Address Verification · How-to
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How to do it in Address Verification, one step at a time.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026
Each check writes a result to the Return Code field of the address. It also writes the Footnotes and the Last Verified date. When the address is confirmed, the check ticks Verified.
Return codes for addresses
| Return Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| Confirmed | The address is fully verified. |
| Confirmed - Address Truncated | The address is verified, or partly verified, but it is too long for one or more mapped fields. |
| Confirmed - By Dropping Secondary Info | The address is fully verified after Smarty dropped the apartment or suite number. |
| Confirmed - May be Undeliverable, or Confirmed - Partially | The address may exist, but it is not likely to get mail from the USPS. |
| Confirmed - Missing Secondary Info | The address is partly verified. It needs an apartment or suite number. |
| Not Submitted | Address Verification did not send the address. This is rare. |
| Changed | The address was verified, then changed, and it is not checked again yet. |
| Bad or Blank Address | The check failed, or the address was empty and was not sent. |
Return codes for phone numbers
| Return Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| Valid | The phone number is valid. |
| Error | The phone number is unknown, or it is a known wrong number. |
Return codes for email addresses
| Return Code | What it means | Send email to it? |
|---|---|---|
| valid | A real address. | Yes. |
| invalid | Not a valid address. See the sub codes. | No. |
| disposable | A temporary address. | No. |
| catch-all | The domain accepts all mail, so the address cannot be checked. | Not for sales or marketing, unless it is on a private server. |
| do_not_mail | A real address, mostly for a role such as sales@. See the sub codes. | Not for sales or marketing. |
| abuse | A real address of a person who often reports mail as abuse. | Not for sales or marketing. |
| spamtrap | A known bad address. | No. |
| unknown | The mail server cannot be reached. See the sub codes. | No. |
Sub codes for email addresses
| Return Code | Sub Code | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| invalid | does_not_accept_mail | The domain only sends mail. It does not take mail. |
| invalid | failed_syntax_check | The address breaks the rules for how an email address is written. |
| invalid | possible_typo | The domain looks like a misspelled popular domain. |
| invalid | mailbox_not_found | The address is written well, but it does not exist. |
| invalid | no_dns_entries | The domain has no records, or incomplete records, on the internet. Mail cannot reach it. |
| invalid | mailbox_quota_exceeded | The mailbox is full and takes no mail. |
| invalid | unroutable_ip_address | The domain points to an address that mail cannot reach. |
| do_not_mail | global_suppression | The address is on public lists of people who complain about mail, or who sue senders. |
| do_not_mail | possible_trap | The address holds words that point to a spam trap, such as spam@. Check it before you send. |
| do_not_mail | role_based | The address is for a role or a group, such as sales@ or info@. People report mail to these as spam more often. |
| do_not_mail | disposable | A temporary address. It lives from 15 minutes to about 6 months. |
| do_not_mail | toxic | The address is known for abuse or spam, or a program made it. |
| do_not_mail | role_based_catch_all | A role address on a domain that accepts all mail. |
| unknown | antispam_system | An anti-spam system blocked the check. |
| unknown | exception_occurred | The check failed with an error. If this happens often, open a case. |
| unknown | failed_smtp_connection | The mail server does not allow a connection. Most of these addresses are invalid. |
| unknown | forcible_disconnect | The mail server disconnects at once. Most of these addresses are invalid. |
| unknown | greylisted | The server cannot be checked now. A second check often works. |
| unknown | mail_server_did_not_respond | The mail server does not answer. Most of these addresses are invalid. |
| unknown | mail_server_temporary_error | The mail server returns a temporary error. Most of these addresses are invalid. |
| unknown | timeout_exceeded | The mail server answers very slowly. Most of these addresses are invalid. |
Applies to
Address Verification 7.3.x. These steps come from the tested Address Verification implementation guide, where they sit with the steps before and after them.
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