How to Verify Emails Trapped in a PDF, a Web Page or a Pasted Block of Text
To verify emails trapped in a PDF, a web page or a block of text: copy the text, paste it into an email extractor to get one address per row, remove duplicates and run the list through a verifier. If the PDF is a scan rather than text, run OCR first, otherwise there is nothing to extract.
Step 1: get the text out
- A PDF with selectable text: open it, select all, copy.
- A web page: select the part with the addresses and copy it.
- A scanned PDF or a photo of a printed list: these are pictures. Run them through an OCR tool first so you get text, then copy that.
- An email thread: the email signature extractor pulls names and contact details from signatures.
Step 2: extract the addresses
Paste the text into the free email extractor. It finds every address in the text and returns them one per row. Download the list.
Step 3: check the extraction
Text copied from a PDF is messy. Look for:
- Addresses cut across two lines.
- Trailing full stops or brackets stuck to the end.
- Forms like
name [at] company.comorname(at)company.com, which the extractor will not recognise as an address. Rewrite these by hand where they matter.
Step 4: clean and verify
- Remove duplicates with the duplicate email remover.
- Fix typo domains with the email typo corrector.
- Upload the list on the verify page. Every address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason; how to read a verification report explains it.
Verify scraped emails covers the extra care that lists from the open web need.
What to expect from a directory list
Printed and PDF directories lag behind. People retire, change jobs and close mailboxes, and the address in the book may be several years old. Expect more invalid and risky rows than on a list you built last month. Work through them as in verify a dormant list.
What this does not cover
Permission. Being listed in a directory does not mean someone agreed to your email. GDPR and verification is a place to start, and the sending rules depend on where you and they are.
Next step
Run 100 free checks on the extracted list with a Google sign-in, no card. See pricing: Starter is $9 a month for 2,500 emails, packs start at $15 for 10,000 checks, and Pro is $39 a month.
Common questions
How do I get email addresses out of a PDF?
If the PDF has selectable text, select all, copy and paste it into an email extractor. If it is a scan, run OCR first to turn the picture into text, then extract.
What does the email extractor do?
It finds every address in any text you paste and returns them one per row, ready to dedupe and verify.
Why do some extracted addresses look wrong?
Text copied from a PDF can split an address across two lines or add trailing punctuation. Check addresses that end in odd characters. Obfuscated forms such as name [at] company.com need to be rewritten by hand.
Should I verify addresses from a directory?
Yes. Printed directories are slow to update and people change jobs. A mailbox check tells you which addresses still exist.
Can I email everyone in a directory?
That depends on your country and on what the people agreed to when they were listed. Verification checks mailboxes, not permission.
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.