Email Verifier & Validator: Bulk MX + SMTP Check

Verify any list of email addresses in bulk with no API key required. Checks syntax, DNS MX records, SMTP mailbox acceptance, disposable domain detection, role-based address tagging, and catch-all heuristics. Returns a clear valid / invalid / risky / unknown verdict per address. Use it as an MCP server in Claude, ChatGPT and any AI agent.

Run it on Apify: apify.com/themineworks/email-verifier-validator Docs, FAQ and pricing: themineworks.com/actors/email-verifier-validator

Price: From $1.50 per 1,000 emails on Apify's higher plans ($2.50 on the free plan). Failed and empty results are never charged.

What it returns

• DNS MX + SMTP mailbox check
• Disposable domain detection (60+ providers)
• Catch-all heuristic probe
• Role-based address tagging (info@, sales@…)
• Addresses that fail syntax checks are never charged

Quick start

You need a free Apify account and its API token (Settings, API & Integrations).

Python

pip install apify-client

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("themineworks/email-verifier-validator").call(run_input={
    "emails": [
        "test@stripe.com",
        "ceo@notion.so"
    ]
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

Node.js

npm install apify-client

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('themineworks/email-verifier-validator').call({
    "emails": [
        "test@stripe.com",
        "ceo@notion.so"
    ]
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

cURL

One request that runs the actor and returns the results in the response (for runs under 5 minutes):

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/themineworks~email-verifier-validator/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"emails": ["test@stripe.com", "ceo@notion.so"]}'

Command line

This repo includes ready-made clients that save results to JSON and CSV:

python3 email_verifier_validator.py --token YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN --emails "test@stripe.com,ceo@notion.so"
node email_verifier_validator.mjs --token YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN --emails "test@stripe.com,ceo@notion.so"

Input

Field	Type	Default	Description
emails (required)	array		List of email addresses to validate (one per line), for example "jane@acmecorp.com"
checkMx	boolean	true	Resolve the domain's DNS MX records to confirm it can receive mail
checkSmtp	boolean	true	Open a connection to the domain's mail server and run a HELO / MAIL FROM / RCPT TO handshake to test whether…
detectDisposable	boolean	true	Flag addresses on known throwaway / temporary-mailbox domains (mailinator.com, 10minutemail.com…
detectRoleBased	boolean	true	Flag generic role mailboxes (info@, sales@, admin@, support@, etc.) that are not tied to a single person

Output

One row per result, as JSON, CSV, Excel or through the API.

Field	Type	Description
email	string	The email address that was checked (lowercased, trimmed)
isValidSyntax	boolean	Whether the address passes RFC-style syntax validation
mxFound	boolean	Whether the domain has at least one DNS MX record
smtpAccepts	boolean	Whether the mail server accepted RCPT TO for this mailbox
isDisposable	boolean	Whether the domain is a known disposable / throwaway mailbox provider
isRoleBased	boolean	Whether the local-part is a generic role mailbox (info, sales, admin, support, etc.)
isCatchAll	boolean	Heuristic: the server appears to accept all addresses on the domain, so an accepted RCPT does not prove the…
status	string	Overall verdict: valid, invalid, risky, or unknown
reason	string	Short human-readable explanation of the status
domain	string	The domain portion of the email
checkedAt	string	ISO timestamp when this address was checked

Use it from an AI agent

The actor works as a tool in Claude, Cursor or any MCP client through Apify's MCP server:

https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=themineworks/email-verifier-validator

FAQ

How does the email verification work?

For each address the actor runs four checks in sequence: syntax validation, DNS MX lookup to confirm the domain accepts mail, an optional SMTP RCPT handshake to test the specific mailbox, and a catch-all probe to check whether the server accepts any address regardless of mailbox existence. The verdict combines all four signals.

Will SMTP verification always work?

No. Port 25 is often firewalled by cloud providers including Apify. When SMTP is blocked or times out the actor returns status "unknown" rather than "valid". It never upgrades an unconfirmed address to valid. You still get the MX result and disposable/role flags.

What is a catch-all domain?

A catch-all mail server accepts RCPT TO for any address, real or invented, at that domain. When the actor detects this it downgrades the verdict to "risky" because a positive SMTP response no longer proves the mailbox exists.

How am I charged?

Pay per result: from $1.50 per 1,000 emails on Apify's higher plans, $2.50 on the free plan. Addresses that fail syntax checking or verification are never charged.

How much does the Email Verifier & Validator cost?

From $1.50 per 1,000 emails on Apify's higher plans ($2.50 on the free plan). Failed and empty results are never charged. You can cap what a single run may spend with the maximum cost setting on Apify.

Can I export the results to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Every run saves to an Apify dataset you can download as JSON, CSV, Excel or XML, or read through the API. The Python and Node clients in this repo also write the results to local files.

Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes. Save your input as a task on Apify and attach a schedule, or call the API from your own cron job. Scheduled runs are billed the same way as manual ones.

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License

MIT © The Mine Works