Verify email addresses in n8n workflows

1. 1
   In PricklyMails

   Create an API key in PricklyMails

   1. In the dashboard, open API Keys and click New key.
   2. Under Environment, pick Test first: the key starts with pm_test_, answers from canned results, bills nothing and contacts no mail server.
   3. Copy the key as soon as it shows: it is shown only once.

   Tip

   The Free plan holds one key: once everything works, revoke the test key, then create the one under Live.

2. 2
   In n8n

   Save your PricklyMails key as an n8n credential

   1. Click Create, then Credential.
   2. Search for Bearer Auth and select it.
   3. Paste your key in Bearer Token, without Bearer in front: n8n adds it itself.
   4. Save the credential.

   Sourcen8n's official help center

   • Create and edit credentials (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • HTTP Request credentials (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
3. 3
   In n8n

   Verify one address in an n8n workflow

   One request returns the result: with Prefer: wait=12, the response holds it whenever the check ends within 12 seconds, and is a 202 without it otherwise.

   1. After the node that brings the address, such as a form trigger, add an HTTP Request node.
   2. Set Method to POST and URL to https://api.pricklymails.com/api/verify.
   3. Under Authentication, choose Generic Credential Type, then Bearer Auth, and pick your credential.
   4. Turn on Send Headers and add a header named Prefer, with wait=12 as its value.
   5. Turn on Send Body, set Body Content Type to JSON and Specify Body to Using JSON, then paste the body below.
   6. Under Options, add Timeout and set it to 16000, in milliseconds.
   7. Add an If node whose condition is {{ $json.verification.recommendation }} is equal to remove.

   body.json

   {
       "email": "{{ $json.email }}"
   }
   

   Note

   Without a result in time, the If node finds no recommendation and sends the address down its false branch: decide there whether an address not yet verified goes on.

   Sourcen8n's official help center

   • HTTP Request node (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • If node (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • Reference previous nodes (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
4. 4
   In n8n

   Verify a list in an n8n workflow

   A list goes as one batch: send the addresses with their contact IDs, wait for the batch, then read its results and update each contact.

   1. After the node that reads your contacts, add an Aggregate node that gathers the addresses into emails and the contact IDs into custom_ids.
   2. Send them with an HTTP Request node, POST to https://api.pricklymails.com/api/batches, with your credential.
   3. Add a Wait node of one minute, then an HTTP Request node that reads the batch, and an If node on its status whose false branch goes back to the Wait node.
   4. Read the results with an HTTP Request node whose Pagination option updates the offset parameter in each request.
   5. Turn the rows into one item each with a Split Out node, then update each contact by its custom_id with the tool's own node.

   The PricklyMails requests of a batch, one by one

   Sourcen8n's official help center

   • Aggregate node (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • Wait node (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • Pagination (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io
   • Split Out node (opens in a new tab)docs.n8n.io

Frequently asked questions