mailboxlayer API

Beginner's Pick Email / API Key Intermediate HTTPS
Varies by plan (check documentation)

Overview

mailboxlayer is an email validation API that checks whether an email address is syntactically correct, has a valid MX record, and is not a disposable address. It returns a detailed validation result including a quality score to help you filter out bad sign-ups. A useful tool for keeping your mailing lists clean and reducing bounce rates.

Beginner Tip

The free tier allows 100 requests per month and returns all validation fields, which is enough to prototype an email validation feature. Use the smtp_check field with caution — it performs a live SMTP handshake and may increase latency significantly.

Available Data

email delivery status
message ID
bounce/complaint data
open/click tracking
Use case: Integrate email address validation data into web and mobile applications

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "message_id": "msg_abc123def456",
  "status": "delivered",
  "to": "user@example.com",
  "subject": "Welcome!",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Field Reference

email The email address that was validated
format_valid Whether the email address has a valid syntax format
mx_found Whether a valid MX record exists for the email domain
smtp_check Whether the mailbox exists on the mail server (SMTP handshake result)
disposable Whether the email is from a known disposable or temporary email provider
score Overall quality score from 0 to 1 indicating email deliverability confidence

Implementation Example

Request
const url = "https://mailboxlayer.com/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

101 Invalid API Key The access_key parameter is missing or incorrect
Double-check your API key from the mailboxlayer dashboard and pass it as access_key=YOUR_API_KEY in the query string
211 User Limit Reached Monthly request quota for the free tier has been exceeded
Upgrade to a paid plan or wait for the quota to reset at the start of next month
HTTPS not supported on free tier Free tier only supports HTTP, not HTTPS
Use http:// for the endpoint on the free plan, or upgrade to a paid plan to enable HTTPS access

Metadata Score Breakdown

Estimated from metadata — endpoint not independently tested

This score is estimated from observable metadata — HTTPS support, authentication model, declared CORS, and documentation reachability — because the API requires authentication or exposes no publicly testable endpoint. The five-signal breakdown is only shown for live-tested APIs.

Metadata estimate · endpoint not independently tested

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Email
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-04

Related Tags

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Technical alternatives for different use cases.

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Better For

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Trade-off

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Better For

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