Free email domain checker
Check whether an email domain can receive mail
Enter a domain such as example.com or a complete email address. The checker reads the domain's DNS records to find whether it has a usable route for incoming mail.
This free lookup checks the domain's mail configuration and shows any available provider, disposable-mail and catch-all information. It does not connect to a mail server or test a mailbox.
The lookup is free, needs no account and sends no email. It checks the domain's mail configuration; it cannot tell you whether a particular mailbox exists.
Free lookup · No account · No email sent · Domain-level result
What the mail-routing result means
The main result tells you whether the domain is configured to receive mail. A positive answer means Emvero found a usable route in its DNS records. For example, a route for example.com tells you where mail to that domain should go; it does not establish that person@example.com exists or that the server will accept a message.
A negative answer means the lookup found no usable route. The domain may not exist, may explicitly declare that it accepts no mail, or may have an unusable or contradictory configuration. The free result does not identify which cause applies. If the lookup fails, there is no routing answer: try again later.
The result does not list the domain’s mail servers or their MX preference values. The MX record glossary explains how to read those records.
What the other result fields tell you
The rows below the routing answer describe the provider and other known properties of the domain. They can help you interpret an address, but they do not verify its mailbox.
Mail operator
If the mail route matches a known provider, the result shows a provider identifier. With no match, the operator remains unidentified. Read how MX records help identify an email provider to understand what a match tells you.
Public mail provider
A positive result means Emvero’s current data identifies the domain as a provider of mailboxes to the public. A negative result does not establish that it is an organisation’s own domain.
Disposable domain
A positive result means the domain appears on the temporary-mail lists Emvero uses. A negative result means it was not found on those lists; it does not establish that the domain is safe or trustworthy.
Known catch-all behaviour
A catch-all domain accepts mail for arbitrary recipient names, so acceptance alone cannot confirm a particular mailbox. This row reports any behaviour Emvero already knows about. The free lookup does not test new recipients to find out.
If a supporting lookup is unavailable, its row may be missing. That leaves the supporting information unresolved; the mail-routing answer still stands.
How MX records affect the answer
Mail exchange (MX) records tell sending servers where to direct mail for a domain. If there are no MX records, SMTP routing rules allow mail to use the domain’s own internet address, given by an A or AAAA record, if that route is usable. Missing MX records alone do not mean the domain cannot receive mail.
A null MX is an explicit declaration that the domain accepts no email. It must not be published alongside ordinary MX records, because the two instructions contradict each other.
A temporary DNS error leaves the route unresolved. Since the free checker does not diagnose individual records, use the guide to a domain without MX records to investigate the cause.
When to check a specific address
If you need to know whether the receiving server accepts mail for a specific address, choose a full check instead of a domain check. A full check can ask the server about that recipient through SMTP, the protocol used to transfer email, when the server permits it. It stops before sending a message. The server’s response may still leave the mailbox’s existence uncertain.
Neither check proves ownership of the address, placement in the inbox or delivery of a future message. The free domain lookup also does not assess the domain’s ability to send mail, its SPF, DKIM or DMARC configuration, sender reputation, domain ownership or website security.
Check an address at domain depth through the API
For an automated address check that stops at domain evidence, use the verification API with the domain variant. This request requires an API credential and opens no SMTP connection:
curl -sS https://api.emvero.tech/v1/verifications \
-H "Authorization: Bearer emv_your_credential" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"email":"person@example.com","variant":"domain"}'
Each API check at this depth costs 2 credits and cannot establish that the mailbox exists. The public form above remains free. Read the email verification API page for authentication and response details.
Questions
Frequently asked.
What does an email domain checker check?
It checks the mail configuration of the part after the @ in an email address. For person@example.com, that means checking example.com. The result tells you whether the domain has a usable route for incoming mail, without testing the mailbox.
How do I check whether a domain can receive email?
Enter the domain or a complete email address in the form above and select Check domain. The lookup reads the domain's DNS records without sending an email or connecting to a mail server. No account is needed.
Will I see the domain's MX records?
No. The result tells you whether the domain has a usable mail route, but it does not list the mail servers or their MX preference values. To see the records themselves, use a DNS tool such as dig MX example.com.
Does a usable mail route prove that an address exists?
No. The domain may have a mail route even if a particular mailbox is missing. A full check may ask the receiving server about that address, if the server permits it. Even a positive response cannot guarantee that a future message will be delivered.
Can a domain receive email without an MX record?
Yes. When no MX record is published, mail can use the domain's own A or AAAA address as a fallback, if it provides a usable route. A null MX explicitly declares that the domain accepts no mail. A failed DNS lookup leaves the answer unresolved. See how to diagnose a domain without MX records for the next steps.
Compared side by side
Email domain check vs full verification
A domain check tests the address and its mail route without asking about the recipient. Full verification may add recipient-level SMTP evidence when the destination permits it.
SMTP verification vs. syntax validation
Syntax validation checks the address format. SMTP verification adds the receiving server’s response about the recipient. Neither guarantees that a future message will arrive.
MX record
An MX record is a DNS record that names a domain’s incoming mail server and its preference; it does not establish a mailbox.
DNS failure
A DNS problem prevents a usable domain or routing answer; a missing domain and a failed lookup have different consequences.
Need to check a mailbox?
Check a specific email address
A full check can ask the receiving server whether it accepts mail for a specific address, when the server permits it. Confirm a new account to receive 1,000 credits without a card: enough for 100 full checks or up to 500 domain checks.