A valid email address is a string of characters that identifies a mailbox for message delivery. It consists of two parts, separated by the @ symbol: the username, which can contain alphanumeric characters and special characters; and the domain name, which specifies the top-level domain (e.g.,.com,.edu, or.gov). Email addresses must conform to certain rules in order to be considered valid, including the use of spaces, punctuation, and a top-level domain.

How to Check if an Email is Valid: A Step-by-Step Guide

Invalid emails make it into mailing lists for a variety of reasons, some avoidable and others not. Subscribers who sign up for a marketing campaign using an invalid address will often receive a bounce message that tells them the email is undeliverable. They may also get their messages marked as spam by email service providers, or they may be blacklisted if they send too many bounces. This can damage a business’s reputation, reduce its ability to reach customers, and hurt ROI.

Some invalid emails are the result of purchasing an email list, which can be contaminated with fake or inactive addresses that have not been consented to be used for marketing purposes. Invalid email addresses can also be created by spam traps, which are real-looking but invalid addresses used by email providers and anti-spam groups to catch malicious senders.

The best way to check if the email is valid is to use an online verification tool, which is quick and easy to use. These tools can identify syntax errors, connect to the mail server (using SMTP), and simulate sending a test message to verify that the mailbox exists and is able to receive messages.