Address structure comes first
The free email verifier starts by separating the local part before the @ sign from the domain after it. It rejects missing domains, broken separators, illegal structure, and other inputs that cannot be used as an email address. Normalization also prevents superficial differences such as letter case from producing inconsistent email checks.
A syntax pass is necessary, but it is not evidence that a mailbox exists. Any plausible string can look correct, which is why the free online email verifier never stops here. If format is the only question you need answered, the lighter Email Validator stops here and adds a domain mail-server check without spending a full SMTP query.