What is an email permutator for cold email?
A tool that lists the ways a company could have built someone's address from their name: dana@, dana.ortiz@, dortiz@ and so on. Most businesses pick one format and use it for everyone, so when you know a person's name and their company's website, the address is usually one of a dozen or so patterns.
Which email format do most businesses use?
At small businesses, the first name alone (dana@) is the most common, often because the owner set up the first mailbox. Larger companies lean towards first.last@ or firstlast@, and some use first initial plus last name (dortiz@). The list is ordered that way, but it is a likelihood, not a rule. If you already know one address at the company, use its format for everyone else there.
How do I find which permutation is the real cold email address?
Verify them. An email verifier checks each address with the company's mail server without sending anything, and tells you which one exists. Do not send to all of them to see which one bounces: every bounce counts against your sending domain, and a high bounce rate is one of the fastest ways to land in spam. Our guide to email verification explains how, and bounce rate covers what too many bounces cost.
Why can an email verifier not confirm some permutations?
Some companies run a catch-all domain, which accepts mail for any address, real or not, so every permutation looks valid. A verifier marks those as catch-all rather than valid. See catch-all email addresses for how to decide whether to send to them.