Detecting and mitigating undeliverable email
First Claim
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- a) importing a list of email addresses for one or more contacts into one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more servers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more contacts stored in a data storage communicatively coupled to the network;
b) determining, for each email address in the list of email addresses, if the email address is opted in to receive an email distribution from an administrator of an account associated with a business ID;
c) if the email address is opted in, determining if the email address is found in a database of known undeliverable email addresses;
d) if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses exceeds an amount allowed by one or more bounce limit rules;
i) deferring importing the list of email addresses for the one or more contacts; and
ii) displaying an alert referring the administrator to an abuse department for review of the account;
e) if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses does not exceed the amount allowed by the one or more bounce limit rules;
i) delivering the email distribution over a specified interval to each email address opted in; and
ii) determining whether a plurality of undeliverable emails in the email distribution exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules;
f) if the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules;
i) delaying delivery of the email distribution; and
ii) displaying the alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account;
g) if the plurality of undeliverable emails does not exceed the one or more bounce limit rules, repeating steps e(i)-f(ii) until either the email distribution concludes or the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for detecting and mitigating abuse of undeliverable email or “bounced” emails. An administrator may import a list of email addresses for one or more contacts. The opt-in software may determine if each email address in the list of email addresses is opted in to receive an email distribution, and if so, a bounce detection software may determine if each email address is found in a database of known undeliverable or “bounced” email addresses. If so, an abuse-mitigation software may defer importing the list of email addresses and display an alert referring the administrator to an abuse department for review of the account. A message-delivery software may deliver the email distribution, and the bounce detection software may then determine whether undeliverable emails in the email distribution exceed one or more “bounce limit rules,” and if so, the abuse mitigation software may delay delivery of the email distribution and display an alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account. Otherwise, delivery may continue to completion.
56 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- a) importing a list of email addresses for one or more contacts into one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more servers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more contacts stored in a data storage communicatively coupled to the network;
b) determining, for each email address in the list of email addresses, if the email address is opted in to receive an email distribution from an administrator of an account associated with a business ID;
c) if the email address is opted in, determining if the email address is found in a database of known undeliverable email addresses;
d) if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses exceeds an amount allowed by one or more bounce limit rules;
i) deferring importing the list of email addresses for the one or more contacts; and
ii) displaying an alert referring the administrator to an abuse department for review of the account;
e) if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses does not exceed the amount allowed by the one or more bounce limit rules;
i) delivering the email distribution over a specified interval to each email address opted in; and
ii) determining whether a plurality of undeliverable emails in the email distribution exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules;
f) if the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules;
i) delaying delivery of the email distribution; and
ii) displaying the alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account;
g) if the plurality of undeliverable emails does not exceed the one or more bounce limit rules, repeating steps e(i)-f(ii) until either the email distribution concludes or the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- a) importing a list of email addresses for one or more contacts into one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more servers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more contacts stored in a data storage communicatively coupled to the network;
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19. A system comprising one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more server devices communicatively coupled to a network, the software combination comprising:
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a) an import software component configured to import a list of email addresses for one or more contacts, the one or more contacts stored in a data storage device communicatively coupled to the network and comprising a database of the one or more contacts and a database of known undeliverable email addresses; b) an opt-in software component configured to;
i) opt in a contact to an email distribution by an administrator of an account associated with a business ID; and
ii) determine, for each email address in the list of email addresses, if the email address is opted in to receive the email distribution;c) a message delivery software component configured to;
i) deliver the email distribution over a specified interval; and
ii) process one or more undeliverable emails in the email distribution;d) a bounce detection software component configured to;
i) determine, for each email in the list of email addresses, if the email address is found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses;
ii) determine if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses exceeds an amount allowed by one or more bounce limit rules; and
iii) determine whether a plurality of undeliverable emails in the email distribution exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules; ande) an abuse mitigation software component configured to;
i) display an alert referring the administrator to an abuse department for review of the account if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses exceeds the amount allowed by the one or more bounce limit rules or if the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules;
ii) defer importing a list of email addresses for the one or more contacts if email addresses found in the database of known undeliverable email addresses exceeds the amount allowed by the one or more bounce limit rules; and
iii) delay delivery of the email distribution if the plurality of undeliverable emails exceeds the one or more bounce limit rules. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification