Guides

Guides to temporary email, OTPs and agent inboxes

Straight answers on how temporary email works, how to keep it safe, and how AI agents and test suites can use it.

All guides

What is a temporary email address?A temporary (temporary) email address receives mail for a short time and then disappears. What it is, how it works and when to use one.How temporary email works under the hoodA plain-English walkthrough of how a temporary inbox receives mail: DNS MX records, SMTP delivery, storage and expiry.Temp mail vs email alias vs plus addressingThree ways to keep your real address private compared: temporary inboxes, forwarding aliases and plus addressing. Pros, cons and when to use each.Is temporary email safe?An honest look at what temporary email protects against and what it does not: privacy, security and the risks of public inboxes.How to receive a verification code without your real emailStep by step: get a temporary address, use it on a sign-up form and read the code. Plus what to do when a site refuses it.Why some sites block temporary emailServices block temporary domains to fight abuse and bogus sign-ups. How the blocking works and the honest options when you are refused.Verification email not arriving: how to fix itWhy a verification code or link never shows up, and a checklist for getting it to arrive, for temporary and normal inboxes alike.Email OTP vs magic linkOne-time codes and magic links both prove you own an address. How each works, their trade-offs and how to test them.How long do verification codes last?Typical lifetimes of email verification codes and magic links, why they are short and what to do if yours has expired.What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?MCP is an open standard that lets AI assistants call external tools and data. What it is, how it works and why it matters for agents.How to give an AI agent an email addressThree ways to give an agent an inbox and the trade-offs: your real mailbox, a shared account, or a temporary inbox with tool access.Prompt injection through email: how to protect AI agentsAnyone can email your agent's inbox, so email is attacker-controlled input. How injection works and the defences Emailsify builds in.How to set up the Emailsify MCP server in Claude CodeAdd the hosted Emailsify MCP server to Claude Code with one command, sign in, and give your agent a temporary inbox.OTP email testing in CI: a practical guideHow to test one-time-password emails in continuous integration without flakiness: unique inboxes, bounded waits and clear failures.Burner email vs temp emailThe terms overlap, but they are not identical. How burner, temporary and temporary email differ and which fits your task.Temporary email, privacy and GDPRHow temporary email supports data minimisation and what responsibilities remain for users and developers who handle personal data.How to keep your main inbox cleanA simple system for stopping spam at the source: use the right kind of address for each kind of sign-up.