Role-based email addresses: the list, and whether to block them
A role-based address names a function, not a person: info@, support@, admin@. Several people usually read the inbox, so nobody personally opted in to your list. This page gives the list the MailGate API flags, explains what mail providers do about them, and lets you test an address in your browser.
Click Check.
The list MailGate flags
Exactly these local parts (the text before the @, ignoring a +tag): admin, administrator, postmaster, hostmaster, webmaster, abuse, noc, security, root, info, contact, support, help, sales, billing, accounts, accounting, office, hello, team, enquiries, inquiries, marketing, press, media, jobs, careers, hr, mail, mailer-daemon, noreply, no-reply, donotreply, do-not-reply. It is a short, conservative list, so it will miss orders@ or bookings@.
What other tools do
Mailchimp blocks a list of role prefixes during imports, but says people can still join through a signup form (Mailchimp help). MailerLite explains that role inboxes rarely opt in voluntarily and are common in cold mailing (MailerLite help). Verification services mostly label these addresses instead of rejecting them. Those are vendor help pages, so read them as practice, not as a standard.
A sensible signup rule
| Situation | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Consumer or personal app signup | Flag, and ask for a personal address |
| B2B tool where a company mailbox is normal | Accept info@, sales@, billing@; they are legitimate |
| Newsletter list | Accept but expect lower engagement; send a confirmation email |
postmaster@, abuse@, noreply@ | Reject: nobody reads them as a subscriber |
Get the flag from the API
curl "https://pw-d20261007a2.plainwork-apps.workers.dev/[email protected]"
# {"role_account":true, "score":..., "verdict":...}The score drops by 20 points for a role account, so one threshold works for all the checks. Free tier: 20 checks a day, no signup, on the live tester. Unlimited use and bulk checks are on the $5/month plan. Related: blocking disposable signups, regex vs MX check, and the free list cleaner.