A disposable email address, or DEA for short, is a temporary email account created with the sole purpose of serving short-term requirements; also known by various names like "burner email", "throwaway email", "fake email", "temp email", or "one-time email", these addresses allow users to receive emails without disclosing their primary, more permanent email addresses.
Typically, DEA providers work by generating random email addresses that users can employ for a short period such as some minutes or several hours and, once the designated timeframe or purpose is fulfilled, these email addresses become inactive or are disposed of, hence the term "disposable." This allows users to protect their primary email addresses from spam or unwanted communication.
Numerous services cater to the demand for disposable email addresses, offering users a quick and hassle-free way to create temporary accounts; most if not all of these services are free, sustained by revenue from advertisements that keep the platform operational. Some of the most popular DEA providers include:
- Mailinator
- Guerrilla Mail
- 10 Minute Mail
- Temp Mail
- EmailOnDeck
Among the myriad of DEA providers, EmailOnDeck stands out as a service employing top-notch security mechanisms, making it challenging to detect: their use of advanced security measures makes it a preferred choice for users seeking enhanced privacy and protection.
Every day, millions of throw-away emails are created globally: the ease of access and anonymity provided by these services contribute to their popularity. Industries that heavily rely on online transactions, such as e-commerce, social media, and online gaming, witness a higher prevalence of disposable email addresses: users in these sectors often opt for burner emails to maintain a degree of anonymity and security.
Challenges of disposable emails in SaaS
Disposable emails, while convenient for users, pose challenges for businesses, particularly in the realm of software as a service (SaaS). This is especially evident in their impact on building healthy email databases: a surge in disposable email addresses in your mailing list may indicate a breach of trust between your company and customers. With growing concerns about data breaches, consumers are becoming more cautious about sharing their information, making it crucial for businesses to address this issue.
Furthermore, the misuse of free services as a result of disposable emails presents an additional challenge: incentives for email sign-ups or app downloads can be exploited through the use of disposable addresses, complicating the conversion of trial customers into paid ones and ultimately affecting the bottom line.
Additionally, the presence of disposable emails skews analytics, as a large subscriber count may not translate into meaningful engagement, potentially hindering effective customer outreach. Moreover, the risk of being blacklisted looms, as bad sending practices, including emailing unknown users with expired throwaway accounts, can negatively impact IP reputation and lead to content being flagged as spam, limiting its reach to legitimate users.
How to identify a disposable email address
While one-time emails are actually capable of receiving messages, businesses often choose to block disposable email addresses: this is due to the fact that throw-away addresses typically suggest a lack of long-term commitment from the users. Avoid predicting the expiration of disposable email addresses to identify whether an email is throwaway or not: even seemingly straightforward services like '10 Minute Mail' enable users to extend the session, prolonging the DEA's lifespan. As a result, while issues may not surface with the first or second email, complications may arise later on.
Verifalia's email checker identifies disposable email addresses and classifies them as "Risky": to understand why a specific email falls into this category, you can examine the actual status code presented in the verification results.
Verifalia employs three distinct status codes for one-time emails:
DomainIsWellKnownDea: the email address is associated with a well-known disposable email address.MailboxIsDea: the email address is associated with a disposable / throw-away mailbox.MailExchangerIsWellKnownDea: the email address is associated with a well-known disposable email address provider.
Verifalia, as a leading email verification service, employs artificial intelligence to detect nearly half a million disposable email providers, including the elusive EmailOnDeck: our robust system ensures that businesses can verify the authenticity of email addresses and maintain the integrity of their communication channels.