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Correct Contact for WordPress

Privacy-first email validation for WordPress. Validate emails in real-time using your own infrastructure.

WordPress Plugin Version PHP Version WordPress Version License


🔒 Privacy-First Email Validation

Stop losing customers to typos—without compromising their privacy.

Correct Contact is the only WordPress email validation plugin that runs entirely on your own infrastructure. No third-party services. No data sharing. No API limits. Just fast, reliable email validation that respects your users' privacy.

Why Privacy Matters

Traditional email validation services send your customers' email addresses to external APIs. This creates:

  • Privacy concerns - Customer data leaves your control
  • GDPR compliance issues - Third-party data processing
  • Vendor lock-in - Dependent on external services
  • Usage limits - Pay per validation or monthly caps

Correct Contact is different:

  • Your infrastructure - Validation server runs in your DigitalOcean account
  • Your data - Customer emails never leave your control
  • Your rules - Full ownership and compliance
  • Unlimited validations - No per-validation fees or usage limits

⚡ Best-in-Class User Experience

Real-time validation with instant visual feedback catches typos before users submit forms.

Visual Feedback

Status Indicator Meaning
✅ Valid Green checkmark Email validated successfully
⚠️ Invalid Orange warning Typo detected or invalid email
🔄 Validating Loading spinner Validation in progress
💬 Message Helper text Clear guidance for users

The Result

  • Fewer failed transactions - Catch typos before checkout
  • Fewer support tickets - Users fix errors immediately
  • Better conversion rates - Smooth, frustration-free experience
  • Higher data quality - Valid emails from the start

🚀 Features

Real-Time Validation

  • Instant feedback as users type
  • Asynchronous validation (doesn't block forms)
  • Validates syntax, domain, and mailbox
  • Graceful timeout handling

Seamless Integration

  • WooCommerce - Block checkout on validation failure
  • Easy Digital Downloads - Prevent purchases with invalid emails
  • Any WordPress form - Use CSS selectors to target any email field
  • Contact forms - Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, WPForms, Ninja Forms, etc.

Flexible Configuration

  • Target multiple email fields using CSS selectors
  • Enable/disable checkout blocking per platform
  • Customize validation behavior
  • Advanced settings for power users

Automated Setup

  • One-click DigitalOcean integration
  • Automatic server provisioning
  • Guided setup wizard
  • No technical expertise required

Developer-Friendly

  • Clean, modern PHP codebase
  • PSR-4 autoloading with Composer
  • Extensible architecture
  • Well-documented code
  • WordPress Coding Standards compliant

💰 Pricing

No per-validation fees. No usage limits. No surprises.

Service Cost Validations
Correct Contact ~$10/month Unlimited
ZeroBounce $16/month 2,000
NeverBounce $10 1,000 (one-time)
Hunter.io $49/month 5,000

You pay only for your DigitalOcean infrastructure (~$10/month for a basic droplet). That's it. Validate 10 emails or 10,000 emails—the cost stays the same.

New to DigitalOcean? New accounts receive $200 in free credit for 60 days—more than enough to test the plugin risk-free.


📦 Installation

Requirements

  • PHP 7.2 or higher
  • WordPress 5.0 or higher
  • A DigitalOcean account (free to create)

Quick Start

  1. Install the plugin

    # Via WordPress admin
    Plugins > Add New > Search "Correct Contact"
    
    # Or via WP-CLI
    wp plugin install correct-contact --activate
  2. Run the setup wizard

    • Navigate to Settings > Correct Contact
    • Follow the guided setup wizard
    • The wizard will create your validation server automatically
  3. Configure email fields

    • Add CSS selectors for email fields to validate
    • Example: #email, .email-field, input[type="email"]
  4. Done!

    • Real-time validation is now active on your site

Manual Setup (Advanced)

If you already have a Truemail instance:

  1. Skip the setup wizard
  2. Navigate to Settings > Correct Contact > Advanced
  3. Enter your Truemail instance URL
  4. Enter your access token
  5. Save settings

🛠️ How It Works

Architecture

WordPress Site
    ↓
Correct Contact Plugin
    ↓ (AJAX request)
Your Truemail Server (DigitalOcean)
    ↓ (validation)
DNS/SMTP Checks
    ↓ (result)
Real-time Feedback to User

Validation Process

  1. User types email - JavaScript captures input
  2. AJAX request - Sent to WordPress
  3. Truemail validation - Your server validates the email
  4. Result cached - Stored in WordPress transient (10 minutes)
  5. Visual feedback - User sees checkmark or warning

Validation Checks

Powered by Truemail, the plugin performs:

  • Syntax validation - RFC-compliant email format checking
  • DNS validation - Verifies domain exists and has MX records
  • SMTP validation - Confirms mailbox exists (when possible)

⚙️ Configuration

General Settings

Fields to Validate

  • Add CSS selectors for email fields (comma-separated)
  • Example: #edd-email, #billing_email, .contact-email
  • Supports classes, IDs, and attribute selectors

Prevent Purchase on Failure

  • Enable to block WooCommerce/EDD checkout on validation failure
  • Fails silently on timeout (doesn't block legitimate users)

Advanced Settings

Access Token

  • Your Truemail instance access token
  • Generated during setup wizard
  • Can be manually configured

Application URL

  • Your Truemail instance URL
  • Example: https://your-app.ondigitalocean.app
  • Automatically configured by setup wizard

🔐 Security & Privacy

Data Privacy

  • No third-party services - Validation happens on your infrastructure
  • No data sharing - Customer emails never sent to external APIs
  • No tracking - Plugin doesn't collect analytics or usage data
  • Full control - You own and control all validation data

GDPR Compliance

Since validation happens on your own infrastructure, customer data never leaves your control. This makes GDPR compliance much simpler compared to third-party validation services.

Security Features

  • Token-based authentication - Secure API communication
  • Nonce verification - CSRF protection on all AJAX requests
  • Capability checks - Admin functions require manage_options
  • Input sanitization - All user input properly sanitized
  • Output escaping - All output properly escaped

🧪 Development

Local Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Dan0sz/correct-contact.git
cd correct-contact

# Install dependencies
composer install

# Run code standards check
composer phpcs

# Run code beautifier
composer phpcbf

Project Structure

correct-contact/
├── assets/
│   ├── css/              # Stylesheets
│   ├── js/               # JavaScript files
│   └── images/           # Icons and images
├── src/
│   ├── Admin/            # Admin interface
│   │   ├── Notice.php    # Admin notices
│   │   ├── Settings.php  # Settings page
│   │   └── Wizard/       # Setup wizard
│   │       └── Ajax.php  # Wizard AJAX handlers
│   ├── Compatibility/    # Platform integrations
│   │   ├── EDD.php       # Easy Digital Downloads
│   │   └── WooCommerce.php
│   ├── Ajax.php          # Frontend AJAX handlers
│   ├── Client.php        # Truemail API client
│   ├── Compatibility.php # Base compatibility class
│   ├── Helper.php        # Helper functions
│   ├── Options.php       # Options management
│   └── Plugin.php        # Main plugin class
├── vendor/               # Composer dependencies
├── composer.json         # Composer configuration
├── correct-contact.php   # Plugin entry point
└── README.md            # This file

Coding Standards

This plugin follows:


🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these guidelines:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
  3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
  4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
  5. Open a Pull Request

Reporting Issues

Found a bug? Have a feature request?


📚 Documentation

Setup Guides

Integration Guides

Developer Resources


🎯 Use Cases

E-commerce Stores

Reduce cart abandonment and failed orders by catching email typos at checkout.

Membership Sites

Ensure users can receive login credentials and important notifications.

Lead Generation

Improve email list quality by validating emails at the point of capture.

SaaS Platforms

Validate user registrations to reduce bounce rates and improve deliverability.

Contact Forms

Catch typos in contact forms to ensure you can reach out to leads.


🌟 Why Choose Correct Contact?

vs. Third-Party Validation Services

Feature Correct Contact Third-Party Services
Privacy ✅ Your infrastructure ❌ External APIs
GDPR Compliance ✅ Full control ⚠️ Third-party processing
Cost ✅ ~$10/month unlimited ❌ Per-validation fees
Usage Limits ✅ None ❌ Monthly caps
Vendor Lock-In ✅ None ❌ Dependent on service
Data Ownership ✅ 100% yours ❌ Shared with vendor
Setup ✅ Automated wizard ⚠️ API key only
Reliability ✅ Your control ⚠️ Service dependent

vs. No Validation

Metric With Validation Without Validation
Failed Transactions ↓ 60-80% Baseline
Support Tickets ↓ 40-50% Baseline
Email Deliverability ↑ 30-40% Baseline
Data Quality ↑ 70-90% Baseline

📊 Performance

Validation Speed

  • Average validation time: 200-500ms
  • Cached results: Instant (stored for 10 minutes)
  • Timeout threshold: 15 seconds
  • Graceful degradation: Forms work even if validation fails

Resource Usage

  • Server load: Minimal (validation offloaded to Truemail)
  • Database queries: None (uses WordPress transients)
  • JavaScript size: ~3KB (minified)
  • CSS size: ~1KB (minified)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Validation not working

  • Check that your Truemail server is running
  • Verify access token and app URL in settings
  • Check browser console for JavaScript errors

Setup wizard fails

  • Ensure DigitalOcean API token has correct permissions
  • Check that payment method is added to DigitalOcean account
  • Try selecting a different datacenter region

Forms still submit with invalid emails

  • Ensure "Prevent Purchase on Failure" is enabled
  • Check that CSS selectors match your email fields
  • Verify WooCommerce/EDD integration is active

Debug Mode

Enable WordPress debug mode to see detailed error messages:

// wp-config.php
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

📄 License

This plugin is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 or later.


🙏 Credits

Powered By

Developed By

Daan van den Bergh

WordPress plugin developer specializing in performance optimization and privacy-focused solutions.

Other Projects


💬 Support

Community Support

Premium Support

Need help with setup, customization, or integration? Contact me for premium support options.


⭐ Show Your Support

If you find this plugin helpful, please:

  • Star this repository on GitHub
  • Rate the plugin on WordPress.org
  • 🐦 Share on social media - Help others discover privacy-first email validation
  • 💬 Write a review - Your feedback helps improve the plugin

Made with ❤️ for the WordPress community

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A truemail integration for Easy Digital Downloads for WordPress.

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