Verifying client email addresses can make or break a marketing campaign. Using an email address validation API can eliminate fake email IDs from your database. In addition, It will help you to prevent fraudulent activities. To help you, there are plenty of validation APIs on the market.
But which is the best one? What are the characteristics of the best email address validation API? Read on and we will show you.
Table of Contents
What is an email address validation API?
An email address validation API is a tool that verifies whether the email ID of your customer is genuine or not. It helps you to reach real clients and grow your business. To get the job done, email address validation APIs use many different methods. These include syntax and domain checks as well as disposable address detection. All help ensure that the email IDs on your database are accurate, valid, and deliverable.
What are the characteristics of a great email address validation API?
- Secure Email ID Validation: Robust security features like industry-standard 256-bit encryption mean you will never have to worry about having your valuable data exposed to potential security threats.
- Support for Advanced Tools: Advanced tools, including MX-Records, syntax and typo check, and SMTP verification separate genuine email IDs from fake ones.
- User-Friendly Documentation: Easy-to-follow documentation help you implement the validation API implement it into your application quickly. It can make your life a lot easier.
What is the best email address validation API to use in 2022?
Mailboxlayer is the best email address validation API to use in 2022. It has advanced features, including syntax and typo check, free and disposable provider filtration, and SMTP verification. Using it, you can measure the quality and deliverability of your email addresses.
Why Mailboxlayer is the best email address validation API of 2022?
- Provides industry-standard 256-bit HTTPS encryption for securing data
- Offers advanced tools, like typo check and catch-all detection, for complete verification of email IDs
- Integrates into web applications in just a few minutes
- Lightweight and super-fast
- World-class tech support
Can I integrate Mailboxlayer quickly into my web application?
Mailboxlayer is very easy to use. It offers user-friendly documentation. The entire integration process takes just a few minutes. Let’s take a look at some practical examples.
How can I integrate Mailboxlayer into my PHP application?
1. First, you have to set the API access key. Get it for free by signing up here.
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$access_key = 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY'; |
2. Then, you have to specify the email address that you want to validate.
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3. Next, you have to initialize cURL.
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$ch = curl_init('http://apilayer.net/api/check?access_key='.$access_key.'&email='.$email_address.''); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true); |
4. Now, you have to store the data and close the cURL session.
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$json = curl_exec($ch); curl_close($ch); |
5. Then, you have to decode JSON response.
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$validationResult = json_decode($json, true); |
6. Finally, you can get access to the validation result objects by using this code:
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$validationResult['format_valid']; $validationResult['smtp_check']; $validationResult['score']; |
Overall, the code will look like this:
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// set API Access Key $access_key = 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY'; // set email address // Initialize CURL: $ch = curl_init('http://apilayer.net/api/check?access_key='.$access_key.'&email='.$email_address.''); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true); // Store the data: $json = curl_exec($ch); curl_close($ch); // Decode JSON response: $validationResult = json_decode($json, true); // Access and use your preferred validation result objects $validationResult['format_valid']; $validationResult['smtp_check']; $validationResult['score']; |
How can I integrate Mailboxlayer into my JavaScript application?
1. First, you need to set the API access key and the email address that you want to validate.
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var access_key = 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY'; |
2. Then you can verify each email address by making an AJAX call.
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$.ajax({ url: 'http://apilayer.net/api/check?access_key=' + access_key + '&email=' + email_address, dataType: 'jsonp', success: function(json) { // Access and use your preferred validation result objects console.log(json.format_valid); console.log(json.smtp_check); console.log(json.score); } }); |
Overall, the code will look like this:
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// set endpoint and your access key var access_key = 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY'; // verify email address via AJAX call $.ajax({ url: 'http://apilayer.net/api/check?access_key=' + access_key + '&email=' + email_address, dataType: 'jsonp', success: function(json) { // Access and use your preferred validation result objects console.log(json.format_valid); console.log(json.smtp_check); console.log(json.score); } }); |
That’s how you integrate Mailboxlayer into your PHP and JavaScript web applications. As you can see, the process is straightforward. You need to write a few lines of code, but, it doesn’t require you to start from scratch. Its hassle free.
What kind of information do I get from Mailboxlayer?
Mailboxlayer also provides useful information, including format validity and email verification scorse. Let’s make an API request and analyze the response.
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https://apilayer.net/api/check ? access_key = YOUR_ACCESS_KEY & email = support@apilayer.com |
It returns the following response in lightweight JSON format:
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{ "did_you_mean": "", "user": "support", "domain": "apilayer.net", "format_valid": true, "mx_found": true, "smtp_check": true, "catch_all": false, "role": true, "disposable": false, "free": false, "score": 0.8 } |
As you can see, the validation score is 0.8, which is good. Also, the format_valid, mx_found, and smtp_check properties are set to true. However, free is set to false. That means the email address is not a free ID.
Documentation: Is it user-friendly?
Mailboxlayer comes with comprehensive documentation. Moreover, It is very easy to read. You will never struggle to understand key functions.
Another big plus is its API errors section. You won’t find a similar section in the documentation of other email ID validation APIs, like Zerobounce. Also, the Mailboxlayer documentation provides examples for using the API in different languages, including PHP and JavaScript. Therefore, you can integrate the API into your web application effortlessly by following them.
Pricing: Is it reasonable?
Mailboxlayer comes in three different packages. The Free plan offers 100 API requests per month and limited technical support. On the other hand, the $14.99/month Basic plan allows you to make 5,000 requests. It also provides unlimited technical support.
The $74.99 Professional Plus Plan is another option if you need more flexibility. It offers 50,000 requests per month. If it’s not sufficient for your web application, you can go for the $249.99 Enterprise Plus plan. It supports 250,000 API requests.
If you compare the pricing with similar APIs, you will find it very reasonable. For example, ZeroBounce follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model. The rates vary with the number of emails you want to validate. To check 50,000 emails, ZeroBounce will charge you $325. On the other hand, Mailboxlayer only costs $74.99 for the same number of validations.
Overall, Mailboxlayer is one of the most reasonably priced email address validation APIs on the market. You can rely on it.
Should I use Mailboxlayer in my web application in 2022?
Mailboxlayer is highly secure and blazing fast. It supports 256-bit encryption as well as the lightweight JSON format. It also comes with several advanced features, like SMTP verification, free email provider filtering, and syntax checking. In addition, Mailboxlayer is very easy to implement into your application. The documentation is very easy to follow. Besides, the monthly plan fees are very reasonable. So, you should definitely consider using Mailboxlayer in 2022 for your web applications.
