# Leads failed verification: how to remove them

> What "N leads failed verification" means when you launch or resume a campaign in EmailPal, why it blocks, and how to find the failed leads and remove them all in one click.

Source: https://emailpal.io/help/leads-failed-verification-how-to-remove-them

## What the message means

When you choose **Launch** or **Resume**, the checklist can show a red row: **"N leads failed verification"**, with the detail "Remove them to launch." It is a blocker, so the campaign will not start until it is cleared.

A lead counts as **failed** when its email address was verified as `invalid`, `undeliverable` or `disposable`. These addresses would bounce, and a bounce hurts every mailbox in the campaign, so EmailPal stops the launch instead of letting them through.

Only leads that can still send are counted: **Not started**, **In sequence** and **Paused**. A lead that already finished (completed, replied, bounced, unsubscribed, skipped) can never send again, so it does not block a resume.

## How to remove them

You can fix it without leaving the checklist.

1. Open the **Launch** or **Resume** dialog.
2. On the red row, choose **Remove all N failed leads**.
3. Confirm. The checklist reloads and the blocker is gone.

Or do it from the **Leads** tab:

1. Choose **Review failed leads** on the red row. It opens the Leads tab already filtered to failed verification.
2. Check the list. Each lead shows a verification badge next to its status.
3. Choose **Remove all N failed leads** and confirm.

Removal covers every failed lead in the campaign, not just the 50 shown on the page. The leads stay in your CRM and your history is kept. They simply stop being part of this campaign. Leads that already finished are left alone.

## Filter the Leads tab by verification

The **Leads** tab has a **Verification** filter beside the status filter:

| Filter | Shows |
| --- | --- |
| Failed verification | Invalid, undeliverable or disposable addresses. This is what blocks a launch. |
| Risky | Catch-all and risky addresses. They are skipped unless the campaign allows risky addresses. |
| Not verified | Addresses that were never checked, or came back unknown. |
| Verified | Addresses verified as deliverable. |

The same `verification` filter works on the API's list of a campaign's leads.

## Why "Skipped" and "failed verification" are different numbers

You may see a few **Skipped** leads and many more failed ones, and the two numbers will not match. A failed lead stays **Not started** until the sender reaches it. Only then does it mark the lead **Skipped**. The launch check looks ahead and counts failed leads before they are reached, which is why it can show a large number while the Skipped count is small. Skipped leads can also have been skipped for a different reason, such as a risky address.

## FAQs

### Can I launch anyway and let the sender skip them?

No. Failed verification is a hard blocker. The sender would skip invalid addresses at send time, but a launch with a list full of known-bad addresses is refused so it never reaches the point of bouncing. Remove them, then launch.

### Are the failed leads deleted from my account?

No. Only their place in this campaign is removed. The contact stays in your CRM with its verification result, and an address verified as invalid is skipped, and counted, when you add a list to a campaign.

### I removed them, but the checklist still shows a failed lead.

The checklist counts again each time the dialog opens. If a list import added more failed addresses, or a verification run finished and marked more leads invalid, the count can go up. Remove them again.

### What about unverified leads?

Unverified leads only produce a warning, not a blocker. Verifying them first is the best way to keep your bounce rate down. [Importing leads and verification](/help/importing-leads-and-verification)

## Need More Help?

[The campaign launch checklist](/help/campaign-launch-checklist), [Campaign lead states and stop rules](/help/campaign-lead-states-and-stop-rules), [How to verify an email list before sending](/help/how-to-verify-an-email-list-before-sending).