> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bounceless.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Verify one email

> Run a single email verification.

This page renders the machine-readable request, response, and status-code contract from `openapi.yaml`. Use it to inspect field shapes; use the [single-verification guide](/verify-single) for the operational workflow.

The specification models canonical `X-Api-Key` authentication and HTTP Bearer compatibility for existing integrations; new code should use `X-Api-Key`. The source does not prefill a credential. Hosted-playground storage behavior requires a separate browser verification before launch, so use the [curl quickstart](/quickstart) with a controlled key until that check is complete.

HTTP `200` includes the completed Pre-Send decision and engine metadata. HTTP `202` represents accepted or still-running work, carries no decision, and has no public single-result polling route in the four-route GA contract. Treat those response shapes separately in generated clients.


## OpenAPI

````yaml POST /v1/verify
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Bounceless API
  version: '1'
  description: >-
    GA single and batch email verification. Unknown outcomes are not billed and
    credits never expire.
  x-bounceless-presend-contract-version: 1
  x-bounceless-compatibility: >-
    Legacy sibling fields remain available during the Pre-Send v1 compatibility
    window.
servers:
  - url: https://api.bounceless.io
security:
  - apiKey: []
  - bearerAuth: []
paths:
  /v1/verify:
    post:
      summary: Verify one email address.
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/IdempotencyKey'
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/VerifyInput'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Completed
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VerifyResult'
        '202':
          description: >-
            Accepted without a decision. No public single-result polling route
            is part of the four-route GA contract.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VerifyResult'
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '402':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Limited'
        '502':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '503':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
components:
  parameters:
    IdempotencyKey:
      name: Idempotency-Key
      in: header
      required: true
      schema:
        type: string
        minLength: 1
  schemas:
    VerifyInput:
      type: object
      required:
        - email
      additionalProperties: false
      properties:
        email:
          type: string
          format: email
          maxLength: 320
        timeoutMs:
          type: integer
          minimum: 1
          maximum: 120000
    VerifyResult:
      type: object
      required:
        - status
        - presend
        - requestId
      properties:
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - completed
            - queued
            - running
        decision:
          type:
            - object
            - 'null'
        presend:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/ClientDecisionEnvelopeV1'
        engine:
          allOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/EngineMetadata'
          description: >-
            Present on a completed 200 response and absent while a 202 response
            is still accepted or running.
        engineJobId:
          type: string
          description: >-
            Present on a 202 accepted response. No public single-result polling
            route is defined by this contract.
        requestId:
          type: string
    ClientDecisionEnvelopeV1:
      type: object
      additionalProperties: false
      required:
        - contract_version
        - status
        - outcome
        - decision
        - verdict
        - provider_family
        - confidence
        - reasons
        - evidence_class
        - retry
        - billing
        - history
      properties:
        contract_version:
          type: integer
          const: 1
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - completed
            - running
            - recheck_scheduled
            - failed
            - rejected
        outcome:
          type: string
          enum:
            - actionable_verdict
            - pending
            - non_verdict
        decision:
          oneOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/PreSendDecision'
            - type: 'null'
        verdict:
          oneOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/PublicVerdict'
            - type: 'null'
        provider_family:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        confidence:
          type:
            - number
            - 'null'
          minimum: 0
          maximum: 1
        reasons:
          type: array
          items:
            type: string
        evidence_class:
          type:
            - string
            - 'null'
        retry:
          oneOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/RetryWindow'
            - type: 'null'
        billing:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Billing'
        history:
          type:
            - object
            - 'null'
    EngineMetadata:
      type: object
      additionalProperties: false
      required:
        - verifiedAt
        - attempts
        - providerFamily
      properties:
        verifiedAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        attempts:
          type: integer
          minimum: 0
        providerFamily:
          type: string
    Error:
      type: object
      required:
        - error
      additionalProperties: false
      properties:
        error:
          type: object
          required:
            - code
            - message
            - requestId
          additionalProperties: false
          properties:
            code:
              type: string
            message:
              type: string
            requestId:
              type: string
    PreSendDecision:
      type: string
      enum:
        - send
        - suppress
        - send_with_caution
        - enrich_first
        - recheck_later
        - manual_review
        - do_not_decide
    PublicVerdict:
      type: string
      enum:
        - DELIVERABLE
        - UNDELIVERABLE_NO_MAILBOX
        - UNDELIVERABLE_NO_MAIL_SERVER
        - UNDELIVERABLE_BOUNCED
        - CATCH_ALL
        - MAILBOX_FULL
        - DISPOSABLE
        - ROLE
        - SPAMTRAP
        - RISKY_SPAMTRAP
        - BLACKLISTED
        - GREYLISTED
        - TRANSIENT
        - UNKNOWN
        - UNKNOWN_WEBMAIL
    RetryWindow:
      type: object
      additionalProperties: false
      required:
        - eligible_at
        - expires_at
        - affinity_required
      properties:
        eligible_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        expires_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        affinity_required:
          type: boolean
    Billing:
      type: object
      additionalProperties: false
      required:
        - disposition
        - credits
      properties:
        disposition:
          type: string
          enum:
            - debited
            - held
            - released
        credits:
          type: integer
          minimum: 0
  responses:
    Error:
      description: Error response.
      headers:
        X-Request-Id:
          $ref: '#/components/headers/RequestId'
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
    Limited:
      description: Rate limit exceeded.
      headers:
        X-Request-Id:
          $ref: '#/components/headers/RequestId'
        Retry-After:
          description: Seconds before retrying
          schema:
            type: integer
            minimum: 1
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
  headers:
    RequestId:
      description: Request correlation identifier.
      schema:
        type: string
  securitySchemes:
    apiKey:
      type: apiKey
      in: header
      name: X-Api-Key
      description: Canonical authentication. Send a Bounceless key in blc.… format.
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: Bounceless API key
      description: Compatibility authentication. New integrations should use X-Api-Key.

````