# Email Validator for Agents (MX, Disposable, Typo) (`fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable`) Actor

Validate email addresses without sending mail: syntax, DNS/MX, null MX, disposable and role detection, free-provider flag, typo suggestions, SPF/DMARC. Clear valid/risky/invalid verdicts with reason codes for AI agents and CRM hygiene.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable.md
- **Developed by:** [Fairquery](https://apify.com/fairquery) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, AI, Agents
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 email checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Email Validator for Agents (MX, Disposable, Typo)

**Fairquery** Apify Actor that validates email addresses **without sending any email or probing SMTP servers**: syntax, DNS/MX, null MX, disposable-domain and role-account detection, free-provider flag, typo suggestions ("gmial.com" → "gmail.com"), mail provider, and SPF/DMARC. Each address gets a clear **`valid` / `risky` / `invalid` / `unknown`** verdict with machine-readable reason codes.

### When to use this Actor (LLM / tool selection)

Use it when an agent needs to:

- Clean a lead / CRM / signup list before outreach or import
- Decide whether an address *can* receive mail (domain exists, has MX, no null MX)
- Flag disposable/temporary inboxes, role addresses (info@, sales@) or free webmail on B2B forms
- Suggest a fix for a mistyped domain
- See which mail provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, …) and DMARC policy a domain uses

Do **not** use it to confirm a specific mailbox exists — that requires SMTP probing, which this Actor deliberately avoids (privacy, IP reputation and ToS reasons). `valid` means "well-formed, deliverable domain, no risk flags", not "mailbox confirmed".

### How it works

| Check | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Syntax | RFC 5321/5322 pragmatic subset, IDN domains → punycode |
| MX / A / AAAA / TXT | DNS-over-HTTPS `https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query` (cached per domain, 10 domains in parallel) |
| Disposable domains | Bundled CC0 list from `disposable-email-domains` (~9.9k domains, subdomains matched) |
| Role / free provider / typo | Built-in lists + edit-distance against popular providers |

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `emails` | `string[]` | 6 sample addresses | Addresses; entries may be comma/semicolon/newline lists or `Name <addr>` |
| `checkDns` | `bool` | `true` | MX/A lookups (turn off for syntax-only) |
| `checkSpfDmarc` | `bool` | `true` | Report SPF/DMARC presence and DMARC policy |
| `allowRoleAccounts` | `bool` | `true` | If `false`, role addresses → `risky` |
| `allowDisposable` | `bool` | `false` | If `true`, disposable domains are not `risky` |
| `allowFreeProviders` | `bool` | `true` | If `false`, free webmail → `risky` (B2B lists) |
| `maxEmails` | `int` | `10000` | Safety cap per run |

```json
{ "emails": ["jane@acme.com", "info@apify.com", "bob@gmial.com"], "allowFreeProviders": false }
```

### Output

Every row has `schema_version` (`1.0.0`), `type` (`email` | `error`), `source_url` (the DoH MX query URL), `checked_at`.

```json
{
  "type": "email", "input": "someone@gmial.com", "email": "someone@gmial.com", "domain": "gmial.com",
  "verdict": "risky", "reasons": ["DISPOSABLE_DOMAIN", "POSSIBLE_TYPO", "IMPLICIT_MX_ONLY"],
  "syntax_valid": true, "is_disposable": true, "is_role_account": false, "is_free_provider": false,
  "did_you_mean": "someone@gmail.com", "domain_exists": true, "has_mx": false, "null_mx": false,
  "implicit_mx": true, "mx_records": [], "mail_provider": null, "has_spf": false, "has_dmarc": false, "dmarc_policy": null,
  "source_url": "https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query?name=gmial.com&type=MX"
}
```

Reason codes: `INVALID_SYNTAX`, `DOMAIN_NOT_FOUND`, `NULL_MX`, `NO_MAIL_SERVER` (→ `invalid`); `DISPOSABLE_DOMAIN`, `ROLE_ACCOUNT`, `FREE_PROVIDER`, `POSSIBLE_TYPO`, `IMPLICIT_MX_ONLY` (→ `risky` depending on the allow\* flags); `DNS_NOT_CHECKED` (→ `unknown`).

#### Error rows (machine-readable, never charged)

```json
{ "type": "error", "code": "DNS_LOOKUP_FAILED", "message": "DoH MX acme.com -> HTTP 503", "retryable": true, "input": "jane@acme.com", "domain": "acme.com" }
```

Codes: `INPUT_EMPTY`, `MAX_EMAILS_EXCEEDED`, `DNS_LOOKUP_FAILED`. Duplicate addresses (case-insensitive) are skipped and counted in the summary.

#### Run summary

Key-value store record **`RUN_SUMMARY`**: emails checked, duplicates skipped, verdict counts, domains checked, DNS request count, echoed input.

### Pricing

Pay per event: `email-checked` per email row. Error rows are never charged. See the Store pricing tab.

### Memory / runtime

Default **256 MB**. No browser, no proxy. ~1,000 emails across a few hundred domains finish in well under a minute.

### MCP / Apify tools

Call from agents via [Apify MCP](https://mcp.apify.com) (`https://mcp.apify.com`, authenticated with your Apify token), Actor `fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable`:

```json
{ "actor": "fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable", "input": { "emails": ["jane@acme.com"] } }
```

Read dataset items (`type == "email"`) and the `RUN_SUMMARY` record. A standalone stdio MCP server lives in the GitHub repo under `mcp/`.

### Local development

```bash
npm install
npx apify run      # uses input defaults, or storage/key_value_stores/default/INPUT.json
npm test
```

### Kits & templates

Optional guides from Fairquery for wiring this Actor into agents and automations (the Actor works fine without them):

- [AI Agent Data Toolkit Quick-Start](https://fairquery.gumroad.com/l/qayngz) (PDF): MCP setup for Claude Desktop and Cursor, API calls, recipes, cost estimates.
- [n8n + Zapier Workflow Template Pack](https://fairquery.gumroad.com/l/koffbf): 10 importable n8n workflows for the four Fairquery Actors, plus Zapier setup guides.
- [Agent Prompt Pack for Research & Lead Ops](https://fairquery.gumroad.com/l/djdilu): 69 prompts for company research, lead cleaning, SEO and security reviews.

### Disclaimer

DNS-based validation cannot guarantee a mailbox exists or accepts mail. Use results to reduce bounces, not as proof of deliverability. Comply with anti-spam law (CAN-SPAM, GDPR/ePrivacy) when emailing.

# Actor input Schema

## `emails` (type: `array`):

Email addresses to validate. Entries may also be comma/semicolon/newline separated lists or 'Name <addr>' forms.

## `checkDns` (type: `boolean`):

Look up MX / A records over DNS-over-HTTPS to confirm the domain can receive mail.

## `checkSpfDmarc` (type: `boolean`):

Also report SPF and DMARC presence and DMARC policy for each domain.

## `allowRoleAccounts` (type: `boolean`):

If false, role addresses (info@, sales@, support@…) get verdict 'risky'.

## `allowDisposable` (type: `boolean`):

If false, disposable/temporary inbox domains get verdict 'risky'.

## `allowFreeProviders` (type: `boolean`):

If false, free webmail (gmail.com, outlook.com…) gets verdict 'risky' (useful for B2B lead lists).

## `maxEmails` (type: `integer`):

Safety cap on unique emails per run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "emails": [
    "john.doe@gmail.com",
    "info@apify.com",
    "someone@gmial.com",
    "test@mailinator.com",
    "not-an-email",
    "user@this-domain-does-not-exist-fq123.com"
  ],
  "checkDns": true,
  "checkSpfDmarc": true,
  "allowRoleAccounts": true,
  "allowDisposable": false,
  "allowFreeProviders": true,
  "maxEmails": 10000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "emails": [
        "john.doe@gmail.com",
        "info@apify.com",
        "someone@gmial.com",
        "test@mailinator.com",
        "not-an-email",
        "user@this-domain-does-not-exist-fq123.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "emails": [
        "john.doe@gmail.com",
        "info@apify.com",
        "someone@gmial.com",
        "test@mailinator.com",
        "not-an-email",
        "user@this-domain-does-not-exist-fq123.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "emails": [
    "john.doe@gmail.com",
    "info@apify.com",
    "someone@gmial.com",
    "test@mailinator.com",
    "not-an-email",
    "user@this-domain-does-not-exist-fq123.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,fairquery/email-validator-mx-disposable"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/M18r3kMMTV9ODNMYj/builds/LHv88hlTzjO5lf6tF/openapi.json