# Bulk Email Verifier & List Cleaner (`gocreative.ai/bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax`) Actor

Bulk-validate email addresses: syntax, MX, disposable/role-based detection. For cold-email hygiene at scale.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/gocreative.ai/bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax.md
- **Developed by:** [GoCreative AI](https://apify.com/gocreative.ai) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 verified emails

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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

## Bulk Email Verifier & List Cleaner

**Verify and clean email lists in bulk — remove invalid, dead, disposable, and risky addresses before you send.** Paste or upload thousands of emails and get back a clean, scored list so you can cut bounce rates, protect your sender reputation, and stop wasting sends on addresses that will never land.

No API key. No signup. No monthly subscription — pay only for what you verify.

### What it does

For every email address you submit, this actor checks:

- **Syntax validation** — catches typos and malformed addresses (`john@@gmail`, `notanemail`, missing TLDs) using strict RFC-style rules.
- **MX record lookup** — confirms the domain actually has mail servers that can receive email. Dead domains and parked domains are flagged as undeliverable.
- **Disposable / temporary email detection** — flags throwaway domains (Mailinator, Guerrilla Mail, 10MinuteMail, and many more) that hurt deliverability and inflate lists.
- **Role-based address detection** — flags shared inboxes (`info@`, `support@`, `sales@`, `admin@`) that convert poorly and often trigger spam filters.
- **Free-provider classification** — labels Gmail / Outlook / Yahoo / iCloud so you can segment business vs personal.
- **Catch-all & SMTP mailbox check (optional)** — when run on a network with outbound port 25 open, it probes the mail server (`RCPT TO`) to confirm the mailbox exists and detect catch-all domains. (Most cloud networks block port 25, so this is off by default — syntax + MX + classification still reliably removes the bulk of bad addresses.)

Every result comes back with a clear **status** (`valid`, `risky`, `undeliverable`) and a **0–100 confidence score**, plus all the underlying signals so you can filter exactly how you want.

### Why use it

- **Lower bounce rates** — bounces above ~3% get your domain throttled or blacklisted. Clean the list first.
- **Protect sender reputation** — fewer bounces and spam-traps means more of your email reaches the inbox.
- **Save money on your email tool** — stop paying per-contact for addresses that don't exist.
- **Clean cold-email & lead lists at scale** — drop it into any outreach, CRM, or scraping pipeline.

### Input

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `emails` | array | List of email addresses to verify. Duplicates are removed automatically. |
| `smtpCheck` | boolean | Optional SMTP mailbox probe + catch-all detection. Off by default (needs port 25). |
| `fromEmail` | string | Sender address used during SMTP probing. Use a domain you control. |
| `maxConcurrent` | integer | Parallel checks (1–50). Default 10. |

#### Example input

```json
{
  "emails": [
    "support@apify.com",
    "totallyfake_zzz999@gmail.com",
    "notanemail",
    "test@mailinator.com"
  ]
}
````

### Output

One record per address:

```json
{
  "email": "support@apify.com",
  "status": "risky",
  "score": 50,
  "reason": "role_based_address",
  "syntax_valid": true,
  "domain": "apify.com",
  "mx_found": true,
  "mx_host": "aspmx.l.google.com",
  "is_disposable": false,
  "is_role": true,
  "is_free": false
}
```

**Status values:**

- `valid` — clean syntax, live mail domain, not disposable/role. Safe to send.
- `risky` — deliverable but lower-quality (disposable, role-based, or catch-all domain). Send with caution.
- `undeliverable` — invalid syntax, no mail server, or the mailbox was rejected. Remove these.

### How to use the results

Filter to `status == "valid"` for your safest sending list, keep `risky` for a separate lower-priority segment, and drop everything `undeliverable`. Export to CSV, JSON, or Excel from the Apify dataset, or pull it via the API into your own pipeline.

### FAQ

**Does it really connect to mail servers?** It always checks syntax and live MX records. The full SMTP mailbox probe is optional and only works where outbound port 25 is open (most cloud platforms, including Apify, block it), so it's off by default.

**How fast is it?** Hundreds to thousands of addresses per run, controlled by `maxConcurrent`.

**Do I need an account or API key?** No. Just provide your list and run.

# Actor input Schema

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

List of email addresses to verify. Paste or upload up to thousands at once.

## `smtpCheck` (type: `boolean`):

Optionally probe the mail server (RCPT TO) to confirm the mailbox exists and detect catch-all domains. NOTE: most cloud networks (including Apify) block outbound port 25, so this usually returns 'unknown' here — leave OFF for fast, reliable syntax+MX+disposable validation. Turn ON only if running where port 25 is open.

## `fromEmail` (type: `string`):

Sender address used in the SMTP MAIL FROM during probing. Use a real domain you control for best acceptance.

## `maxConcurrent` (type: `integer`):

Higher = faster but heavier on mail servers. 10 is a safe default.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "emails": [
    "support@apify.com",
    "totallyfake_zzz999@gmail.com",
    "notanemail"
  ],
  "smtpCheck": false,
  "fromEmail": "verify@gocreativeai.com",
  "maxConcurrent": 10
}
```

# 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": [
        "support@apify.com",
        "totallyfake_zzz999@gmail.com",
        "notanemail"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("gocreative.ai/bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax").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": [
        "support@apify.com",
        "totallyfake_zzz999@gmail.com",
        "notanemail",
    ] }

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

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).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": [
    "support@apify.com",
    "totallyfake_zzz999@gmail.com",
    "notanemail"
  ]
}' |
apify call gocreative.ai/bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=gocreative.ai/bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Bulk Email Verifier & List Cleaner",
        "description": "Bulk-validate email addresses: syntax, MX, disposable/role-based detection. For cold-email hygiene at scale.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "dSrKSRP5qXEFkQ45y"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/gocreative.ai~bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-gocreative.ai-bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/gocreative.ai~bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-gocreative.ai-bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/gocreative.ai~bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-gocreative.ai-bulk-email-validator-mx-syntax",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "emails"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "emails": {
                        "title": "Email addresses",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "List of email addresses to verify. Paste or upload up to thousands at once.",
                        "default": [],
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "smtpCheck": {
                        "title": "SMTP mailbox check (advanced)",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Optionally probe the mail server (RCPT TO) to confirm the mailbox exists and detect catch-all domains. NOTE: most cloud networks (including Apify) block outbound port 25, so this usually returns 'unknown' here — leave OFF for fast, reliable syntax+MX+disposable validation. Turn ON only if running where port 25 is open.",
                        "default": false
                    },
                    "fromEmail": {
                        "title": "From address (SMTP probe)",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Sender address used in the SMTP MAIL FROM during probing. Use a real domain you control for best acceptance.",
                        "default": "verify@gocreativeai.com"
                    },
                    "maxConcurrent": {
                        "title": "Max concurrent checks",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 50,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Higher = faster but heavier on mail servers. 10 is a safe default.",
                        "default": 10
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```