Contact - Valid Email

Tired of spam clogging your Joomla contact forms? Contact - Valid Email is here to save the day! This free plugin ensures only legitimate emails make it to your inbox, filtering out junk like random@se or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with ease. Built for Joomla users who value a clean, secure site, this extension validates email submissions in real-time, giving you peace of mind without slowing down your forms. Let’s clean up your inbox and keep the spammers at bay—starting today!

Inbox Inspired

I thought the Joomla email form field actually checked for valid email address formats - but it doesn't.  Upon closer inspection, as long as it has an @ symbol between 2 alphanumeric blobs - it's valid.  The random content and invalid email address (@se isn’t a valid domain) were clear red flags. Someone was testing my form, possibly probing for vulnerabilities. My existing CAPTCHA stopped automated bots, but this manual submission slipped through because the Joomla contact form didn’t validate the email properly. That’s when I decided to build Contact - Valid Email.

How It Works

When a user submits a form, Contact - Valid Email springs into action, validating the email address in layers. It starts by checking the email format with PHP’s filter_var function, rejecting anything that doesn’t look right—like random@se, which isn’t a valid domain. If you’ve enabled the optional MX record check, it’ll query DNS to confirm the domain can receive mail, caching the results to keep things fast. Submissions that fail these tests—or match your blacklist—are stopped before they reach your inbox, while whitelisted emails sail through.

Contact - Valid Email Testing Order:

  1. Valid email (filter_var)
  2. Whitelist (email then domain)
  3. Blacklist (email then domain)
  4. Domain has a DNS MX record

Please note: this plugin cannot verify if an email address is real or actively in use—only that its format is valid and the domain is real with an MX record in DNS.

Joomla
Plugins
Valid Email
v5.0.0
Joomla! 5
 

P

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Configure It Your Way

Contact - Valid Email is all about flexibility. After installing it via Joomla’s extension manager, head to the plugin settings to make it your own. Enable the optional MX record check to verify email domains, or keep it off for faster processing. Set up white and black lists to allow trusted senders (like yourcompany.com) or block known troublemakers (like This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Want to keep attackers guessing? Turn on silent operation to hide validation failure messages.

Fancy a Demo?

Jump over to my contact page and attempt to send an email from a non-existent domain, or a domain that doesn't have an MX record (FYI: test.com does NOT have an MX record)

Setting Expectations

I'm getting a lot of tests, and that's OK.  Please do test it.  I reply to the tests I receive, 

This plugin cannot determine if your email address actually exists, it can only determine if the domain exists and that the domain CAN receive mail.  It is entirely possible to put an invalid address into the form.  This plugin prevents non-existent domains and domains with no MX record from being used in the contact form. 

The tests performed are:

  1. The address is properly formatted - impossible addresses are rejected
  2. The domain is real and exists
  3. There is an MX record for the domain - domains that cannot receive mail (no MX record) are rejected

Features

  • Validates email format instantly using PHP’s filter_var, catching invalid addresses like random@se
  • Optional MX record check confirms the email domain can receive mail, with cached results for performance
  • White and black lists let you allow or block specific emails and domains
  • Silent operation mode hides validation failure messages to thwart attackers
  • Seamless integration into your contact forms

With Contact - Valid Email, you can stop spam in its tracks and keep your Joomla site’s contact forms secure and efficient. This plugin does the heavy lifting, so you can focus on what matters—connecting with real users, not battling junk submissions.

Ready to protect your contact forms from invalid emails and potential threats? 

Download the Plugin

  Contact - Valid Email 5.0.028

  Report a Bug   Documentation

Why is this software free?

I’m ditching the freemium game and giving this software to the Joomla crowd for free. It’s a nod to “Jumla”—Swahili for “all together”—because fragmentation sucks, and I’d rather focus on innovation and paid gigs. Use it, build with it, and if you need custom work, I’m super into that.

What's The Catch?

There isn’t one! I’m all about building tools that empower the Joomla community and spark creativity. This software’s free because I’d rather see it in your hands - fueling awesome projects. If you really feel like paying something, I’d appreciate a review in the Joomla Extension Directory—your feedback means a lot!