How do I avoid sending to temporary email addresses?

To avoid sending to temporary/disposable email addresses, use a combination of domain detection, verification, and policy checks:

1) Block known disposable domains

Maintain a list of temporary email provider domains and reject them at signup or before sending.
Examples: mailinator.com, 10minutemail.com, guerrillamail.com, etc.

2) Check MX and domain reputation

Validate that the domain:

• has valid MX records
• isn’t flagged as disposable or suspicious
• has acceptable sender/recipient reputation if you use an email validation service

3) Use email verification services

Many APIs can detect disposable/temporary addresses, typos, and catch-all domains:

• ZeroBounce
• NeverBounce
• Kickbox
• BriteVerify
• Abstract API Email Validation

These often return a flag like disposable: true.

4) Require email confirmation

Send a confirmation link and only allow important emails after the user verifies ownership.
This doesn’t directly detect temporary emails, but it reduces bad addresses.

5) Watch for suspicious patterns

Temporary emails often have:

• random strings
• unusual domains
• very short-lived inboxes
• repeated signups from the same IP/device

6) Implement sending rules

Before sending, check:

• whether the address is verified
• whether the domain is on a denylist
• whether the account has a history of bouncing or abuse

7) Handle bounces and complaints

If a recipient:

• hard bounces
• repeatedly ignores mail
• is reported as spam

then suppress future sends automatically.

8) Use a denylist + allowlist strategy

For high-risk use cases, only send to:

• verified corporate domains
• known customers
• users who completed verification

Simple example logic

if email_is_disposable(email) or domain_in_blocklist(domain):
    do_not_send()
else if not email_verified(email):
    require_verification()
else:
    send_email()

If you want, I can also give you:

• a code example in Python/Node.js/PHP
• a list of common disposable email domains
• or a recommended API integration flow.