How Can I Verify An Email Address That Is Entered On My Web Form?

[craig2u]

Sometime my visitors mistype their email address. I want to verify it so their message is not delivered until the email field is ok. Something like checking for @ character, etc.

[Stryker]

You can use another error output method but that generally works for me.

CODE

$errors = array();
$regex = "/^[a-z0-9]+([_.-][a-z0-9]+)*@([a-z0-9]+([.-][a-z0-9]+)*)+.[a-z]{2,}$/i";
if(!preg_match($regex, $email_field))
{
  $errors[] = "E-mail is not in correct format!<br />";
}

[Ed]

PHP5 comes with a fantastic little filter library:

CODE

if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL))
{
    // Email format is correct
}

If you're not on Zymic hosting you can extend the check to start a smtp session with the domain's mail exchange servers and check the email address actually exists. This method isn't full proof if someone sets their MX records to point to a mailserver which has been setup as a relay.

Email verification is the best method to ensure the mailbox actually exists.

[craig2u]

PHP5 comes with a fantastic little filter library:

CODE

if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL))
{
    // Email format is correct
}

If you're not on Zymic hosting you can extend the check to start a smtp session with the domain's mail exchange servers and check the email address actually exists. This method isn't full proof if someone sets their MX records to point to a mailserver which has been setup as a relay.

Email verification is the best method to ensure the mailbox actually exists.

To my surprise, my free hosting service does not have PHP5 , or even worst, any version of PHP. So my only solution is to use a remotely hosted form service, like http://www.123contactform.com or http://www.kontactr.com

[Ed]

To my surprise, my free hosting service does not have PHP5 , or even worst, any version of PHP. So my only solution is to use a remotely hosted form service, like http://www.123contactform.com or http://www.kontactr.com

Zymic's free hosting offers php5; However we don't provide outgoing connections so SMTP checks can't be performed, filter exists however and mail() can be enabled for a one off $10 charge.

[cashloan]

Very strange request in an art forum from a first time poster. BUT, in the interest of answering the question:

Attach an onClick event to your submit button, so that it doesn't submit the form until a predetermined function has processed. The function should be written in Javascript.

To show you how easy such a task is, I Googled "javascript validate email", and the very first result was this site: http://www.codetoad.com/javascript/is_valid_email.asp

That should do what you need, magical robot...and it doesn't cost a dime.