Glossary
What is a catch all email address?
A catch all domain is set up to accept email sent to any address at that domain, whether or not a real mailbox exists. For cold email this matters because a verification tool cannot confirm the person's address is real: the server says yes to everything. Mail may be delivered to nobody, or bounce later.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 24 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
Why do companies use catch all?
So that mail with a typo in the name, or mail to a former employee, still reaches someone. Small companies often set it up so nothing is lost. Large companies more often reject unknown addresses.
Why is it a problem for verification?
Email verification works by asking the receiving server whether a mailbox exists, without sending a message. A catch all server answers yes for every address, so the result is unknown rather than valid. You cannot tell whether firstname@company.com is a real person or a void.
How should you treat catch all contacts?
| Option | When it fits | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Skip them | Large lists where you can afford to lose some | You miss real people |
| Send in small batches | When the person is a strong fit | Some bounces or silent non delivery |
| Reach them on another channel | When the person is on LinkedIn | Slower, but no bounce risk |
| Confirm the format first | When you know other real addresses at the company | Still not proof |
How Sellinger handles it
Contact lookups in Sellinger search a database of 700M+ contacts and return verified emails where they find them. For people whose address cannot be confirmed, a LinkedIn campaign is the safer first channel. Default follow ups before a lead is treated as exhausted: LinkedIn 4, then email; email 5, then WhatsApp; WhatsApp 4, then email; Instagram 4, then email. Default gaps start at 5 days on LinkedIn, 1 to 3 days on email and WhatsApp. Every value can be changed per campaign.
Common questions
Is a catch all address invalid?
Do catch all addresses hurt deliverability?
How do I know a domain is catch all?
Sources and method
General email verification practice. Sellinger data and follow up defaults from the fact register, checked 24 October 2026.
Related: Bounce rate, Lead enrichment, Email verification before you send, Email deliverability.
