# Email Validator & Verifier — Bulk List Cleaner, MX, Disposable (`tidydata/email-validator`) Actor

Clean email lists in bulk before you send: syntax, domain and MX records, disposable and temporary addresses, role accounts (info@, sales@), free providers, typo fixes (gmial.com → gmail.com) and mail provider. Lists, CSV files or your scraper's dataset. No SMTP pings.

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

## Pricing

from $0.24 / 1,000 email address checkeds

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?

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 & List Cleaner — Syntax, MX, Disposable, Typos

Clean **email lists in bulk** before you send or import them. For every address you get a clear **status** (`valid`, `risky`, `invalid`, `disposable`, `unknown`), a **0–100 score** and the reason: **syntax**, **domain and MX records**, **disposable / temporary inboxes**, **role accounts** (info@, sales@…), **free providers** (Gmail, Yahoo…), **typo fixes** (`gmial.com` → `gmail.com`) and the domain's **mail provider** (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365…).

Works on a **pasted list**, on **CSV / JSON / TXT files**, or **directly on your scraper's dataset**: every row is kept and enriched with `email_status`, `email_score`, `email_isDisposable`…

**$0.30 per 1,000 emails** — about 3× cheaper than SMTP verifiers, and ~1,000 addresses in under 5 seconds. Duplicates are free.

- ✅ **Syntax** per the email standards (RFC 5322 / 6531), including international addresses
- ✅ **Domain exists and accepts email** (MX records, null-MX, A-record fallback)
- ✅ **Disposable / temporary addresses** — 9,900+ domains (mailinator, 10minutemail, guerrillamail…)
- ✅ **Role-based addresses** — info@, sales@, support@, admin@, noreply@ … (70 common prefixes)
- ✅ **Free vs business email** — Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, GMX, Yandex… vs company domains
- ✅ **"Did you mean…?"** — typo detection for popular providers and TLDs (`.con` → `.com`)
- ✅ **Mail provider** from the MX records — Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho, Proofpoint, Mimecast…
- ✅ **Finds addresses inside text** (several per cell) and **removes duplicates**
- ✅ **Gmail canonical address** (optional): `j.o.h.n+promo@gmail.com` → `john@gmail.com`
- ✅ **Private**: no emails are sent and no mail server is contacted — only public DNS lookups

### Who uses it

- **Lead generation** — clean emails from contact / Google Maps / website scrapers before outreach or CRM import.
- **Email marketing** — remove disposable, mistyped and dead-domain addresses to protect your sender reputation.
- **Sign-up and form data** — flag throwaway addresses and fix typos.
- **B2B sales** — separate business emails from free webmail and see which companies use Google or Microsoft.
- **Before paid SMTP verification** — drop the obvious junk first and pay the expensive check only for the rest.

### How to use it

**A. Paste addresses** in *Email addresses* (one per line).

**B. Validate a scraper's results**: pick the dataset in *Or validate the emails in datasets*. The email column is detected automatically (`email`, `emails`, `contact.email`, `e-mail`…) or write it in *Email fields*.

**C. Run it automatically after your scraper**: add this Actor as an **integration** of your scraper and set *datasets* to `{{resource.defaultDatasetId}}`.

Use **Keep only these results** (e.g. *Valid* + *Risky*) to get a cleaned list straight away.

### Output

```json
{
  "input": "jane.doe@gmial.com",
  "email": "jane.doe@gmial.com",
  "status": "risky",
  "score": 30,
  "reason": "possible_typo_of_gmail.com",
  "user": "jane.doe",
  "domain": "gmial.com",
  "domainExists": true,
  "acceptsMail": true,
  "mxRecords": [],
  "mailProvider": null,
  "isDisposable": true,
  "isRoleBased": false,
  "isFreeProvider": false,
  "didYouMean": "jane.doe@gmail.com"
}
```

| status | meaning | typical action |
|---|---|---|
| `valid` | good syntax, domain accepts email, not disposable, not a role account | keep |
| `risky` | role account, possible typo (see `didYouMean`) or domain without MX record | review / fix |
| `invalid` | bad syntax, domain doesn't exist or doesn't accept email | remove |
| `disposable` | temporary / throwaway inbox | remove |
| `unknown` | DNS didn't answer in time | run again |

Dataset input: your original row plus `<field>_email`, `_status`, `_score`, `_reason`, `_isDisposable`, `_isRoleBased`, `_isFreeProvider`, `_mailProvider`, `_didYouMean` (and `_all` when a cell holds several addresses).

Export to **CSV, Excel, JSON** or push to Google Sheets, HubSpot, Make, Zapier or n8n with Apify integrations. To merge several runs and drop duplicates, use our [Merge, Deduplicate & Export Datasets](https://apify.com/tidydata/merge-dedupe-datasets) Actor; for phone numbers use our [Phone Number Validator](https://apify.com/tidydata/phone-number-validator).

### Pricing

**$0.0003 per email checked ($0.30 per 1,000).**

| Emails | Price |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0.30 |
| 10,000 | $3 |
| 100,000 | $30 |

Free: duplicates, rows without an email and invalid input. Higher Apify plans get an automatic discount. Set a **maximum cost per run** and the Actor stops cleanly at that amount.

### FAQ

**Does it check that the mailbox exists (SMTP)?**
No, on purpose. Mailbox (SMTP) checks need to talk to each mail server from special IPs, are slow, often blocked or answered "accept all", and cost about 3× more. This Actor catches everything that can be known safely from the address and DNS — which already removes most hard bounces from scraped lists (dead domains, typos, disposable inboxes).

**What's the difference between invalid and risky?**
`invalid` will bounce for sure. `risky` may work but deserves a look: generic role inboxes, suspected typos and domains without MX records.

**Is a free-provider email bad?**
No — `isFreeProvider` is just information (useful to tell B2B from B2C). Free addresses can be `valid`.

**How is the score calculated?**
100 for a clean address; −20 for role accounts, −25 for domains without MX; typos score 30, disposable 10, invalid 0–5, unknown 50.

**Is my data safe?**
Addresses are processed inside the Actor run in your Apify account. Only the **domain** is looked up in public DNS; no email is sent and no mailbox is contacted.

**Something doesn't work?**
Open an issue in the **Issues** tab with an example — we answer fast.

# Actor input Schema

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

One per line. Text that contains addresses also works (e.g. 'Contact: info@example.com').

## `datasetIds` (type: `array`):

Pick datasets from your storages (e.g. a lead or contact scraper run). Every row is kept and enriched with email_status, email_score, email_isDisposable… When this Actor runs as an integration, use {{resource.defaultDatasetId}}.

## `fileUrls` (type: `array`):

Public links to .csv, .json or plain .txt files (one address per line).

## `emailFields` (type: `array`):

For datasets and files: the column(s) with email addresses, e.g. email or contact.email. Leave empty to detect them automatically.

## `keepStatuses` (type: `array`):

Leave empty to keep everything. E.g. pick Valid + Risky to drop bad addresses from your list.

## `extractFromText` (type: `boolean`):

Finds every email address inside longer text (several per cell).

## `removeDuplicates` (type: `boolean`):

The same address (case-insensitive) counts once. Duplicates are free.

## `gmailCanonical` (type: `boolean`):

For Gmail: adds canonicalEmail without dots and +tags (j.o.h.n+promo@gmail.com → john@gmail.com) to catch the same person twice.

## `maxRows` (type: `integer`):

Safety limit of input rows to read.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "emails": [
    "john.smith@gmail.com",
    "info@apify.com",
    "someone@mailinator.com",
    "jane.doe@gmial.com"
  ],
  "extractFromText": true,
  "removeDuplicates": true,
  "gmailCanonical": false,
  "maxRows": 1000000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per address (or your enriched rows).

# 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.smith@gmail.com",
        "info@apify.com",
        "someone@mailinator.com",
        "jane.doe@gmial.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tidydata/email-validator").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.smith@gmail.com",
        "info@apify.com",
        "someone@mailinator.com",
        "jane.doe@gmial.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tidydata/email-validator").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.smith@gmail.com",
    "info@apify.com",
    "someone@mailinator.com",
    "jane.doe@gmial.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call tidydata/email-validator --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/KnKx6AaAEW0Ilj6a1/builds/K8oibV0xPA4xfxQkf/openapi.json