Domain Validation Checks

When you add a sending domain to your Email API account, the system runs automated checks before the domain goes live. These checks confirm the domain is genuine and reduce the risk of spam or abuse. Domains that pass all checks move forward faster. Domains that don't meet one or more checks go through additional review.

What we check

Domain reputation and blacklist status
We check whether the domain is flagged or blacklisted across leading DNS and RBL (Real-time Blackhole List) sources. This helps identify domains with a known history of spam or abuse.

Website availability
We verify that an active website is hosted on the domain, and that the domain shows signs of a genuine, established web presence.

Domain age
The domain must be at least 3 months old. This filters out newly created domains, which carry a higher risk of spam or abuse.

DNS record validation
We validate the domain's A and MX records to confirm its DNS configuration matches what we expect for a working mail setup.

Signup or registration page
We check for a signup or registration page on the website. This is an additional signal that the domain represents a real business or service with an identifiable user-facing presence.

Historical credibility
Where the data is available, we also factor in the domain's past activity and overall standing.

We evaluate these checks together, not in isolation. A domain doesn't need to fail every check to require a closer look. One weak signal, combined with others, can be enough.

Why a domain might need manual review

A domain typically moves to manual review when:

• It's newly registered and hasn't built up enough history yet
• We can't find an active, genuine website on the domain
• The DNS configuration looks unusual or incomplete
• The domain has a history of spam reports or abuse flags

If your domain has limited information available

Some domains don't have enough public data for our automated checks to reach a confident decision. In that case, the domain goes through the same manual verification process used before this automation existed.