every day from forms, imports or integrations:
- Trigger on new contact creation (through Close's webhooks, Zapier, Make or n8n).
- Call a verification API with the email.
- Update the "Email status" and date fields.
Our guides for Zapier and Make, n8n and the API docs show the request and response format. API access is on SimpleVerifier plans that include it; see pricing.
Handle invalid contacts
For contacts that come back invalid:
- Do not enrol them in email sequences.
- Check whether the person changed jobs; a new role may mean a new address.
- Use the email finder or find someone's business email methods to look for an updated address, then verify it.
- If you cannot find one, call or connect on another channel.
Re-verify on a schedule
Run the "Needs re-check" Smart View before each campaign. How often to re-verify suggests a cadence based on list type.
Checklist
- Email status and verified-on fields created
- Smart View exported with IDs
- Deduped, suppressed, verified
- Results written back and tested on a small file
- Sequences enrol only from valid Smart View
- New leads verified automatically
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Re-importing without IDs | New duplicate contacts instead of updates | Always keep lead and contact IDs in the file |
| Overwriting the email field | Original addresses lost | Write status to a separate custom field |
| No verification date | Old results treated as current | Store the date with the status |
| Enrolling from broad Smart Views | Invalid contacts slip into sequences | Filter enrolment views on status |
| Verifying once a year | Contacts decay between checks | Re-check before each campaign |
Reporting on lead sources
Once status lives in a field, you can report on it. Add a "lead source" field if you do not have one, and look at invalid and catch-all rates by source each month. A source that keeps producing invalid addresses costs you reps' time and mailbox reputation, even if it looks cheap. How to check a lead list's quality covers sampling a source before buying more.
Reps also benefit from seeing the status in the contact view: a catch-all or unknown label tells them to confirm the address on a call or by another channel before relying on email.
Verify your Close export
Upload a Smart View export on the verify page; IDs and other columns are kept. You get 100 free email checks when you sign in with Google, no card.
Common questions
Does Close CRM verify email addresses?
Check Close's current features and integrations. Many teams verify outside the CRM and store the result in a custom field, which keeps control over how catch-all and unknown addresses are treated.
How do I update Close contacts with verification results?
Export the contacts with their IDs and emails, verify the file, then re-import the results using Close's import tools or API so existing records are updated rather than duplicated. Test on a small file first.
Should catch-all contacts go into sequences?
Put them in a separate, lower-volume sequence or hold them back until valid contacts have been sent. If bounces rise, stop that segment first.
How often should I re-verify contacts in Close?
Before each new campaign for contacts last verified more than about three months ago. B2B contact data decays as people change jobs.
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.