Disclosure: I run the Apify actor used below (pennydata/bulk-email-validator-no-smtp), and this post was written with AI help. It is a how-to for cleaning an email list without opening a single SMTP connection.

What it checks (and what it does not)

For each address the actor checks: syntax, DNS (MX records, A/AAAA fallback, null-MX), disposable domain, role account (info@, admin@, ...), free provider (gmail etc.) and gives a typo suggestion ( gmial.com -> gmail.com ).

When NOT to use it: it never contacts a mail server, so it cannot tell you whether [email protected] has a real mailbox. A row can be valid: true and still bounce. If you need mailbox-level confirmation you need an SMTP-probing service (which comes with blocked ports, greylisting and sender-reputation costs).…