What does valid email format mean

A valid email format refers to an email address that conforms to the standard syntax and rules defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in RFC 5322. A valid email address typically consists of the following components:

1. Local part: The part before the @ symbol, which can contain letters, numbers, dots (.), hyphens (-), and underscores (_). The local part can be up to 64 characters long.
2. Domain: The part after the @ symbol, which is the domain name of the email provider or the organization. The domain can be up to 253 characters long.
3. Top-level domain (TLD): The part of the domain that comes after the last dot (.), such as .com, .org, or .net.

Here are some examples of valid email formats:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Some common invalid email formats include:

• @example.com (missing local part)
• john.doe@ (missing domain)
• john.doe@example (missing TLD)
• [email protected] (multiple dots in the local part)
• [email protected] (hyphen at the beginning of the local part)

When checking for a valid email format, you can use the following rules:

1. The local part must not be longer than 64 characters.
2. The domain must not be longer than 253 characters.
3. The local part must not contain any spaces or special characters except dots (.), hyphens (-), and underscores (_).
4. The domain must contain at least one dot (.) and must not contain any spaces or special characters except dots (.), hyphens (-), and underscores (_).
5. The TLD must be a valid TLD, such as .com, .org, or .net.

Keep in mind that while these rules define a valid email format, they do not guarantee that the email address actually exists or is in use.