Email verifier

Checks an email address for syntax, a real domain, MX records, disposable and role addresses, free providers and typos like gmial.com. Free, and the address isn't stored.

Example: [email protected]Not stored or logged100 checks a day, free

Invalid

Example

[email protected]. hotmial.com has no mail server, so mail to this address bounces. Did you mean [email protected]?

8 checks4 pass1 warn1 fail1 not run

Needs attention

This address would bounce.

Mail server (MX)

hotmial.com publishes no MX records, so it accepts no email. Mail to this address bounces.

Typo in the domain

hotmial.com looks like a misspelling of hotmail.com.

[email protected]

4 checks passed, 1 note

These are fine.

SyntaxDomain existsDisposable domainRole accountFree email provider

ShowHide

Syntax

Written the way the email standards allow: one @, a valid name before it, a valid domain after it.

Domain exists

hotmial.com resolves in DNS.

Disposable domain Note

hotmial.com is on disposable-domain lists, as many typo domains are. The typo is the real problem.

Role account

Reads like one person's address, not a team inbox like info@ or sales@.

Free email provider

A company domain, not Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo or another free provider.

Not checked

The one step a free check can't do yet.

Mailbox exists Not live yet

The mailbox check isn't live yet, so this result can't say whether this exact inbox exists. Ken checks every address before it sends from the app.

Email me this report

Every check and what it found, for the domain. The address itself isn't in the email and isn't stored.

All 8 checks as HTMLDomain only, no addressLink to check another

Verify a whole list before it sends

Ken checks every address on a list before a campaign sends from the app. Start with 1,000 credits, no card.

Start free - 1,000 credits, no card

What the email verifier checks

Enter an email address. The verifier runs it down a ladder of checks:

Syntax: whether the address is valid under the email standards. RFC 5321 caps the part before the @ at 64 characters, and its 256-character path limit leaves 254 for the whole address.
Domain: whether the domain is real and registered, on a top-level domain that exists.
MX: whether the domain publishes mail servers, and which provider runs them. A domain with no MX, or a null MX record (RFC 7505), accepts no mail at all.
Disposable: whether the domain belongs to a throwaway inbox service.
Role account: addresses like info@, sales@ or support@ that reach a team, not a person.
Freemail: Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo and other personal providers.
Typos: common misspellings like gmial.com or acme.con, with the likely fix one click away.

The last rung, an SMTP check that asks the mail server whether the mailbox exists, isn't live in the free tool yet. The result shows it as not checked instead of guessing.

How to read the result

Invalid means the address can't receive mail: the syntax is broken, the domain doesn't exist or it has no mail server. Remove it. Risky means the domain takes mail but something is off: a likely typo, a disposable inbox or a team address. Passes every check we ran means nothing above is a problem, but the mailbox itself wasn't checked, so it isn't proof the inbox exists.

Some answers stay uncertain even with a mailbox check. A catch-all domain accepts every address at the SMTP stage, real or not, and some servers reply with a temporary error or refuse to answer checks at all. When a domain's DNS doesn't answer in time, the verifier says it couldn't finish rather than calling the address bad.

Why verify emails before a cold campaign

A hard bounce means the address doesn't exist, and a list with many of them looks bought or scraped to the providers you send to. Bounces count against the reputation of your sending domains, and that reputation decides where your next emails land. Verifying first keeps the bounce rate down and stops you paying to send to nobody.

Role and freemail addresses are a judgment call. They often deliver, but info@ reaches a shared inbox where nobody owns the decision, and a personal Gmail address on a B2B list can bring consent rules into play. Under the UK's PECR, for example, a personal address belongs to an individual subscriber, who needs to have opted in.

Daily limits and bulk verification

The free verifier runs up to 100 checks a day per visitor, 20 an hour. The address is never stored or logged, and the emailed report holds the checks and the domain only.

To verify a whole list, use Ken: it checks every address before a campaign sends from the app, and the free plan starts with 1,000 credits.

Questions

How do I check if an email address is valid?

Ask three questions. Is it written correctly? Does its domain exist and have mail servers, meaning MX records? Does the server accept that mailbox? The first two need only a syntax check and a DNS lookup, and this tool runs them along with the disposable, role, freemail and typo checks. The third needs an SMTP conversation with the mail server, and that step isn't live in the free tool yet.

Can you verify an email address without sending an email?

Yes. A verifier connects to the domain's mail server and starts the delivery handshake. It names a sender, then asks to deliver to the address with the RCPT TO command, and the server's answer shows whether the mailbox exists. The session ends before any message is sent. Catch-all servers accept every address at that step, so for them the answer stays uncertain. The free tool here doesn't run this step yet, and its result says so.

What is a catch-all email address?

An address on a domain set to accept mail for any address, real or not. The server says yes to everything during delivery, so a verifier can't tell real mailboxes from made-up ones. Mail to a made-up address there may be dropped silently or bounce later. Treat catch-all addresses as risky and send to them in small batches.

Should I send cold emails to role addresses like info@?

Usually not. They often deliver, but they reach a shared inbox, and nobody there owns the decision you're asking about. Find the named person who does. If a role address is all you have, keep the email short and say who it's meant for, so it can be forwarded.

Does the verifier store the address I check?

No. The address is checked and dropped: it isn't stored, logged or added to any list. Only the domain's MX answer is cached for a few minutes, and the report email holds the checks and the domain, not the address.

Why is there a daily limit?

Every check runs DNS lookups on our side, and an unlimited free verifier invites abuse. 100 checks a day per visitor covers checking addresses by hand. For whole lists, Ken verifies every address before a campaign sends.