What’s the difference between validation, verification, and cleaning?

Validation checks whether an address is syntactically correct and follows RFC 5322 structure such as captain@tidalmail.com.

Verification tests whether the mailbox can accept mail through server level checks. This includes confirming the presence of a valid MX record and in many cases initiating a partial SMTP handshake such as EHLO or HELO to predict whether the mailbox responds.

Cleaning is the strategic process that combines validation, verification, engagement data, acquisition source information, and deliverability risk profiling to decide what to keep, what to monitor, and what to suppress. Cleaning is not a technical check. Cleaning is a judgment call rooted in reputation management.