The email bounces
The address of someone who left the company, mistyped or guessed from the firstname.lastname pattern. The message never arrives and the cadence stalls at step one.
B2B decision-maker emails
Decision-maker emails validated with the provider.
Work emails of directors, managers and partners, with job title and LinkedIn. Every address goes through SMTP | RCPT Email Validation, done directly on the mail server, before entering your cadence.
SMTPcheck directly on the mail server
4 statusesfrom Valid to Invalid
Job titleand LinkedIn next to the address
UniquePaulo R•••IT Manager · Logistics · SP
Management
Checking the mail server0s
paulo.r•••@logist•••.com.brfirst.last
MXSMTPRCPT
validating…
p.r•••@logist•••.com.brinitial.last
MXSMTPRCPT
validating…
paulo•••@logist•••.com.brfirst name only
MXSMTPRCPT
validating…
Illustrative example. Masked data. Verified LinkedIn
The problem
A bounce isn't just a lost email. It's your domain at stake.
A generic inbox, like contact@, lands in a shared queue. A wrong address bounces. Either way, the message doesn't reach the person who decides.
The provider notices
Email providers track how many messages from a sender bounce. Too many bounces hurt your domain reputation and make the spam filter stricter with you.
The decision-maker doesn't read it
With a low reputation, even the right email starts landing in spam. The director who was going to reply never sees your message.
SMTP email validation
SMTP validation: the question goes straight to the server.
What SMTP and the RCPT command are
SMTP is the protocol servers use to exchange emails. Before delivering a message, the sending server states the recipient with the command RCPT TO, and the receiving server answers whether it accepts that address.
SMTP | RCPT validation uses that same conversation, but ends it before sending any content. The decision-maker receives nothing. You find out whether the address has a real chance of delivery.
Not every server answers clearly. Some accept any address on the domain, the so-called catch-all, and others give vague answers to protect themselves from spam. That's why, instead of a simple yes or no, each email comes out with one of four statuses.
It takes a bit longer: validation runs during export and can make the process slower. That's the price of not burning your domain.
Aggressive validation pipeline
- 01Format and domainThe address is checked and the server that receives the domain's email is located (MX record).
- 02Conversation with the serverA connection is opened with the provider's server, just like a regular send.
- 03RCPT questionThe server says whether it accepts the recipient. No message is sent.
- ✓Email statusValid, Low deliverability, Risk or Invalid.
Email validation with providersSMTP | RCPT
Email status
The 4 email statuses and what to do with each one.
Valid or invalid isn't enough for outbound. The two middle statuses show where to be careful before hitting send.
- What it means
- The address passed the check on the mail server.
- What to do
- It goes into the cadence. This is the part of the list that protects your domain.
- What it means
- The address isn't among the invalid ones, but delivery tends to be harder.
- What to do
- Send in smaller volume, separate from the main list, and monitor bounces.
- What it means
- Validation found a spam risk signal tied to the address.
- What to do
- Keep it out of bulk sends. If the decision-maker is strategic, look for another channel.
- What it means
- The address didn't pass validation.
- What to do
- Off the list. Sending anyway only creates bounces.
In the company profile, the address appears with the badge “Verified email” and the status just below. While the check runs, the status shows “Status under review”.
Who you'll find
Work emails of directors, with job title and LinkedIn next to them.
The source Corporate Emails (PRO) brings the person's address, not the company's generic inbox. The job title and LinkedIn come along. When the profile is confirmed, the Verified LinkedIn badge appears.
- C-Level (partners)
- Directors
- Management
- Coordination and supervision
- Partners
- Employees in general
Email with Titles / LinkedIn
Filter companies by job titles written the way they appear on LinkedIn, like “Head of Sales”.
Website contact extraction
Contacts published on the company's own website are added as an extra source.
Titles and Departments (CBO)
Combine the role with the area: marketing, purchasing, finance, IT.
Payroll, revenue and region
Write only to accounts of the size and location your team serves.
Corporate Emails · PROIllustrative example
Ana L•••
Sales Director
a.l•••@constr•••.com.br
Rafael S•••
Head of Sales
rafael.s•••@constr•••.com.br
Juliana M•••
Finance Manager
j.m•••@constr•••.com.br
Blue badge: verified LinkedIn
From contact to action
From validated email to a cadence that gets replies.
A list of validated B2B emails is only worth something when it becomes a running sequence. In the database preferences, you set the sources, the accepted statuses and the destination.
- Main cadence with Valid only, to start with your domain protected
- Low deliverability in a separate list, with smaller volume
- Exclude My Customers so you don't prospect who already buys from you
- LinkedIn in the same file, for a social touch the same day
- Send to Claude to write personalized messages for each decision-maker
Database preferences · emailIllustrative example
Enrichment sources
- Corporate Emails · PRO
- Website contact extraction
- Email Validation · SMTP | RCPT
Email status
- Valid
- Low deliverability
- Risk
- Invalid
Cadence with valid emails only
Take the validated emails to your tool.
✳
ClaudeNewWrites the first message for each decision-maker.
H
HubSpotNativeCRM and marketing automation with already-validated email.
P
PipedriveNativeSales pipeline with the right contact on every deal.
R
PipeRunNativeOpportunities created with email that arrives.
A
AlltureNativeRelationship with the decision-maker from the first email.
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Webhook / APIAvailableSend the database to your cadence tool.
FAQ
Questions about decision-maker emails.
How do I find a company's decision-maker emails?
On Unique, you filter the companies in your ICP and choose the title and level of the decision-maker. The Corporate Emails source brings the address with job title and LinkedIn, and SMTP | RCPT Email Validation checks each one before export.
What is SMTP email validation?
It's a check done directly on the domain's mail server. The validator opens the conversation via the SMTP protocol and uses the RCPT TO command to find out whether the server accepts that recipient. No message reaches the decision-maker.
Does validating email reduce bounces in prospecting?
Yes. Leaving out Invalid addresses avoids sending messages to people who won't receive them, and that protects your domain reputation. No validation brings bounces to zero: a mailbox can be deactivated after the check.
What's the difference between Low deliverability and Risk?
Low deliverability means delivery to that address tends to be harder. Risk means a spam risk signal tied to the address. Both call for care, and Risk calls for more: ideally keep it out of bulk sends.
Does the email come with the decision-maker's LinkedIn?
With the Corporate Emails source, on the PRO plan, yes: the address comes with job title and LinkedIn. When the profile is confirmed, the Verified LinkedIn badge appears. You can also filter companies by Email with Titles / LinkedIn.
Do the emails comply with the LGPD?
They are corporate emails, within a B2B database of companies and the people who work at them. Processing is aligned with the LGPD (Brazil's data protection law), and you can find the details in our LGPD policy.
Can I choose which statuses go into the export?
Yes. In Export Leads you check the email statuses that go into the mailing list: Valid, Low deliverability, Risk or Invalid. The database goes to download, CRM, Webhook / API or Claude.
Continue here
Combine email with the rest of prospecting.
Write to the people who decide
At Unique you talk to the person who signs the contract!
Book a demo. Show us your market and see how your cadence lands in the inbox of the person who signs, with every address validated with the provider.