How to generate fake email addresses for testing
This tool makes up to 500 believable email addresses in your browser, ready for signup forms, a CSV import, a database seed or a validation test. Nothing is uploaded and no mail is ever sent.
- How many: 1 to 500.
- Domain: example.com, example.org or example.net, a mix of those three, Your own domain (type one such as mycompany.test), or Real providers such as gmail.com.
- Name style: first.last, firstlast, first_last, flast (first initial plus last name) or Random letters, which gives eight characters like
k3x9qpd2that always start with a letter. - Digits: Only to stay unique adds a number just when two addresses would otherwise match. Always 2 digits or Always 3 digits adds one to every address.
- Output: One per line, Comma list, CSV (with first_name, last_name and email columns when the style uses names) or JSON. Changing Output reformats the same addresses. Then use Copy all or Download file.
How it works and why example.com
Each address pairs one of about 100 first names with one of about 100 last names, so there are roughly 10,000 combinations before digits. The domains example.com, example.org and example.net are reserved by RFC 2606 for examples, and they publish a null MX record (RFC 7505), which tells mail servers to refuse delivery. The endings .test, .example and .invalid are reserved too. The older .local ending is not on that list, because it is used for local network name lookup, so it is no longer offered.
Worked example
The page opens on a fixed sample: 20 addresses, example.com, first.last and Only to stay unique. It begins susan.brooks@example.com, grace.lewis@example.com, casey.hughes@example.com. Set Output to CSV and the same rows appear as (first lines shown):
first_name,last_name,email Susan,Brooks,susan.brooks@example.com Grace,Lewis,grace.lewis@example.com
Limits and edge cases
- Blank, zero, negative and decimal counts show an error. Anything above 500 is capped and the status line says so.
- A custom domain must be a bare domain such as
mycompany.test. A web link or anything with a path is rejected with a message, a leading @ is removed, and a domain that is not reserved for testing gets a warning. - A validator that checks MX records will reject example.com addresses on purpose. Test that case with your own domain.
- For whole test records with names, phones and addresses, use the fake data generator. For matching numbers, see the phone number generator, and for names alone the name generator.
Frequently asked questions
Is example.com safe to use for test email addresses?
Yes. The IETF reserved example.com, example.org and example.net for documentation and testing, nobody can register them, and their DNS publishes a null MX record, so mail sent there is refused instead of delivered to a stranger.
Why does the tool warn about gmail.com and other real providers?
An address such as alex.smith@gmail.com may already belong to a real person. If your test sends a welcome email or a newsletter, it could land in a stranger's inbox, so use reserved domains unless you only need the text.
Can I use these addresses to receive a verification email?
No. They are only text and no inbox exists behind them. To receive mail in a test, use an address you control or a local test inbox such as Mailpit.
How many different addresses can the generator make?
About 10,000 different first and last name pairs per domain and style, and more once digits are added. A run is capped at 500, and every address within a run is different.