> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.moltsets.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Valid Emails

> Which MoltSets email endpoint to call, how to read the risk score before you send, and how to avoid paying for the same lookup twice.

MoltSets has five ways to get an email address. They differ in what you put in, what kind of address comes out, and whether you get a fallback. Picking the right one is mostly about what identifier you're starting from.

## Choose the right endpoint

| You have              | You want                                       | Call                              |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| LinkedIn URL          | Any working address, don't care which kind     | `linkedin_to_best_email`          |
| LinkedIn URL          | Work address only                              | `linkedin_to_business_email`      |
| LinkedIn URL          | Personal address only                          | `linkedin_to_personal_email`      |
| LinkedIn URL          | The single highest-confidence personal address | `linkedin_to_best_personal_email` |
| Name + company domain | Work address, no LinkedIn URL needed           | `search_business_email_by_name`   |

**`linkedin_to_best_email`** is the sensible default. It returns a business email when one exists and **falls back to a personal email** when one doesn't, so it has the highest match rate of the four. The `type` field tells you which kind you got:

```json theme={null}
{
  "email": "john.smith@example.com",
  "risk_score": "A",
  "type": "business",
  "last_validated_at": "2026-03-04"
}
```

**`search_business_email_by_name`** runs a LinkedIn profile search and an email lookup in a single call, and returns the matched `linkedin_url` alongside the email. Use it when you have a name and a company domain but no LinkedIn URL — it saves you a lookup.

## Read the risk score before you send

Every email MoltSets returns carries a `risk_score` — a single-letter grade for send safety, assigned after validation.

| Grade | Meaning                                               | Action         |
| ----- | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------- |
| **A** | Validated deliverable — known reply, open, or click   | Send           |
| **B** | Known send with no bounce recorded                    | Probably send  |
| **C** | Catch-all server — deliverability can't be determined | Your call      |
| **D** | Hard invalid — bounce, complaint, or spam trap        | **Don't send** |
| **F** | No signal either way                                  | Your call      |

The single rule worth automating: **suppress `D` at the list level.** It's the fastest way to trip spam traps and damage sender reputation for an entire list, and it's the one grade where the answer never depends on your risk tolerance.

Segment `C` and `F` away from `A`/`B` rather than dropping them — they're unknown, not bad. Warm them at lower volume and suppress non-responders after one or two attempts.

<Note>
  For the full grading rationale, including why other validation vendors began returning more false "invalid" results in 2026, see [Understanding Email Risk Scores](/moltsets-data/email-risk-scores).
</Note>

## Check the validation date

`last_validated_at` tells you when the address was last confirmed. Emails decay — people change jobs and close inboxes — so a grade from a recent check carries more weight than an old one.

`linkedin_to_best_personal_email` re-checks every address within the last 30 days, so its results always come with a recent validation date.

## Don't pay for the same lookup twice

Two places already return emails with risk scores attached, and calling a dedicated email endpoint afterwards is redundant:

* **`search_people`** results include `business_email` and `business_email_risk_score`
* **`reverse_linkedin_lookup`** returns `business_email`, `personal_email`, and the full `personal_emails` array — each with its own risk score — in a single call

If you're already running a search or a reverse lookup, check what came back before enriching further.

<Note>
  Tokens are only charged when data is found and returned. A lookup that finds nothing costs nothing — though it still counts against your rate limit.
</Note>

## Business or personal — pick by channel

The two address types aren't interchangeable, and the right one depends on what you're sending.

**Business** (`linkedin_to_business_email`) suits B2B outreach, CRM enrichment, and account-based campaigns — anywhere reaching someone in a work context is the point.

**Personal** (`linkedin_to_personal_email`, `linkedin_to_best_personal_email`) suits recruitment, consumer marketing, and re-engagement. It's also the only address that survives a job change, which makes it the better choice for contacts who may have left the employer you have on file.

## A note on external tokens

Most email data resolves from MoltSets' own database. When a request can't be satisfied there, MoltSets may call a third-party source, and those calls consume **external tokens** — a separate balance from your regular tokens.

`get_account`, `get_billing`, and `get_usage` are free and never cost tokens. Check `external_token_balance` before a large run so a job doesn't stall halfway through.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Understanding Email Risk Scores" icon="shield-check" href="/moltsets-data/email-risk-scores">
    Per-grade sending practice and list hygiene.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Getting Ad Audiences" icon="bullseye" href="/best-practices/getting-ad-audiences">
    Turn those emails into privacy-safe ad audiences.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>