Verify Google Sheets Lead Emails with Apify in n8n

Verify Google Sheets lead emails with Apify—before you launch campaigns

This n8n workflow automatically checks the validity of unverified email addresses in your Google Sheets lead list using the Apify Email Verifier API. It runs in batches, performs SMTP handshake validation plus disposable and catch-all detection, then writes a clear verdict back to the exact rows in your sheet.

What this workflow does

• Reads unverified rows from Google Sheets: Fetches leads where the status column is empty, so scheduled runs only process new contacts.
• Deduplicates and batches: Cleans whitespace, removes duplicate email addresses to prevent duplicate charges, and groups emails into batches of 100.
• Live verification via Apify: Sends batches to the Apify Email Verifier API to perform checks for syntax, MX records, disposable addresses, and SMTP catch-all behavior (without sending emails).
• Maps verdicts back reliably: Matches responses by email address with case-insensitivity and email-tag handling, preserving sheet integrity even if results return reordered.
• Updates your spreadsheet: Writes status, sub_status, score, catch_all, disposable, and verified_at back to the correct rows.

Use cases

• Reduce bounce rates in outbound email campaigns by filtering invalid leads from a Google Sheets list.
• Continuously verify new SaaS signups or exported lead lists on a schedule.
• Prevent deliverability issues by identifying disposable and catch-all emails before outreach.

Technical details

• n8n nodes/stack: code, sticky note, HTTP Request, Google Sheets, Manual Trigger
• Required columns: email, status, sub_status, score, catch_all, disposable, verified_at (only email needs lead data initially)
• Apify authentication: HTTP Header Auth with Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN (from console.apify.com)