Google Workspace Marketplace
MailValid for Google Sheets: Email Verification Add-on
MailValid for Google Sheets is a free add-on that verifies email addresses inside a spreadsheet. Select a column of emails and click Verify, or use the formulas =MAILVALID_STATUS() and =MAILVALID_VERIFY(), and each address gets a status (valid, invalid, catch_all, unknown or do_not_mail), a 0–100 confidence score, the mailbox provider and the reason. It uses your MailValid credits: 1 credit per address, unknown results are free, and new accounts get 100 free credits.
Key facts
| Works with | Google Sheets in personal Gmail and Google Workspace accounts |
|---|---|
| Price | Free add-on. Verifications use MailValid credits: 1 credit per email, unknown results free |
| Free credits | 100 on sign-up, no card required |
| Bulk | Thousands of rows per run from the sidebar |
| Formulas | =MAILVALID_STATUS() and =MAILVALID_VERIFY(), up to 200 addresses per range |
| Results | Status, confidence score (0–100), mailbox provider, reason |
| Permissions | Only the open spreadsheet, a sidebar, and requests to mailvalid.io |
| Setup time | About 2 minutes |
How to install and set up the Google Sheets add-on
- 1 Install MailValid from the Google Workspace Marketplace and approve the permissions.
- 2 Open any spreadsheet and go to Extensions → MailValid → Verify emails.
- 3 Create an API key in your MailValid dashboard under API Keys, paste it into the sidebar and click Save key. The sidebar shows your credit balance.
- 4 Select the cells with email addresses (a header row is fine) and click Check selection to see how many credits the run will use.
- 5 Click Verify. Results appear in the four columns to the right of your selection.
How to verify emails in Google Sheets with the sidebar
The sidebar is the fastest way to verify a whole column. Select the emails, click Check selection, then Verify. MailValid adds four columns next to your list:
- MailValid status: valid, invalid, catch_all, unknown or do_not_mail, color-coded
- Score: a 0–100 confidence score
- Provider: the mailbox provider, such as Google or Microsoft
- Reason: why the address got that status, such as mailbox_confirmed, no_mx_records or disposable
When the run finishes, the sidebar shows a count of each status.
Before every run the add-on shows the credit cost and your balance, warns you if the result columns already contain data, and skips blank cells and text that isn't an email address. Duplicate addresses are only charged once.
Google Sheets email verification formulas
Use the formulas when you want results that stay in place like any other Sheets function.
=MAILVALID_STATUS(email)
Returns the status of one address, for example =MAILVALID_STATUS(A2) returns valid. It also accepts a single-column range such as =MAILVALID_STATUS(A2:A50) and fills one status per row.
=MAILVALID_VERIFY(email)
Returns four cells across: status, score, provider and reason. For example, =MAILVALID_VERIFY(A2) fills the cell and the three cells to its right.
Formula limits
- Up to 200 addresses per formula range, so each formula stays within Google's 30-second limit. For bigger lists, use the sidebar.
- Results are cached for 6 hours (1 hour for unknown), so recalculating the sheet doesn't charge you again.
What each status means
- valid: the mailbox exists and accepts mail. Safe to send.
- invalid: the mailbox or domain doesn't exist. Remove it; it will bounce.
- catch_all: the domain accepts every address, so the mailbox can't be confirmed. Send carefully.
- unknown: the mail server didn't answer. Not charged. Try again later.
- do_not_mail: disposable or role-based addresses such as info@ or support@. Usually skip them.
Each check covers syntax, domain and MX records, an SMTP mailbox check, catch-all detection, disposable and role-based detection, and free email provider detection.
Permissions and privacy
The add-on asks for three Google permissions, and each one has a single job:
- See and edit only the spreadsheet it's used in (spreadsheets.currentonly): to read the cells you select and write results next to them. It can't open your other files.
- Display a sidebar (script.container.ui): to show the MailValid sidebar.
- Connect to an external service (script.external_request): to send the selected email addresses to the MailValid API at mailvalid.io. No other spreadsheet data is sent.
Your API key is saved in your own Google account, not in the spreadsheet, so sharing a sheet never shares your key. Read the privacy policy.
Limits
- Sidebar: lists of 25 addresses or fewer are checked directly; bigger lists run as bulk jobs of up to 1,000 addresses each, so there's no practical row limit.
- Formulas: 200 addresses per range.
- Google's daily limit: Google caps external requests per user per day (about 20,000 on free accounts and 100,000 on Workspace). A bulk job counts as a few requests, not one per email.
Troubleshooting
The sidebar says it couldn't connect to my account
This happens when you're signed in to more than one Google account in the same browser. Use Extensions → MailValid → Quick verify selected column and Extensions → MailValid → Set API key instead. They do the same job with Google's own dialogs and work with several accounts. Or sign out of the other accounts and reopen the sheet.
"Not enough credits for this list"
Buy more credits in your MailValid dashboard. Credits never expire. Or select fewer rows.
"MailValid rejected the API key"
Check that you copied the whole key and that it's still active under API Keys in your dashboard, then save it again.
Some rows say "not verified yet"
A large Quick verify run stopped before Google's time limit. Run Quick verify again on the same selection: it picks up where it left off without charging twice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the MailValid Google Sheets add-on free?
Yes. The add-on is free to install. Verifications use MailValid credits: 1 credit per email, unknown results are free, and new accounts get 100 free credits. More credits start at $8 for 2,000 and never expire.
How do I verify email addresses in Google Sheets?
Install the MailValid add-on, open Extensions → MailValid → Verify emails, save your API key, select the column of emails and click Verify. Or type =MAILVALID_STATUS(A2) in any cell.
Can I verify emails in Google Sheets without an add-on?
You can export the sheet as a CSV and upload it to the MailValid dashboard, then import the results back. You can also use Zapier with a Google Sheets "New Row" trigger and the MailValid Verify Email action. The add-on is the quickest option because results are written straight into the sheet.
How many emails can I verify at once in Google Sheets?
Thousands of rows per run with the sidebar. Formulas handle up to 200 addresses per range.
Does it work with Google Workspace accounts?
Yes. It works with personal Gmail accounts and Google Workspace accounts, and Workspace admins can install it for their whole organization.
Can my teammates use my API key if I share the sheet?
No. Your key is stored in your Google account, not in the spreadsheet. Each person saves their own key.
Does MailValid store my spreadsheet?
No. The add-on only sends the email addresses you select or reference in a formula. It never reads the rest of your spreadsheet or your other files.
Related
- How teams use MailValid in Google Sheets
- Step-by-step guide: How to verify email addresses in Google Sheets
- All integrations
- Email list cleaning
- Zapier integration
- Status values
Verify your next list without leaving Google Sheets.