The deliverability index rates how strictly the receiving side filters incoming email. It answers a different question from the verification status: the status says whether a mailbox exists; the index says how hard it is to land a message in it.
The four ratings
| Rating | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| High | Standard email setup. Your emails should land normally. | Send as usual. |
| Moderate | Some filtering in place. Well-configured sending domains deliver fine. | Make sure your sending domain has SPF and DKIM set up. |
| Low | Strict filtering is active. | Send only from a warmed-up domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Keep volumes low and messages plain. |
| Very Low | An enterprise security gateway sits in front of the mailboxes. Unauthenticated or unexpected mail is likely to be blocked. | Expect cold outreach to be stopped. Prefer another channel, such as LinkedIn, or a warm introduction. |
Hover the rating in the app to see this explanation.
Where you see it
- Single check: Deliverability Index in the domain intelligence panel.
- Bulk verification: the Deliverability column, and
deliverability_indexin the downloaded CSV. - Email finder: Deliverability Index under the result.
- Lead lists: with the lead's email status.
How it's worked out
The rating is based on the receiving domain's mail setup: its mail provider, any security gateway in front of it, and its email authentication records. It describes the company's mail system as a whole, so every address at the same domain usually gets the same rating.
Sometimes a specific address gets a lower rating than its domain, for example when there are signs it may not be in active use. The tooltip then explains the reason for that address instead of the general description.
Deliverable but Very Low
An address can be Deliverable and still rated Very Low. The mailbox exists, but the company's gateway is likely to block or quarantine cold email before the person sees it. Keep these contacts, but don't count on email alone to reach them.
Using it to plan a campaign
- Verify your list.
- Sort or filter the results by deliverability.
- Send to High and Moderate first.
- Move Low to a slower, smaller send from your best-warmed domain.
- Reach Very Low contacts another way, or accept a lower reply rate.
The index never changes what you pay. It comes with every verification and finder result at no extra cost.