What does it mean to verify an email address?

A mailbox check: the receiving mail server is asked whether that exact address exists. The check stops before a message is sent, so the person does not get a test email.

What is the difference between a syntax check, an MX check, and verification?

A syntax check looks at the shape of the address. An MX check shows the domain has a mail server. Only a mailbox check asks about one address. The first two pass for almost any string at a company that receives mail.

Where can I verify one address for free?

The free email verifier on the Tools page runs the mailbox check with no account. Catch-all domains are labelled catch-all and are not reported as verified.

FindLeadEmails

Email intelligence

Guide

How to verify an email address

Three checks, and only one of them tells you the mailbox exists.

Verifying an email address means one thing: the domain’s mail server has been asked about that exact mailbox, and the check stopped before a message was sent. The free email verifier does that check. If you have a name and a company domain but not an address yet, start with the free email finder, which generates the usual patterns and runs the same check.

Three levels, only one of them verifies

Syntax. The string has an @ and a domain-shaped ending. This catches typos. It says nothing about whether anyone receives mail there.
Domain (MX). The domain publishes a mail server. Mail could be delivered to the company. It still says nothing about one person.
Mailbox. The server accepts this address and rejects a nonsense local-part. That is the only level we call verified.

jane.doe@company.com in examples on this site is not a real person. It is there so the three levels stay distinct.

The catch-all exception

Some domains accept every address. The server says yes to a real mailbox and to a typo, so no tool can confirm a specific person. We label that catch-all and do not bill it as verified. The longer explanation is catch-all emails explained, and the domain check is the free catch-all checker.

What to do with the result

Put verified rows in a sequence. Treat catch-all as unconfirmed. Skip not found. A role address such as info@ can verify and still be a poor cold-email target: verification answers existence, not whether you should write. The send-side checklist is how to verify a work email before you send.

Email verification questions

What does it mean to verify an email address?: A mailbox check: the receiving mail server is asked whether that exact address exists. The check stops before a message is sent, so the person does not get a test email.
What is the difference between a syntax check, an MX check, and verification?: A syntax check looks at the shape of the address. An MX check shows the domain has a mail server. Only a mailbox check asks about one address. The first two pass for almost any string at a company that receives mail.
Where can I verify one address for free?: The free email verifier on the Tools page runs the mailbox check with no account. Catch-all domains are labelled catch-all and are not reported as verified.

The free tool that does step three

The free email verifier asks the receiving server about one address and stops before a message is sent. It shares a daily cap with the other live lookups on this site. DNS tools do not. There is no account.

If you have a name and a domain but not an address yet, start with the free email finder. It generates the usual patterns and runs the same mailbox check. You pay a credit only when the result is verified. Catch-alls and misses are free. Plans are on pricing.

A fictional address, three answers

jane.doe@company.com is not a real person. Use it to keep the levels apart:

Syntax. There is an @ and a domain-shaped string. Every checker on earth passes this, including a typo.
Domain. company.com has an MX record, so some server accepts mail for the domain. That says nothing about Jane.
Mailbox. The server accepts jane.doe@ and rejects a nonsense local-part. Only then is the address verified.

If the server accepts the nonsense local-part too, the domain is catch-all. Read catch-all emails explained. We label that result and do not call it verified.

What verification does not decide

A role address such as info@ or careers@ often exists and will verify. It is still usually a poor cold-email target. Verification answers "does this mailbox exist?" It does not answer "should you write to it?"

It also does not authenticate your sending domain. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are a separate job: that guide.

Verify a work email before you send, why "verified" often isn't, email verifier.

Verify an address with the free tool

The same mailbox check described above. No account. Catch-alls are labelled, not billed as verified.

Try it — no account needed

Real lookup against the live mail server — not a sample.