Mailbox provider · 163 Mail (NetEase)
How to verify a 163.com email address
How do I check if a @163.com address exists? Paste the address into a mailbox checker such as SimpleVerifier's: it asks 163 Mail (NetEase)'s mail server about the mailbox at the SMTP RCPT TO step and disconnects before any email is sent. 163 Mail (NetEase) rejected a made-up @163.com address on 23 October 2026, so a missing mailbox comes back invalid and a real one valid; anything the server won't confirm comes back risky.
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Can you verify @163.com addresses?
YesYes. @163.com answers mailbox checks one address at a time.
The checker opens an SMTP conversation with 163.com's mail server, offers a random address first to rule out a catch-all, then names your address at RCPT TO and disconnects without sending. A rejection comes back invalid ("Mailbox not found") and an acceptance valid ("Mailbox exists"). Temporary replies come back risky. It always checks the syntax, the domain's MX records, disposable domains and role addresses such as info@ first.
Mailbox existsMailbox not foundServer would not confirmWhat we can and cannot confirm at @163.com
We can confirm
- The address is written correctly (syntax), and the domain publishes working mail servers (MX).
- Whether it is a disposable or role address (info@, sales@) or a likely typo of a bigger domain.
- Whether the @163.com mailbox exists: 163 Mail (NetEase) answers at RCPT TO, so a rejection is invalid ("Mailbox not found") and an acceptance is valid.
We cannot confirm
- A temporary reply or timeout from 163 Mail (NetEase). Those come back risky ("Server would not confirm") and are worth checking again later.
- That a valid mailbox will stay valid. Old consumer addresses go stale, so re-check before a big send.
- Whether a person reads the inbox, wants your email or agreed to receive it. No checker can see that.
Anything we cannot confirm comes back risky, never valid.
What we measured at 163.com
Measured by SimpleVerifier on 23 October 2026 through our production checker and public DNS. No message was sent and no real person's address was used.
| Made-up address, checked twice ~10.5 hours apart | invalid both times ("Mailbox not found") |
|---|---|
| Primary mail server (MX) | 163mx01.mxmail.netease.com |
| Mail host | NetEase (own servers) |
| DMARC policy | p=none |
| SPF | published, ends -all |
| MTA-STS | not published |
| DNSSEC | not signed |
Sources: How 51 mailbox providers answer verification checks, SPF, DMARC, MTA-STS and DNSSEC at 51 mailbox providers, both with CSVs (CC BY 4.0). All datasets: research.
Where your @163.com addresses live
Already paying another verifier?
163 Mail (NetEase) addresses can be verified without sending an email. On 12 October 2026 the 163.com mail server 163mx03.mxmail.netease.com rejected a made-up recipient at the SMTP RCPT TO step with 550 User not found, so a mailbox check can tell a missing 163.com account from a real one.
Price: this tool is free. Checking a whole email list is from $9/mo, and the first 100 checks are free with Google, no card. See pricing
Live DNS snapshot: 163.com
Checked 6 November 2026, 11:12 UTCRead from DNS at the time shown and refreshed at most once a day. MX says where mail for 163.com goes; SPF and DMARC describe mail sent from it, not whether any one address exists.
- 10
163mx02.mxmail.netease.comNetEase - 10
163mx01.mxmail.netease.comNetEase - 10
163mx03.mxmail.netease.comNetEase - 50
163mx00.mxmail.netease.comNetEase
First MX host belongs to NetEase.
v=spf1 include:spf.mail.163.com -allp=none: meets the requirement, but blocks nothing. No rua= address, so you get no aggregate reports.
v=DMARC1; p=none;Look up any other domain with the MX lookup or the email provider lookup.
163 Mail (NetEase) at a glance
| Operated by | NetEase and its partner operating entitiesSource: NetEase Mail account terms (Chinese) |
|---|---|
| Same mailbox system | 126.com uses the same mxmail.netease.com network, with 126mx hostsObserved 12 October 2026 (dig MX) |
| MX hosts | 163mx01, 163mx02, 163mx03.mxmail.netease.com, then 163mx00Observed 12 October 2026 (dig MX) |
| Answer to a made-up address | 550 User not found, returned at RCPT TOObserved 12 October 2026 (SMTP probe of a made-up recipient, no message sent) |
| Address rule | NetEase free mail covers @163.com, @126.com and @yeah.net; paid mail includes @vip.163.com, @188.com and othersSource: NetEase Mail account terms, s.2 (Chinese) |
| Inactive accounts | Accounts unused for a long time can be reclaimed, and after an unspecified release time the name can be registered againSource: NetEase Mail help centre (Chinese) |
| Postmaster rules | Mail from IPs not authorised by the sending domain's SPF is rejected with 550 MI:SPFSource: NetEase Mail help: bounce codes (Chinese) |
What 163 Mail (NetEase)'s server says about a missing mailbox
The reply that matters is the one to RCPT TO, the step where the checking server names the recipient. 163 Mail (NetEase) answered our made-up 163.com address with 550 User not found. A 5xx code at that step is a permanent "no such mailbox", which is the same answer a real message would get, so SimpleVerifier marks the address invalid with the reason "Mailbox not found". A 250 at the same step means the mailbox exists and comes back valid.
Before trusting a "valid", a careful verifier also offers a random address that cannot exist. 163 Mail (NetEase) rejected ours, so 163.com is not a catch-all: a 250 for your address is a real signal. Temporary 4xx replies (421, 450, 451) are about the connection, not the mailbox, and come back risky with "Server would not confirm" rather than invalid. Hard bounce vs soft bounce explains why that split matters.
NetEase addresses can change hands
NetEase's help centre says an account left unused for a long time can be reclaimed, then released for anyone to register. An old 163.com address that verifies today may belong to someone else, which makes consent tied to old addresses less reliable.
One account system covers 163.com, 126.com, yeah.net and paid domains such as 188.com, so group them as one provider in your reports.
Cleaning 163.com addresses on a list
Because 163 Mail (NetEase) answers honestly, 163.com is one of the domains where verification removes bounces before they happen. Drop the invalid results, keep the valid ones, and re-check the risky ones later: a temporary reply on one day often turns into a clear answer the next.
A valid result only means the mailbox exists today. Addresses on an old consumer list go stale as people stop using them, so re-verify before each large send to an aged segment; how often to verify an email list gives a schedule. Upload the CSV to the verifier and download the valid, risky and invalid rows as separate files.
Common questions
- How do I check if a @163.com address exists?
- Paste the address into a mailbox checker such as SimpleVerifier's: it asks 163 Mail (NetEase)'s mail server about the mailbox at the SMTP RCPT TO step and disconnects before any email is sent. 163 Mail (NetEase) rejected a made-up @163.com address on 23 October 2026, so a missing mailbox comes back invalid and a real one valid; anything the server won't confirm comes back risky.
- Can you verify @163.com addresses?
- Yes. @163.com answers mailbox checks one address at a time. The checker opens an SMTP conversation with 163.com's mail server, offers a random address first to rule out a catch-all, then names your address at RCPT TO and disconnects without sending. A rejection comes back invalid ("Mailbox not found") and an acceptance valid ("Mailbox exists"). Temporary replies come back risky. It always checks the syntax, the domain's MX records, disposable domains and role addresses such as info@ first.
- Can I check if a 163.com address exists without emailing it?
- Yes. A verifier connects to 163 Mail (NetEase)'s mail server, names the address at the RCPT TO step and disconnects before sending. On 12 October 2026 the server rejected a made-up 163.com address with "550 User not found", so a missing mailbox shows up as invalid and the owner receives nothing.
- What mail servers does 163.com use?
- On 12 October 2026, 163.com published these MX hosts: 163mx01, 163mx02, 163mx03.mxmail.netease.com, then 163mx00. You can look them up yourself with the free MX lookup tool.
- Why did a 163.com address come back risky instead of invalid?
- Risky means the server didn't give a permanent answer during the check, usually a temporary 4xx reply or a timeout. It isn't proof the address is bad. Check it again later; 163 Mail (NetEase) gave a clear rejection for a missing mailbox when we tested it.
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