Zero Bad Leads
Qualify Leads6 min readFebruary 23, 2026

Automatic verifications

Details on each automatic verification: email, phone, CNPJ, IP, and how to interpret the results.

Overview#

Every time a lead arrives in Zero Bad Leads, it goes through a series of automatic verifications before receiving a final score. Each verification analyzes a different aspect of the lead and contributes to the quality score.

The verifications run in parallel to ensure speed. On average, the entire process takes less than 3 seconds.

Email verification#

Email verification consists of three stages:

1. Format validation#

The system checks whether the email follows the standard RFC 5322 format (e.g., user@domain.com). Emails with spaces, invalid characters, or missing the @ symbol are rejected immediately.

2. MX record verification#

The system queries the MX (Mail Exchange) records of the email domain to confirm it can receive messages. If the domain has no MX records, the email is considered invalid.

3. Disposable email detection#

Temporary and disposable emails indicate low-quality leads. Zero Bad Leads maintains an up-to-date list of known disposable providers, including:

ProviderDomain
Guerrilla Mailguerrillamail.com
Mailinatormailinator.com
TempMailtempmail.com
YOPmailyopmail.com
Throwawaythrowaway.email
TrashMailtrashmail.com
GetAirMailgetairmail.com
FakeInboxfakeinbox.com
SharkLaserssharklasers.com
Guerrilla Mail Blockguerrillamailblock.com

The disposable provider list is continuously updated. If the email uses a disposable provider, the lead receives a significant score penalty.

Possible results#

ResultMeaning
validEmail with correct format, domain with MX records, and not disposable
invalid_formatEmail with incorrect format
no_mxDomain has no MX record
disposableEmail from a disposable provider

Phone verification#

E.164 normalization#

The system automatically converts the phone number to the international E.164 format. For Brazilian numbers, the country code +55 is added automatically.

Normalization examples:

InputE.164 Result
(11) 99999-9999+5511999999999
11999999999+5511999999999
+55 11 99999-9999+5511999999999
99999-9999Invalid (missing area code)

Country code detection#

For Brazilian leads, the system automatically identifies the country code +55. If the number already contains an international code, it is preserved.

Format validation#

The system verifies whether the number has the correct number of digits for the detected country. For Brazil:

  • Mobile: 11 digits (area code + 9 + 8 digits) — e.g., 11 9 9999-9999
  • Landline: 10 digits (area code + 8 digits) — e.g., 11 3333-3333

If your lead does not include the area code, the phone number will be marked as invalid. Make sure your forms request the full number with area code.

Possible results#

ResultMeaning
validPhone successfully normalized with correct format
invalidInvalid format or incorrect number of digits
missingPhone field not submitted

CNPJ verification#

CNPJ verification uses the BrazilAPI to query public data from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal).

How it works#

When the lead contains a CNPJ field (or the system detects a CNPJ in the submitted data), a query is made to BrazilAPI to obtain company information.

Extracted data#

FieldDescription
Legal NameOfficial legal name of the company
Trade NameCommercial name of the company
Company SizeCompany size (MEI, ME, EPP, others)
Registration StatusCurrent status with the Federal Revenue Service
Incorporation DateDate the company was established
Primary CNAEMain economic activity

If the CNPJ registration status is not "Active", the lead receives a score penalty. Companies with "Closed", "Suspended", or "Unfit" status are considered high risk.

Possible results#

ResultMeaning
validCNPJ found with "Active" status
invalidCNPJ with invalid format
inactiveCNPJ found but status is not "Active"
not_foundCNPJ not found in the Federal Revenue database
missingCNPJ field not submitted

IP verification#

IP verification uses ProxyCheck.io to assess the risk associated with the lead's IP address.

What is verified#

  • Risk score: value from 0 to 100 indicating the probability of the IP being malicious
  • Proxy: whether the IP is associated with a proxy server
  • VPN: whether the IP is being used by a VPN

Interpreting the risk score#

ScoreLevelInterpretation
0–10LowClean IP, no risk indicators
11–30ModerateSome minor indicators, generally safe
31–60ElevatedPossible proxy or VPN usage, requires attention
61–80HighStrong indication of proxy, VPN, or suspicious activity
81–100Very highIP associated with abuse, spam, or fraud

How the IP affects the score#

SituationScore impact
Clean IP (0–10)No penalty
Moderate risk IP (11–30)Light penalty
Elevated risk IP (31–60)Moderate penalty
Proxy detected on IPAdditional penalty
VPN detected on IPAdditional penalty
High risk IP (61+)Severe penalty

IP verification depends on the IP address being sent along with the lead data. If the IP is not available, this verification is simply skipped and does not negatively affect the score.

How verifications affect the final score#

The lead's final score (0 to 100) is calculated by artificial intelligence taking into account all the verifications above, plus the ideal lead profile you configured.

The verifications work as signals:

  • Positive signals: valid email, valid phone, active CNPJ, clean IP
  • Negative signals: disposable email, invalid phone, inactive CNPJ, IP with proxy/VPN

The AI combines these signals with your scoring profile criteria to generate the final score. The more positive signals, the higher the score.

You can view the result of each verification individually on the lead details page. This helps you understand exactly why a lead received a particular score.