Consumer signup forms
Check a supplied Outlook or Hotmail address while preserving a route for users whose probes are inconclusive.
Microsoft mailbox diagnostics
Outlook email checker
Check Outlook, Hotmail and Live addresses for valid formatting, Microsoft mail routing and mailbox signals without sending a message.
Microsoft can restrict SMTP verification. Unknown means the server did not provide a reliable mailbox answer.
—verification score
Can you verify an Outlook or Hotmail address without sending mail?
You can reliably test formatting and mail-routing configuration. Microsoft’s receiving infrastructure may also expose a useful SMTP response, but it may defer or block mailbox enumeration. EmailValidly treats those cases as unknown rather than claiming the mailbox exists or does not exist.
Which Microsoft addresses are supported?
This page accepts common consumer Microsoft domains including outlook.com, hotmail.com and live.com. Microsoft 365 business addresses on custom company domains are supported by the main email checker and can often be identified from their MX records.
Put the result to work
Check the address, not the mail app someone uses
This form accepts outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com addresses. Using the Outlook app does not mean a person has one of those domains; Microsoft 365 business mail often uses a custom domain.
Check the address suffix
Use the general checker for company domains even when Outlook is the mail client.
Read the mailbox evidence
A blocked or inconclusive probe does not establish that a Microsoft account is missing.
Ask for confirmation when needed
A confirmation link in your own app is the way to check access to the inbox.
Worked examples
What the evidence tells you
Illustrative scenarios, not live results for the addresses or records shown. Open a scenario to see the next action.
01alex@hotmail.com
Accepted consumer domain
An older consumer domain is within this checker’s input scope.
Next action Run the check on the full address.
02alex@company.example in Outlook
Custom-domain address
The desktop app does not determine the domain’s DNS or mailbox rules.
Next action Use the general checker.
03Mailbox response unknown
Provider did not confirm
A restricted probe can leave the mailbox field inconclusive.
Next action Keep the record pending rather than inventing a failure.
Use it with a purpose
Where this tool fits
Help-desk triage
Separate an address spelling problem from an Outlook application or account-access problem.
Before you decide
Questions about this tool
Can this reset an Outlook password?
No. It performs email checks, not Microsoft account management.
Does it check Microsoft 365 company domains?
Use the general checker for those addresses.
Should I remove dots from Outlook addresses?
No. Do not transfer Gmail-specific dot rules to another provider.
