Catch-All Domains: The Verification Challenge Nobody Talks About

What is a Catch-All Domain?

A catch-all domain is configured to accept emails sent to any address, even if that specific mailbox doesn't exist. Send an email to anything@catchall-domain.com and it won't bounce—the server accepts it.

This is a common setup for:

• Large enterprises wanting to capture all incoming mail
• Companies using email routing systems
• Organizations trying to prevent email enumeration attacks

Why Traditional Verification Fails

Standard email verification works by performing an SMTP handshake. The verification service essentially asks the mail server: "Would you accept an email for this address?"

For most domains, the server responds honestly:

• "Yes, that mailbox exists" → Valid
• "No, that user doesn't exist" → Invalid

But catch-all domains? They say "yes" to everything. The verification service has no way to distinguish between:

• real.employee@company.com (valid)
• gibberish123@company.com (invalid but accepted)

The Industry's Dirty Secret

Here's what most verification services do: they mark catch-all emails as "Unknown" or "Risky" and charge you anyway.

Think about that. You're paying for verification, and the response is essentially "we don't know."

Some services go further—they make educated guesses based on patterns, but that's still just guessing.

True-Send: Actual Verification

We took a different approach. Instead of guessing, True-Send actually delivers a test email and monitors what happens.

If the email bounces → It's invalid If it delivers → It's valid

No guessing. No "unknown" cop-outs. Real verification.

When to Use True-Send

True-Send is perfect for:

• High-value leads you can't afford to lose
• Lists with high catch-all percentages
• Cold outreach campaigns where reputation is critical
• Any situation where you need certainty

Standard verification handles the easy stuff for free. True-Send handles the hard stuff when you need it.