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Lead Management

Understand how Status Check validates leads, scores quality, and helps you identify the best prospects.

What is Lead Validation?​

Lead validation is the process of verifying that a lead's website (domain) is reachable and their email address can receive messages - without actually sending an email. This helps you:

  • Avoid bounced emails
  • Identify inactive companies
  • Detect parked/placeholder domains
  • Verify SSL security
  • Find redirect chains
  • Check email deliverability

Lead Scoring​

Status Check automatically scores every lead from 0-100 based on validation signals. This score represents overall lead quality and helps you prioritize outreach.

Score Ranges​

The lead score (0-100) represents overall quality:

  • 90-100: Excellent - Active domain with valid SSL, fast response, deliverable email
  • 70-89: Good - Valid domain and email, may have minor issues
  • 50-69: Fair - Valid but with some concerns
  • Below 50: Poor - Significant issues detected

What Goes Into Scoring a Lead​

The scoring algorithm combines multiple validation signals from both domain (website) and email validation:

Domain/Website Factors:

  • Domain accessibility (HTTP/HTTPS status)
  • SSL certificate validity
  • Response time
  • DNS configuration
  • Parked domain detection
  • Redirect behavior

Email Factors:

  • Email deliverability
  • Email service provider quality
  • Catch-all detection
  • MX record configuration

Combined Analysis:

Status Check weighs these factors to produce a single quality score. For example:

  • A lead with a fast, secure website (200 OK, valid SSL) and deliverable corporate email gets a high score (90+)
  • A lead with a slow website and catch-all email gets a medium score (60-80)
  • A lead with a parked domain and undeliverable email gets a low score (<50)

The validation sections below explain each factor in detail.

Domain (Website) Validation​

When validating a lead, Status Check examines the lead's website (the website field) to determine domain health and quality.

Note: Throughout this documentation, "domain" refers to the lead's website or the website field in the lead record.

What We Check​

1. HTTP Status Code​

What it is: The response code when we try to reach the website.

Common Status Codes:

  • 200 OK: Website is live and responding ✅
  • 301/302 Redirect: Website redirects elsewhere 🔄
  • 403 Forbidden: Access denied ⚠️
  • 404 Not Found: Page doesn't exist ❌
  • 500 Server Error: Server problems ❌
  • Timeout: No response after 10 seconds ⏱️

What it means:

  • 200-299: Healthy, reachable website
  • 300-399: Redirecting (check final destination)
  • 400-499: Client errors, may not be reachable
  • 500-599: Server problems, temporary or permanent

Impact on score: 200 OK with fast response = higher score, errors or timeouts = lower score

2. SSL Certificate Validation​

What it is: Check if the website has a valid security certificate (HTTPS).

Results:

  • ✅ Valid SSL: Secure, properly configured certificate
  • ⚠️ Invalid SSL: Expired, self-signed, or misconfigured
  • ❌ No SSL: Website uses HTTP (not secure)

Why it matters:

  • Modern businesses use HTTPS
  • Invalid/missing SSL indicates poor maintenance
  • Browsers warn users about non-HTTPS sites
  • May indicate abandoned or low-quality website

Impact on score: Valid SSL = higher score, missing/invalid SSL = lower score

3. Final URL (Redirect Chain)​

What it is: The ultimate destination after following all redirects.

Example:

example.com
  → www.example.com (301 redirect)
  → https://www.example.com (301 redirect)
  → https://www.example.com/ (final destination)

Why it matters:

  • Shows if domain redirects to a different brand
  • Identifies merger/acquisition situations
  • Detects URL hijacking
  • Reveals actual company website

Impact on score: Clean redirects (same brand) = neutral, redirects to different domain = may lower score

4. Response Time​

What it is: How fast the website responds (in milliseconds).

Benchmarks:

  • 0-500ms: Excellent, fast server
  • 500-1500ms: Good, acceptable speed
  • 1500-5000ms: Slow, possible issues
  • 5000ms+: Very slow or overloaded
  • Timeout: No response within 10 seconds

Why it matters:

  • Slow sites may indicate poor infrastructure
  • Timeouts suggest dead or misconfigured domains
  • Speed correlates with business quality

Impact on score: Faster response = higher score, slow/timeout = lower score

5. Parked Domain Detection​

What it is: Identification of placeholder/parking page domains.

Parked domains include:

  • Domain registrar parking pages ("This domain is for sale")
  • Coming soon pages with no real business
  • Default server pages
  • Redirect farms
  • Ad-filled placeholder sites

How we detect:

  • Content analysis for common parking patterns
  • Check for domain-for-sale indicators
  • Identify placeholder templates
  • Detect advertising networks

Why it matters:

  • Parked domains aren't real businesses
  • No point reaching out to parking pages
  • Saves time and credits on invalid leads

Impact on score: Parked domain = very low score (<30)

Email Validation​

Email validation verifies deliverability without sending a test email:

What We Check​

1. Email Deliverability​

What it is: Can this email address actually receive messages?

Checks performed:

  • Syntax validation (proper email format)
  • Domain existence check
  • MX record verification (mail server configured)
  • SMTP connection test
  • Mailbox existence verification

Results:

  • ✅ Deliverable: Email is valid and accepts mail
  • ⚠️ Unknown: Could not verify (catch-all domain)
  • ❌ Undeliverable: Email will bounce

Impact on score: Deliverable = higher score, undeliverable = significantly lower score

2. Catch-All Detection​

What it is: Does the domain accept emails to ANY address?

Example:

john@example.com → Accepted
randomtext@example.com → Also accepted
anythinghere@example.com → Also accepted

Why it matters:

  • Catch-all domains accept all emails
  • Can't verify if specific address is real
  • Higher risk of bounces
  • Common in small companies, less common in enterprises

Results:

  • True: Domain is catch-all (accepts everything)
  • False: Domain validates individual addresses

Impact on score: Catch-all = slightly lower score (uncertainty), verified individual address = higher score

3. Email Service Provider​

What it is: Which email service hosts this address.

Common Providers:

  • Gmail (Google Workspace)
  • Microsoft (Outlook, Office 365)
  • Apple (iCloud)
  • Yahoo
  • Custom mail servers

Why it matters:

  • Enterprise email (Google Workspace, Office 365) suggests legitimate business
  • Free personal email (gmail.com for non-workspace) may be low quality lead
  • Custom servers show investment in infrastructure

Impact on score: Enterprise email provider = higher score, free personal email = lower score

4. MX Record Domain​

What it is: The mail server handling emails for this domain.

Example:

Email: john@example.com
MX Record: gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com

This shows Example Inc uses Google Workspace.

Why it matters:

  • Confirms email is properly configured
  • Identifies the actual mail provider
  • Helps understand company's tech stack

Impact on score: Properly configured MX records = higher score

Validation States​

Leads progress through validation states:

1. New​

  • Just added to system
  • Not yet validated
  • No validation data available

Action: Validate to get results

2. Validating​

  • Validation currently in progress
  • Usually completes within 30 seconds
  • Multiple validation checks running

Action: Wait for completion

3. Verified​

  • Validation completed successfully
  • All checks passed with good results
  • Lead is high quality

Action: Proceed with outreach

4. Warning​

  • Validation completed with minor issues
  • Examples:
    • Slow response time
    • Invalid SSL
    • Catch-all email domain
    • Redirects detected

Action: Review issues, may still be viable

5. Risky​

  • Validation found significant problems
  • Examples:
    • 4xx/5xx HTTP errors
    • Parked domain detected
    • Email undeliverable
    • Timeout/unreachable

Action: Investigate before outreach

6. Error​

  • Validation failed completely
  • Could not complete checks
  • Technical error or invalid input

Action: Check input data, retry validation

Validation Timing​

Automatic Validation​

When it happens:

  • CSV file uploads (all leads validated automatically)
  • Bulk import with "validate now" option
  • API lead creation with validate: true (default)

Processing time:

  • Small batches (< 100): Near instant
  • Medium batches (100-1,000): 1-2 minutes
  • Large batches (1,000-10,000): 3-5 minutes
  • Very large (10,000+): 5-15 minutes

Manual Validation​

When to use:

  • New leads added manually
  • Re-validate existing leads
  • Spot-check specific leads
  • Periodic data refresh

How to trigger:

  1. Select leads to validate
  2. Click Validate button
  3. Confirm credit usage
  4. Validation begins immediately

Reading Validation Results​

In the Leads Table​

Each lead shows:

  • Status chip: Color-coded validation state
  • Score: 0-100 quality rating
  • Domain health: HTTP status, SSL status
  • Email deliverability: If email was provided

In Lead Details​

Click any lead to see full validation data:

  • Complete HTTP status details
  • Redirect chain visualization
  • SSL certificate information
  • Response time metrics
  • Email validation breakdown
  • Service provider information
  • MX record details
  • Validation timestamps

Validation Credits​

How Credits Are Used​

  • 0.001 credits = 1 website (domain) check
  • 0.001 credits = 1 email check
  • 0.002 credits = 1 lead validation (email + website if provided)
  • Re-validation counts as a new validation
  • Failed validations still consume credits

Cost Examples​

LeadsValidation TypeCredit Cost (stored)Display Credits
100Leads (email+site)0.2 credits200
500Leads (email+site)1.0 credit1,000
1,000Leads (email+site)2.0 credits2,000
5,000Leads (email+site)10.0 credits10,000

Best Practices​

  1. Validate Before Outreach: Always check leads before campaigns
  2. Focus on High Scores: Prioritize leads with scores 85+ for best ROI
  3. Investigate Warnings: Review warnings - some may still be good
  4. Skip Low Scores: Don't waste time on leads scoring below 50
  5. Re-Validate Periodically: Websites change - recheck quarterly
  6. Check Email AND Website: Both together give complete picture
  7. Use Scores to Prioritize: Let the score guide your outreach order

Score-Based Workflow​

90-100 (Excellent):

  • Add to high-priority outreach list immediately
  • These are your best prospects
  • Expect high engagement rates

70-89 (Good):

  • Add to standard outreach list
  • Verify website manually if score is borderline
  • Still high-quality leads worth pursuing

50-69 (Fair):

  • Review individually before outreach
  • May require additional research
  • Consider for secondary campaigns

Below 50 (Poor):

  • Remove from list or put in review queue
  • Likely not worth outreach effort
  • Focus resources on higher-quality leads

Validation Accuracy​

Domain (Website) Validation​

  • Accuracy: 99%+ for HTTP status and SSL
  • Real-time: Checks live website at validation time
  • Updated: Results reflect current state

Email Validation​

  • Accuracy: 95%+ for deliverability
  • Non-invasive: No emails sent during validation
  • Catch-all Caveat: Cannot guarantee delivery on catch-all domains

Troubleshooting​

"Validation Failed" Error​

Possible causes:

  • Invalid domain format
  • Domain doesn't exist (typo, expired)
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Rate limiting

Solution:

  • Verify domain spelling
  • Check domain exists (visit in browser)
  • Wait a moment and retry
  • Contact support if persists

Slow Validation​

Possible causes:

  • Large batch size
  • Slow target websites
  • High API load

Solution:

  • Break into smaller batches
  • Check History page for progress
  • Validation continues in background

Unexpected Results​

Questions to check:

  • Is the domain typed correctly?
  • Has the business recently changed domains?
  • Is website temporarily down?
  • Has email provider changed?

Next steps:

  • Visit domain in browser to verify
  • Send test email to check deliverability
  • Re-validate to get fresh data

Next Steps​

Support​

Need help with lead validation and scoring?