What does it mean that a lead's address failed the mail-server check?

What the check looks at

An address passes when it is written like a real email address, is not a placeholder such as user@domain.com, and its domain (the part after the @) has a mail server set up to receive email. It fails when any of these is not true, or when the lookup could not be completed at that moment.

The check does not contact the inbox itself. So a passed address can still bounce, and a real address can fail if the lookup did not go through.

Where you see it

• In the Queue, a green ✓ after the lead's address means it passed. A failed address has no tick.
• On the Showing line above the lead, which counts them, for example: 3 in the list have an address that failed the mail-server check. These leads stay in the list, unlike leads with no address at all, which are hidden until you click Show Them Anyway.
• In the lead panel, the address shows (unverified).
• With Autopilot on, an approved email to that address shows the red panel Approved, but Autopilot skipped it.
• In Outreach Activity on the lead, Autopilot adds a line such as Autopilot did not send the day 0 email: owner@joesplumbing.com failed the mail-server check, at most once a day.

When the check runs

The address is checked when a search or list import finds it, when 🎯 Hunt Owner or ✎ Edit Details sets a new one, every time you approve an email for the lead, and right before each Autopilot send. Autopilot runs every 10 minutes during your Sending Hours and sends as soon as the check passes.

What you can do

1. Check the spelling. Click Open In Pipeline in the Queue and look at the address in the lead header, especially the part after the @.
2. Find a better address. Click 🎯 Hunt Owner in the lead's Decision-Maker section. If it finds the owner's own address, that becomes the sending address and is checked straight away.
3. Enter one you know. Click ✎ Edit Details, type the address in Email and click Save Details. It is checked when you save.
4. Send it yourself. If you know the address works, approve the email with Approve + Gmail, Approve + Outlook, Approve + Mail App or Approve + Copy, send it from your own inbox, then click Mark As Sent. With Autopilot on, the red panel has its own Mark As Sent button, and Autopilot then leaves that email alone.