Temp emails don’t exist. As soon as such an address is created, it soon becomes invalid, affecting all the emails in the database.
This is because temp email generators work to create disposable addresses, used to last only for a short period of time.
This way, users can sign up for websites and promotions and be free from receiving spam in their inbox.
On the other hand, lists holding temp emails are susceptible to bounces, which are grounds for penalties from ISPs.
The path that a disposable email address takes is predictable:
- Firstly: the user finds a temp emails generator on the internet and creates a random address.
- Secondly: the user abandons the email when they have achieved their desired goal. The abandoned email does not interact, and is picked up by spammer mailing list building techniques.
- Thirdly: just one disposable email in your contact base is capable of contaminating the rest of the list, sending all the other addresses to the spam folder.
- It’s worth remembering that a list containing emails with errors can be blocked, even if it contains 97% valid emails. ISPs prohibit lists with up to 3% invalid addresses.
This justifies the risk that a temp emails represents for those who work with email marketing lists.
You don’t want a list of invalid emails to affect your business, do you? Watch our webinar to find out how to prevent this!
What is a valid temp email for?
Virtually all web repositories require users to enter a valid email address in order to access their online services.
In the meantime, there are seasonal events, promotions and short-lived interactions, such as downloads of materials like free ebooks and other content.
Creating a temp email works for users who don’t want to reveal their identity when interacting with applications and/or participating in specific events.
This way, they don’t receive messages relating to events and materials whose interest was fleeting.
Temp emails may be good for the user, but they’re terrible for companies that deal with email marketing. Let’s understand why.
How a temp email address gets on your list
Creating a disposable email is very easy. There are several companies that offer this service free of charge.
Anti-spam filters are experts at finding throwaway addresses and disqualifying the sender’s ID, which is then labeled a spammer.
The end of the story is a blacklist and big losses in email marketing ROI.
Online forms are a marketing tool widely used by companies with the aim of generating leads, but this repository of data is a great holder of disposable emails.
This happens because of reciprocity: you offer rich content in exchange for the user’s email.
In other words: before an ebook or any other interesting content, there is always a landing page containing a form. And that’s where the temporary email address comes in.
The only way to protect the health of a list built from sign-up forms is to do real-time email verification, which prevents disposable addresses from entering the base.
This means that only emails from real people can access the content, otherwise the verification suggests correcting the address on the spot.
Get to know the SafetyMails real time API, which can be installed on websites, landing pages and applications. This way, you can build a list containing real and therefore valid emails.
What are the types of disposable emails?
DEA
Temporary email generation services, also known as DEA (Disposable Email Addresses), have a short duration and become invalid after the predetermined period.
These emails increase bounce rates on lists, and are responsible for blocking databases and classifying senders as spammers.
It’s important to note that AEDs claim to be “self-destructive”, but their domains remain registered as bounces even after the address has been automatically deleted.
In other words, the self-destruction of the email is only valid for the user. For the owner of the list, the DEA is still alive and damaging their reputation.
Forwarding email
This is when the user creates an email with a different domain to their own account exclusively to receive unwanted messages.
The problem with forwarding accounts is that they don’t interact. And anti-spam filters are on the lookout for this type of email, to block addresses that don’t offer a history of interaction.
Alias
This is the most common way of creating disposable emails. It works similarly to forwarding accounts, but the user does not create a domain to receive the messages, but rather an alternative address to their main account.
This alternative address is inside your account and has the function of filtering rejected emails into a specific folder.
The lack of interaction occurs in the same way, qualifying the address as a bounce.
Conclusion
For those who work with email marketing, a temp email is synonymous with bounce.
That’s why checking emails frequently is fundamental to ensuring a healthy list, made up of contacts who are genuinely interested in what you have to say.
FAQ – recurring questions about temp email addresses
What is the advantage of creating a temp email address?
For the user, a temporary email address means not receiving messages relating to specific events and/or applications.
How does a temporary email become bounced?
Once it has fulfilled its purpose, the temporary email is abandoned by the user and, as the address does not interact, it becomes invalid. This email can still be used to join a spammer list.
Even addresses that self-destruct become bounces, as the domains remain registered with the providers after the address has been deleted.
What is the difference between temporary and disposable email?
The two names mean the same thing: addresses created to interact with specific events for a short period of time.
Why can registration forms concentrate large volumes of disposable emails?
The form is a tool for collecting data, which is used as a bargaining chip to access rich content. Therefore, many people create temporary emails in order to access the materials.
How can email verification protect registration forms?
The real-time verification API prevents invalid emails from entering lists by automatically correcting them for the user. In other words, the lead can only access the service if they enter a valid email address.