How to Check if an Old Contact's Email Address Is Still Active
To check whether an old address still works, ask its mail server whether the mailbox exists, without sending anything. Upload the contacts on the verify page, or try one address in the email checker. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nobody on the list receives a message. The first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card.
Why old contacts go stale
Addresses fail for ordinary reasons. People leave employers and the company deletes the mailbox. A business closes or moves to a new domain. The domain lapses and nothing answers. A personal provider removes an account that has been inactive; Google, for instance, deletes personal accounts unused for two years. Mailing the list without checking turns these into bounces, and bounces count against your sending reputation. See sunset policies for inactive subscribers.
Step 1: put the contacts in one file
Export from your CRM or spreadsheet as a CSV and keep the email column. The checker finds the column for you. Keep the other columns; they come back with the results.
Step 2: run the check
Upload the file on the verify page. Each address is checked in three stages: the syntax, the domain's mail records, then the mailbox itself through the mail server.
Step 3: sort by result
| Result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Valid | The server accepted the mailbox | Safe to send |
| Invalid | The mailbox or domain does not exist | Remove it. Look for the person's new address elsewhere |
| Risky | No clear answer, for example a catch-all domain | Send in small batches, or leave out of important sends |
What each label means in more detail is in email verification statuses explained, and what to do with catch-all addresses covers the common risky case.
Step 4: look at the domains that fail together
If every address at one company is invalid, the company probably changed domain or closed. The domain registrar lookup shows when that domain expires or whether it still has an email provider. A domain with no mail records cannot receive anything. Parked domains and email explains what is behind them.
What to do with the people behind invalid addresses
Invalid tells you the address is gone, not where the person went. Do not guess new formats and send to all of them. Search the company's site or the person's public profile for a current address, and add it only when you have a real source for it.
What this check cannot do
- It cannot say whether the person reads the mail.
- A valid result is true on the day of the check.
- Catch-all domains accept any address, so individual mailboxes there cannot be confirmed.
- It cannot find a person's new address.
Run your contacts now
Upload them on the verify page. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Common questions
How do I check if an old email address still works?
Run it through an email checker. It looks up the domain's mail servers and asks them about the mailbox without sending a message, then returns valid, risky or invalid with a reason.
Will the contact know I checked?
No. Nothing is delivered. The check ends after the server answers about the mailbox.
Why do old addresses stop working?
People change jobs, companies close or change domain, and mailbox providers delete unused accounts.
What does risky mean?
The server did not give a clear answer. Common causes are catch-all domains that accept every address and servers that refuse to answer a check.
How many checks are free?
The first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.