Frequently asked questions.
Understand your test, troubleshoot a missing result, and know what the report can tell you.
Do I need an account to run a test?
You can start as a guest: copy a test address, send your message and open the report. Guests can unlock 3 different tests per rolling 24 hours per visitor IP, and 3 per tested domain. Shared mailbox domains such as Gmail are exempt from the domain allowance. A verified free account allows 20 new reports per 24 hours and retains your history.
Which email should I send?
Send a representative message through the platform you use in production. Keep the actual template, links and sending identity. If you forward a message, we observe the forwarding delivery, which can change authentication and headers.
My report is still waiting. What should I check?
Confirm that you used the exact generated address and that your sending service accepted the message. Check its delivery log or bounce notice. A scheduled campaign may not have sent yet. Use a new address if the original is older than the acceptance period; an expired address cannot start a new test.
Can I reuse the same test address?
Each address accepts one analysis. Later messages do not replace that report or restart its checks. For a comparison after changes, generate a fresh address and send another email.
How long do addresses and reports last?
New addresses accept mail for 24 hours. Anonymous reports remain available for 14 days after receipt. Account-owned results remain until you delete the test or account. Original SMTP files have a separate retention schedule. These are separate periods.
What does the score measure?
It is a weighted diagnostic summary of ten checks on one delivered message. It is not a probability of inbox placement. Missing and unknown checks earn no points, and the report shows how many checks were assessed. SpamAssassin’s raw points use a different scale: lower is better.
Why can an email with a good score still be filtered?
A receiving provider may consider recipient engagement, complaints, sending patterns, reputation history and its own rules. Passing authentication and content checks does not make every provider accept or place a message in the inbox.
Does a lower score mean my message is spam?
No. Read the individual findings and coverage first. Missing authentication, a structural issue or an unavailable check can reduce the total. The report explains the evidence and next step for each check.
What does Unknown mean?
The analyzer did not obtain a conclusive result. DNS errors, timeouts or a disabled blocklist check can cause it. Unknown is not a failure verdict about your email, but it does not earn passing points. A new test may resolve a temporary problem.
Why do SPF, DKIM and DMARC show different results?
They evaluate different evidence. SPF checks authorization for the envelope identity; DKIM verifies a domain’s signature; DMARC checks alignment with the visible From domain and its policy. A passing SPF or DKIM result can still leave DMARC unaligned.
Will MXValidation fix my DNS settings?
No. It identifies findings and suggests next steps. Apply changes through your DNS or email provider, allow their DNS caches to refresh, and run a fresh test from the same sending service.
Does the link check open links or scan attachments?
Extracted links are checked for syntax, DNS and visible URL mismatches without visiting them. MIME checks can flag risky attachment extensions, but the service is not an antivirus or a certification that a link or attachment is safe.
Who can see my message and report?
Anonymous reports require the exact report link and an eligible viewing allowance. Account-owned reports are restricted to the owner. Reports are excluded from search indexing, but the link still grants access. Do not publish it or submit sensitive messages. The Privacy page explains storage and retention.
Why are images hidden in the HTML preview?
The default HTML view blocks external images so opening the preview does not request them from a sender or tracking service. You can explicitly load the external-image version. Plain text and original source are also available.
Can I test whether an arbitrary mailbox exists?
No. This service analyzes a message you send to its generated test address. It does not validate recipient lists or check whether someone else’s mailbox exists.
My email did not reach a real recipient. Can this report explain why?
It can identify problems in the message that reached our server, but it cannot see a different recipient’s delivery logs. Check the sending platform’s log and bounce response for that delivery, then use the test findings to investigate relevant configuration issues.
Still need help?
Use the contact form with the check name, what happened and what you expected. Include a report link only if you are comfortable sharing the report and message with us. Never send credentials.