Check if an email address is real, right now.
BounceOwl connects to the recipient's mail server and asks about the mailbox, without sending anything. You get the verdict and the evidence behind it, with the time it was checked.
100 free credits with Google sign-in. Unknown results are always free.
How it works
- 1
Find the mail server
We look up the domain's MX records to find the server that receives its mail, and note the provider or security gateway.
- 2
Ask about the mailbox
We open a live SMTP connection and ask whether the mailbox exists. The conversation stops before any message is sent.
- 3
Test for catch-all
We also try a made-up address. If the server accepts that too, the domain is catch-all and we tell you a normal check can't decide.
What every result tells you
- A clear verdict
- Valid, bounce, catch-all or unknown, with the reason: mailbox rejected, disabled, full, no mail server or bad syntax.
- The evidence
- The mail server we talked to, its provider or gateway (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Proofpoint and more), and the mailbox answer.
- Useful flags
- Shared role inboxes like info@ or sales@, disposable inboxes, and personal email providers are marked on the result.
- A date you can trust
- Results are never older than 7 days. If anyone on BounceOwl checked the address this week, you get that result free with its date.
Questions
Does the person get an email when I check them?
No. The check stops before any message is sent, so nothing reaches their inbox.
How much does a check cost?
One credit for a real answer from a live check. Unknown results, invalid addresses and addresses anyone checked in the last 7 days are free.
What if the domain is catch-all?
The result says catch-all. You can then run the deeper catch-all check on that address for 5 credits, refunded if it can't decide.
How long does a check take?
Most checks finish in a few seconds. Slow mail servers can take up to two minutes.
Check your next list before it costs you a domain.
100 free credits with Google sign-in. Pay as you go after that, and credits never expire.