Marketo plug-in to validate email ID

[Wolfgang_Weinku]

Currently, we are using some 3rd parties to cleanse our emailings regulary to make sure we have only valid & accepted emails in our database. Anyhow, this process is sub-optimal and don't perfect. Are you aware of any marketo plug-in which can validate email IDs...before we send programs out? Thanks. Wolfgang

[Darrell_Alfons2]

Hi Wolfgang,

You would need an enrichment tool to update the data.

Sales Lead Data Marketing Automation Solutions – Marketo LaunchPoint

[Dan_Stevens_]

We use Informatica.  Super easy to integrate into Marketo.

Email Verification Service: Free Trial | Informatica US

[Anonymous]

Hi Dan,

Do you use StrikeIron on the form for 'real-time validation' or after the fact?

[Dan_Stevens_]

Hi Eric - after the fact, before we send out an email.  Actually, we run regularly scheduled batches and then suppress those that return specific validation codes:

[Anonymous]

We do the same type of validation.  I  really want to try on form/real-time validation. I was hoping you were already doing that.  I would love to stop 'bad' email data from entering the system entirely. 

[SanfordWhiteman]

To be clear, Eric, stopping unwanted emails from creating a lead in the first place only works when a person can't forge their way around JavaScript-based validation.

In other words, you can definitely stop a non-malicious (or malicious-but-unskilled) person from submitting the form with an invalid email address. But you can't stop a bot or individual hacker from submitting a bad email address and going around your validation. So you really need full-spectrum protection:

     [1] Validate emails on the form (JS) level to push legit users to provide good info from the start.

     [2] Use a ReCAPTCHA for further protection against bot submissions. Validating ReCAPTCHA is done on the server side, so technically the lead is created initially, but then can be purged.

As I have a lot of experience with real-time (having built a real-time validation library myself) I can testify that it's worthwhile, but wouldn't want to overpromise.

[Anonymous]

Sanford Whiteman​

Great Reply as always. I somehow missed the alert.   This is step one of a journey to minimize provisioning Free Trails to disposable and invalid email addresses.

Here is what I would like to happen 'on the form':

1. Discourage disposable email domains and completely invalid emails from entering our systems.
2. Method of Communication - After they hit submit, I would like to display a popup light-box explaining to the submitter that they will have to click a link in a verification send before a Free Trial will be provisioned. Of course, this implies they need access to the inbox and to click a link prior to the Free Trial Starting.
3. Present them with a choice to continue or cancel. Clicking cancel will clear the form and allow them to re-enter the data.

Regardless we will not provision the Free Trial until that link is clicked. Ideally, bot form fills should never enter the the on-boarding provisioning system because the link in the email we send will not be clicked. I know some emails will get through, but we are trying to stop the blatant use of disposable and invalid emails from being provisioned and entering our provisioning, eCommerce, BI, SalesForce and Marketo systems.

Finally - this would be a huge improvement over our current processes and a massive shift in the 'friction-less' trial philosophy.

Eric

[SanfordWhiteman]

These seem like good plans! Definitely like the not-too-subtle note that they'll need to click a link later to get the trial. The logic of the popup would be something you'd do with the Forms API... don't know if I'd bother clearing the form if they hit Cancel, though (they should know why they canceled!).

Since you're trusting these particular leads to give up, rather than try to hack around your protection, sounds like a good fit for real-time pre-submit verification.

Unf'ly, though, can't make a product recommendation without breaking the Terms of Use of the forum.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the thoughtful comments - I always enjoy reading your contributions!