Does Reddit verify your email?

Reddit is one of the most popular social media platforms on the internet, with millions of users posting, commenting, and sharing content daily. When signing up for a Reddit account, users are required to provide an email address. However, there has been some confusion around whether or not Reddit actually verifies the email addresses provided during signup.

The Signup Process

During the Reddit signup process, users are prompted to provide a username, password, and email address. The email address field is mandatory and cannot be left blank. Once the signup form is submitted, Reddit will send a verification email to the address provided. This email contains a link that must be clicked to confirm and activate the new Reddit account.

So in short, yes, Reddit does require email verification as part of the standard account creation process. The platform sends a verification email to the address provided by the user when signing up. However, some users have noted that while they receive the initial verification email, Reddit does not seem to verify the ongoing validity of the email address associated with their account. This has raised questions around how rigorous and persistent Reddit’s email verification system really is.

Ongoing Email Verification

While Reddit does send a verification email during signup, there does not appear to be any recurring verification process applied to user accounts over time. Once the initial email address check has been completed at the time of registration, there are no additional checks performed by Reddit to validate the email down the road.

Some social platforms will periodically re-verify email addresses by sending new confirmation emails at random intervals. This helps ensure the email is still valid and the account has not been compromised. However, Reddit does not seem to take this approach.

In fact, many Reddit users report updating or changing the email address associated with their account without having to re-verify the new address. In some cases, users have been able to remove an email address from their account altogether without having to confirm a replacement.

So in summary, the email verification process on Reddit seems to be a one-time check that takes place when creating a new account. After that initial confirmation, there does not appear to be persistent re-verification or validation of the provided email moving forward.

Implications of Lax Ongoing Verification

The lack of recurring email verification has some implications in terms of account security and validity:

• Compromised or outdated emails may remain associated with accounts indefinitely since there are no periodic checks.
• Users can provide fake, temporary email addresses when signing up without worrying about ongoing verification.
• Without re-verification, users could sell or transfer accounts without the email address changing.
• Spam signups may be more likely since false email addresses are not re-validated over time.

While the initial email check during registration does add some friction for spam and fake accounts, the absence of recurring verification enables some potential issues down the line. However, Reddit likely views the one-time verification as sufficient in balancing account validity with ease of use.

Exceptions and Special Cases

There are a few special scenarios in which Reddit may perform some type of email verification on an account after the initial signup process:

• When a user requests a password reset, a verification email is sent to initiate the reset sequence.
• If an account appears compromised or is flagged for suspicious activity, a verification email may be sent as part of reclaiming the account.
• When certain account changes are made, such as adding a new email, Reddit may send a verification notice to both old and new addresses.

So while ongoing verification is not business as usual, there are some special circumstances where Reddit will perform additional email checks after account creation. These are typically related to security, resets, and major account modifications.

Third-Party Email Verifiers

Although Reddit itself does not persistently verify emails after the initial signup, there are some external services that will validate the ongoing accuracy of email addresses associated with Reddit accounts. These third-party verifiers work by:

• Checking if an email bounces when sent to the address on file for a Reddit account
• Looking up email deliverability and spam rating data
• Confirming if inboxes actually exist for domains
• Monitoring email verification status over time

By using email verification APIs and tracking ongoing deliverability, these services can determine if the emails linked to Reddit accounts are still active and valid even without Reddit explicitly re-verifying.

Some examples of third-party verifiers that can check Reddit email addresses include NeverBounce, MailboxValidator, EmailMarker, and Kickbox. However, not all services will necessarily have access to or integrate directly with Reddit accounts.

NeverBounce

NeverBounce is a popular email verification service that can check the accuracy of email addresses associated with Reddit accounts. Here is an example of how NeverBounce could be used to validate the email on a Reddit account over time:

1. Connect NeverBounce to the Reddit account by inputting the user’s email address.
2. NeverBounce will automatically verify the email initially.
3. Verification status is checked again periodically (e.g. monthly).
4. If the email bounces or is determined invalid, the user is notified.
5. Integration allows seamless ongoing email verification through NeverBounce.

Through an integration like this, a Reddit user could enable ongoing verification through NeverBounce even without Reddit re-verifying emails itself. This provides additional visibility into email accuracy over time.

MailboxValidator

MailboxValidator is another email verification service that could be used to check Reddit account email addresses repeatedly after signup. Here is one way MailboxValidator could enable ongoing verification:

1. User provides their Reddit email address to MailboxValidator API or dashboard.
2. Initial check verifies the mailbox exists and is active.
3. MailboxValidator runs automatic re-checks on a set schedule (e.g. quarterly).
4. If the email ever bounces or deactivates, notifications are sent.
5. Users can see email verification status updates and history in dashboard.

This demonstrates how even without Reddit re-verifying email addresses itself, tools like MailboxValidator give users visibility into ongoing email validity associated with their accounts.

Workarounds

Because Reddit does not persistently re-verify email addresses after the initial signup, some users have come up with workarounds and tricks to get around providing a valid email in the first place. These include:

• Using a temporary or disposable email address when signing up.
• Providing a fake or dummy email and ignoring the verification notice.
• Creating an email alias or forwarding address that directs to a real inbox.
• Disabling or deleting the email from their account after initial verification.

While against Reddit’s policies, these methods allow some users to get around having a valid email attached to their account long-term. Since Reddit does not re-check, they face no consequences for removing or changing the address later on.

Adding Two-Factor Authentication

One way for Reddit users to enhance their account security despite the lack of persistent email verification is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA). With 2FA enabled, logging into an account requires providing both the password and a temporary code generated by an authenticator app or sent via SMS.

Even if the email on a Reddit account becomes outdated or invalid over time, having 2FA setup adds an additional layer of protection that would prevent unauthorized access. It provides a safety net in case the primary email address stops working or is compromised.

Reddit supports third-party authenticator apps like Google Authenticator and Authy for generating 2FA codes when logging in. This is highly recommended to bolster security and mitigate the risks of lax email re-verification.

Reporting Invalid or Suspicious Emails

If you come across a Reddit account with an obviously fake or invalid email address, there are options to try reporting it:

• Report Form – Reddit has a dedicated form for reporting suspicious accounts, including those with fake or disposable email addresses.
• Mod Mail – You can message the moderators of communities the account posts in to investigate.
• Email Support – Reddit’s email support team may be able to look into accounts with clearly invalid email addresses.

While not always effective, reporting suspicious emails can help bring attention to accounts attempting to circumvent verification. This provides at least some recourse in lieu of Reddit frequently re-verifying emails itself.

Email Verification APIs

For developers and platforms wanting to integrate more robust email verification into Reddit integrations and apps, there are some verification APIs to consider:

• MailboxLayer – Email validation API withmonthly free tier.
• EmailChecker – Real-time email verification API with usage-based pricing.
• Kickbox – Developer-friendly email verification API with multiple pricing tiers.
• Mailgun – Email verification and deliverability APIs from popular email service Mailgun.

By leveraging these APIs, it’s possible to build Reddit apps and mashups with more persistent email verification than provided natively by Reddit. This offers value for certain use cases where highly accurate and up-to-date emails are important.

Conclusion

Reddit does require an email address and perform an initial verification upon account signup. However, there does not appear to be any recurring verification put in place after that initial check.

The lack of persistent re-verification means potentially invalid or outdated emails can remain on accounts indefinitely. While a few workarounds exist to bypass email verification, adding 2FA and being vigilant about reporting suspicious addresses can help mitigate risks.

For those wanting persistent verification, third-party email checking services and developer APIs are available. But on Reddit itself, once the initial email validation at registration is complete, there are no recurring checks or re-verification down the line.