Free e-mail checker
Enter one address to check, for free, that it is well-formed and that its domain can receive mail, plus whether it is a disposable, role or free-mail address. This checks the domain can receive mail; it does not confirm the mailbox exists. Our e-mail verification check does.
Free · no sign-up · public DNS lookup only, the address is not stored
Check an e-mail address
Syntax, the domain's mail servers, disposable, role and free-mail flags. 20 free checks per day, no sign-up.
The answer appears here: whether the address is well-formed, whether its domain can receive mail, and whether it is a disposable, role or free-mail address.
Need to know if the mailbox itself exists?Verify the mailbox
The domain is looked up in public DNS by our server; the address is not stored or logged; no e-mail is sent. The page counts one anonymous "tool used" event per visit (never the address), and sends nothing at all when your browser asks not to be tracked.
Find out if the mailbox exists
A working domain is not a working mailbox. Our e-mail verification check answers whether the mailbox exists at major webmail providers, with the time of the check. Unknown answers are free.
How it works
Syntax. The address is split at the last @ and checked against the rules mail systems really apply: up to 64 characters before the @, a valid domain name after it, 254 characters in total. Forms the standard allows but providers reject, such as quoted names and IP addresses in brackets, are reported with the reason. Unicode domains are converted to their ASCII (punycode) form.
Domain mail setup. We ask public DNS for the domain's MX records. With no MX record, we look for an A or AAAA record, where mail would be delivered instead. A "null MX" or a domain that does not exist means the address cannot receive mail. Each query has a time limit; if DNS does not answer, the result is "unknown", never "invalid".
Flags. The domain is compared with a list of 8,989 disposable domains, the part before the @ with a list of role names (info, sales, support…), and the domain with a list of consumer webmail providers. A typo of a common domain, such as gmial.com, gets a "Did you mean" suggestion.
No SMTP connection is made and nothing is sent to the address. That is why this tool can say "the domain accepts mail" but never "the mailbox exists".
Last updated
How to read the result
- The domain is set up to receive mail: the format is valid and the domain has mail servers. The address may still not exist; confirm it with a verification e-mail or a mailbox check.
- Disposable: the domain belongs to a throwaway inbox service. For sign-ups that grant free value, treat it as a strong signal and combine it with other checks.
- Invalid: the address is malformed, or its domain does not exist or accepts no mail. Ask the person to correct it before you send anything.
- Unknown: DNS did not answer in time. This says nothing about the address; try again later.
Frequently asked questions
Does this e-mail checker tell me if the mailbox exists?
No. It checks that the address is well-formed and that its domain is set up to receive mail. A domain with working mail servers can still reject a mailbox that was never created or was closed. To find out whether the mailbox itself exists, use our e-mail verification check, which answers for addresses at major webmail providers.
Why don't you connect to the mail server to test the mailbox?
Testing a mailbox by opening an SMTP conversation and stopping before the message is sent (often called "SMTP ping") is unreliable and intrusive: many servers accept every address (catch-all), others block or blacklist the testing IP, and the test can look like a directory-harvest attack to the receiving domain. This tool only reads public DNS records, so it never contacts the domain's mail servers.
What is an MX record?
An MX (mail exchanger) record is the DNS entry that tells other mail servers where to deliver mail for a domain. If a domain has no MX record, the standard (RFC 5321) says mail goes to the domain's own address (A or AAAA record) instead. A single MX pointing to "." (a "null MX", RFC 7505) means the domain accepts no mail at all. See the glossary entry.
How do you decide that a domain is disposable?
We compare the domain, and every parent domain, with a list of throwaway inbox services: a public CC0 blocklist of about 9,000 domains maintained by an open-source project, plus a short list we review by hand. New disposable domains appear every week, so a "no" only means "not on our list".
Is a role address such as info@ or sales@ a bad address?
No. A role address belongs to a team or a function rather than one person. It is normal for business contacts and receipts. Flag it where one person must own the account, and ask for a personal address only when recovery or security depends on it. Our guide on role-based e-mail addresses explains when to accept, flag or ask.
Do you store the addresses I check?
No. The address is checked in memory and the answer is sent back to your browser. Nothing is written to a database or a log. To keep the tool free and fast, each network can run 20 domain checks per day; that count is kept in memory under a one-way hash of the network, never the address.
Can I check a list of addresses?
Not with this page: it checks one address at a time. To check a list, create a free account: 10 e-mail addresses are verified for real, free, and you can then run bulk jobs or call the API. You are only charged for conclusive answers.