Emails are the primary tools of business communication. Sadly, not all of them come from trusted senders, and the number of spam messages grows at an alarming speed. So, people are often forced to verify emails, along with senders behind them.
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Simple Tips to Check if Email is Valid
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to determine email validity. Most of them are free, and absolutely all the tips we provide below are simple. Anyone, regardless of tech skill levels, can follow these simple suggestions. So, let’s get started.
#1 Simply send an email
Probably, one of the easiest ways to check email validity is to simply send an email. This will not give you any information on the owner behind the account, but at least you will see right away if the address is functional.
If you get ‘message not delivered’ or ‘address not found’ as a reply, you will know that something is fishy about that sender. The exact message, of course, will depend on the email client provider, but usually, if a message cannot come through, the recipient is not to be trusted.
Of course, you may feel awkward sending a test email — especially if the account proves to be valid and respectable. So, it is always possible to include a polite message about why you are sending this test email.
Instead of just writing ‘test’ or ‘I am just checking,’ compose a genuine message on why you want to check this address. This may take a few minutes of your time, but if the recipient proves real, you will avoid any awkwardness and have a chance to establish contact. And that always pays off in the long run.
#2 Try Password Recovery Method
Sometimes, people may try to recall one of their old emails. With addresses that have not been used for a while, this could prove pretty challenging. The good news is that many email providers allow users to recover their correct email addresses, not just their forgotten passwords. The procedure itself is very similar to password recovery, but instead of passwords, anyone can access their forgotten email.
This method works with most personal emails (Gmail, Hotmail, etc) and their providers — Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. Simply go to your relevant provider recovery page and type an email address as you recall it.
If you remember it correctly, the only thing you may have to recover is your password. That is a procedure everyone is familiar with. If you make a mistake, the email provider will let you know and offer a chance to recover your forgotten email address.
For this, you should provide another email used with the same service or type in a phone number (if you registered one with your provider).
Alternatively, people can check if the address is valid with the same tools. If you received an email from a fishy sender, go to the email recovery page in incognito mode and see if this address can be found. If not, you probably should remove this sender for good.
#3 Check out professional resume databases
One more suggestion is to check an email address on one of the specialized contact databases, like SignalHire. The biggest advantage of using the Signalhire resume database is that it will offer users way more information than a simple email validity check.
It will pull the name of the person behind that email, phone number, and current employment situation. This, of course, is only applied to valid emails.
Sure, certain emails people try to check may not be featured in resume databases. Still, given that these services come with millions of user contacts, such a chance is highly unlikely.
Also note that if you plan to use such databases regularly, you will be expected to pay for their services. Normally, only the first five searches come for free. If you get hooked, then you’ll need a premium version. However, it’s usually worth it — especially if looking for other people’s contact details is your regular job.
#4 Consider email checkers
Aside from contact and resume databases, there are plenty of email checker tools. Like all professional software, they often run on a commercial basis. Still, many allow a few free searches and come with a trial version. The biggest advantage of using such tools is that you get a chance to remain anonymous.
The service will ping an email address for you and offer the result. If the email you are interested in has been checked before, you will get the results immediately. If not, it may take some time, but the outcome and feedback are both reliable.
Here are some examples of email checkers that can help with your search:
There are more services of the kind, so if you do not like these examples, just google ‘email checker’ and pick any you like.
#5 Just google it!
Speaking of googling, do not discard this search engine either. Simply entering an email address in a Google search can offer you information on this email’s owner. Still, this approach is not as certain as browsing through contact databases because Google can be easily confused by a popular name.
So, it can return hundreds of results you’re not interested in. But, you may also get lucky and find whatever you need to know in seconds, without spending a single dime.
#6 Browse social media websites
One more idea that can bring immediate results or prove fruitless. Still, you do not risk anything — neither time nor effort. Pasting an unknown email address into Facebook or LinkedIn search tab will only take seconds, and you may yet find the person behind this address. If not — well, you haven’t lost anything.
Of course, none of the tips offered above can guarantee a 100% success rate. However, trying out different combinations will usually bring the results you are hoping for. With these simple tips, you will not need to worry about suspicious emails any longer; just pick one or two of those methods and see if an email sender can be trusted.
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