# Email Checker/Verifier (`mikolabs/email-checker-verifier`) Actor

Verify the existence of any email address in real-time without ever sending a single message. This high-performance Apify Actor uses a specialized Rust engine to perform deep SMTP handshakes, MX record validation, and provider-specific checks (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) with extreme speed and accuracy.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/mikolabs/email-checker-verifier.md
- **Developed by:** [Mikolabs](https://apify.com/mikolabs) (community)
- **Categories:** Integrations, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 77 total users, 7 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 3 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $3.90 / 1,000 results

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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#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

## 📧 Advanced Email Checker & Verifier (Rust-Powered)

Verify the existence of any email address in real-time without ever sending a single message. This high-performance Apify Actor uses a specialized Rust engine to perform deep SMTP handshakes, MX record validation, and provider-specific checks (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) with extreme speed and accuracy.

### 🚀 Key Features

- **No Emails Sent**: Validates addresses using SMTP handshakes—completely invisible to the recipient.
- **High Performance**: Built on a multi-threaded Rust core with parallel processing for massive batch lists.
- **Smart Provider Support**: Specialized logic for Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook, including headless browser verification for difficult providers.
- **Deep Validation**: Checks syntax, MX records, SMTP deliverability, and catch-all status.
- **Security & Privacy**: Support for SOCKS5 proxies to ensure high deliverability and avoid IP blocking.
- **Enrichment**: Optional Gravatar image detection and HaveIBeenPwned breach checks.

### 🛠️ How to Use

1. **Input Emails**: Provide a single email or a list of emails in the input JSON.
2. **Configure (Optional)**: Set your `from_email` and `hello_name` (recommended to use your own domain for better results).
3. **Run**: Start the Actor. It will process your list in parallel.
4. **Get Results**: Download your verified list in JSON, CSV, or Excel format from the Apify Dataset.

### 📥 Input Parameters

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `email` | String | A single email address to verify. |
| `emails` | Array | A list of email addresses for batch verification. |
| `smtp_timeout` | Integer | Timeout per connection (default: 15s). Lower for speed, higher for accuracy. |
| `proxy_url` | String | SOCKS5 proxy URL (e.g., `socks5://user:pass@host:port`). |
| `check_gravatar` | Boolean | Check if the email has an associated Gravatar profile. |
| `haveibeenpwned_api_key` | String | (Optional) Check if the email has appeared in known data breaches. |

### 📤 Output Data

The Actor provides a detailed JSON object for every email checked:

```json
{
  "input": "test@gmail.com",
  "is_reachable": "safe",
  "syntax": {
    "is_valid": true,
    "normalized": "test@gmail.com"
  },
  "mx": {
    "accepts_mail": true,
    "records": ["gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com."]
  },
  "smtp": {
    "can_connect_smtp": true,
    "is_deliverable": true,
    "is_catch_all": false
  },
  "misc": {
    "is_disposable": false,
    "is_role_account": false,
    "gravatar_url": "https://..."
  }
}
```

### 💡 Use Cases

- **Lead Generation**: Clean your cold email lists to maintain a high sender reputation.
- **User Signups**: Validate user emails in real-time during registration to prevent fake accounts.
- **Database Cleaning**: Periodically scrub your CRM to remove dead or invalid addresses.
- **Security**: Identify disposable or high-risk email addresses.

### 🔒 Privacy & Compliance

This Actor does not store any of the emails you process. All checks are performed in real-time and results are stored only in your private Apify Dataset.

***

# Actor input Schema

## `email` (type: `string`):

A single email address to check.

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

A list of email addresses to check.

## `from_email` (type: `string`):

The email to use in the MAIL FROM: SMTP command.

## `hello_name` (type: `string`):

The name to use in the EHLO: SMTP command.

## `check_gravatar` (type: `boolean`):

Whether to check if a gravatar image exists for the email.

## `haveibeenpwned_api_key` (type: `string`):

Optional API key for HaveIBeenPwned to check for breaches.

## `proxy_url` (type: `string`):

Optional SOCKS5 proxy URL (e.g., socks5://user:pass@host:port).

## `smtp_timeout` (type: `integer`):

Timeout for each SMTP connection in seconds.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "email": "xyz.mikolabs@gmail.com",
  "from_email": "reacher.email@gmail.com",
  "hello_name": "gmail.com",
  "check_gravatar": false,
  "smtp_timeout": 15
}
```

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("mikolabs/email-checker-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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("mikolabs/email-checker-verifier").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 '{}' |
apify call mikolabs/email-checker-verifier --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=mikolabs/email-checker-verifier",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/XwAgKMTLOmcSdPbx0/builds/jIWB1a5O8FO06UX2z/openapi.json