# Email Finder & Verifier - MX + pattern confidence (`korado_labs/email-finder-verifier`) Actor

Find business emails from a name + company domain. Guesses the likeliest pattern, verifies the domain's MX records, scores confidence, and flags catch-alls. Plug in your own SMTP verifier API for mailbox-level checks. Clean per-contact pricing.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/korado\_labs/email-finder-verifier.md
- **Developed by:** [Korado Labs](https://apify.com/korado_labs) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 contact resolveds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

## Email Finder & Verifier 📧

Turn a **name + company domain** into a **verified business email**. This actor
generates the common corporate email patterns, resolves the domain's mail servers,
and checks each candidate **for real over SMTP** — so you get a deliverable
address with a confidence score, not a guess. Bulk-ready. Export data, run via
API, schedule runs, or integrate with other tools.

### What makes it reliable

- ✅ **Honest verification, no false positives** — resolves the domain's MX and,
  where the network allows it (e.g. self-hosted), checks each candidate mailbox
  for real over SMTP (`RCPT TO`). On Apify — whose platform blocks outbound SMTP
  (port 25) — it returns truthful **MX/pattern-level** results (`mx_only`) instead
  of pretending an address is confirmed. Plug in an HTTPS verifier API
  (`verifierApiUrl`) for true mailbox checks on-platform.
- 🕳️ **Catch-all detection** — probes a random mailbox first, so domains that
  "accept everything" are flagged (`catchAll: true`) instead of returning a false
  positive.
- 🎯 **Confidence score** per result and the **pattern** that matched.
- 🔁 **Alternatives** — every other deliverable pattern it found.
- 📦 **Bulk** — pass hundreds of contacts; MX and catch-all results are cached per
  domain so large lists stay fast.
- 🚫 **Fair billing** — only resolved contacts are charged; no-MX/no-result
  contacts and failed runs cost nothing.

### What data do I get per contact?

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `email` | Best verified email (or best-guess on catch-all domains) |
| `status` | `valid`, `catch_all`, `invalid`, `mx_only`, `unknown`, `no_mx`, `no_domain`, `no_name` |
| `deliverable` | `true` / `false` / `null` (unknown / catch-all) |
| `catchAll` | Whether the domain accepts all addresses |
| `confidence` | 0–100 score |
| `pattern` | Which pattern matched (e.g. `first.last`, `flast`) |
| `alternativeEmails` | Other deliverable candidates |
| `smtpCode` | Raw SMTP response code |
| `candidatesTried` | How many patterns were tested |

### Email patterns tested

`first.last`, `flast`, `first`, `firstl`, `f.last`, `first_last`, `firstlast`,
`last.first`, `lastf`, `last`, `last_first`, `f-last` — ranked by real-world
frequency, tested best-first.

### How much does it cost?

Pay-per-event — **only resolved contacts are billed**:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Contact resolved (deliverable or catch-all best-guess) | $0.01 |

1,000 contacts where 700 resolve ≈ **$7.00**. No actor-start fee, nothing for
no-result contacts, nothing on a failed run.

### How do I use it?

#### Input — single

```json
{ "firstName": "Jane", "lastName": "Doe", "domain": "apify.com" }
```

#### Input — bulk

```json
{
  "contacts": [
    { "firstName": "Jane", "lastName": "Doe", "domain": "apify.com" },
    { "fullName": "John Smith", "domain": "example.com", "companyName": "Example Inc" }
  ],
  "stopOnFirstValid": true
}
```

#### Output

```json
{
  "inputFirstName": "Jane", "inputLastName": "Doe", "domain": "apify.com",
  "email": "jane.doe@apify.com", "status": "valid", "deliverable": true,
  "catchAll": false, "confidence": 95, "pattern": "first.last",
  "alternativeEmails": [], "smtpCode": 250, "candidatesTried": 3
}
```

### What can you do with the data?

- 📇 **Build outreach lists** — enrich a CSV of names + companies into verified emails.
- 🧹 **Clean existing lists** — flag invalid and catch-all addresses before you send.
- 🤝 **Sales & recruiting** — reach the right person with a deliverable address.
- 🔗 **Pipe into your CRM / sequencer** via the Apify API or an integration.

### FAQ

**How is verification done?** The actor resolves the domain's MX record. Where the
network permits (self-hosted), it opens an SMTP conversation and issues `RCPT TO`
per candidate — `250` = mailbox accepted, `550` = doesn't exist. On Apify, which
blocks outbound port 25, it returns honest `mx_only` results unless you supply a
`verifierApiUrl` (an HTTPS verification API, which works over port 443).

**Why `mx_only` instead of `valid`?** Because faking a "valid" verdict without a
real mailbox check would bounce your emails. `mx_only` means: the domain accepts
mail and this is the most-likely pattern, but the mailbox wasn't individually
confirmed. Add a `verifierApiUrl` for a confirmed `valid`/`invalid`.

**What is a catch-all domain?** Some servers accept mail for *any* address. The
actor detects these by probing a random local-part first; when a domain is
catch-all, the best-guess email is returned with `catchAll: true` and a capped
confidence, because no single mailbox can be individually confirmed.

**Why are some results `unknown`?** Greylisting or temporary SMTP responses (`4xx`)
mean the server deferred the check. Re-running later usually resolves them.

**Do you send any email?** No. Verification stops at the `RCPT TO` step — no
message is ever delivered.

**Can I verify an email I already have?** Yes — pass the name whose address it is,
or watch for it in `allCandidates` with `includeAllCandidates: true`.

**Is this legal / GDPR-safe?** You're responsible for using contact data lawfully
(legitimate interest, opt-outs, local rules). The actor only tests deliverability
of business addresses and never sends mail.

**Can I run it in bulk / via API?** Yes — pass a `contacts` array, and schedule or
call it via the Apify API/SDK like any actor.

# Actor input Schema

## `contacts` (type: `array`):

People to find emails for. Each item: {firstName, lastName, domain} (or {fullName, domain}). companyName is optional.

## `firstName` (type: `string`):

For a single lookup. Use `contacts` for bulk.

## `lastName` (type: `string`):

For a single lookup. Use `contacts` for bulk.

## `fullName` (type: `string`):

Alternative to first/last — will be split automatically.

## `domain` (type: `string`):

Company website domain, e.g. apify.com.

## `companyName` (type: `string`):

Carried through to output for your records.

## `stopOnFirstValid` (type: `boolean`):

Stop testing patterns once a mailbox is confirmed deliverable (faster, cheaper). Turn off to test every pattern.

## `includeAllCandidates` (type: `boolean`):

Add the full list of tested patterns with their verdicts to each record.

## `verifierApiUrl` (type: `string`):

For true mailbox verification on Apify (whose network blocks SMTP port 25), provide an HTTPS email-verification endpoint containing {email}, e.g. https://api.provider.com/verify?email={email}\&key=YOUR\_KEY. Without it, on-platform results are MX/pattern-level (honest, no false positives); real SMTP is used only where port 25 is open (e.g. self-hosted).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "contacts": [
    {
      "firstName": "Jane",
      "lastName": "Doe",
      "domain": "apify.com"
    }
  ],
  "stopOnFirstValid": true,
  "includeAllCandidates": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One record per input contact: best verified email, confidence, catch-all flag, alternatives.

# 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 = {
    "contacts": [
        {
            "firstName": "Jane",
            "lastName": "Doe",
            "domain": "apify.com"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("korado_labs/email-finder-verifier").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 = { "contacts": [{
            "firstName": "Jane",
            "lastName": "Doe",
            "domain": "apify.com",
        }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("korado_labs/email-finder-verifier").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 '{
  "contacts": [
    {
      "firstName": "Jane",
      "lastName": "Doe",
      "domain": "apify.com"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call korado_labs/email-finder-verifier --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,korado_labs/email-finder-verifier"
        }
    }
}

```

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/ALhyotJxjd3hNmseb/builds/BqoOu3vwwuFBSlXxW/openapi.json