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

> ## Agent Instructions
> Setting up Context.dev for a user? Follow https://docs.context.dev/agent-quickstart.md. MCP clients sign in with OAuth and need no API key; application code reads CONTEXT_DEV_API_KEY.

# Lookup by email

> Resolve a work email’s domain to a company profile.

Use `type: "by_email"` to retrieve the company associated with a work email. This resolves the email’s domain; it does not identify the person.

## Request

Send this body to `POST /brand/retrieve`. See the [Quickstart](/quickstart) for authentication and SDK setup.

```json theme={null}
{
  "type": "by_email",
  "email": "alex@stripe.com"
}
```

For a signup form, debounce until the email is valid, fill suggestions from the returned profile, and preserve the user’s corrections. Use [People](/people/overview) if you need a person profile.

## Handle personal email addresses

| Response                          | Action                                             |
| --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `422 FREE_EMAIL_DETECTED`         | Skip company enrichment or ask for a website.      |
| `422 DISPOSABLE_EMAIL_DETECTED`   | Skip the address.                                  |
| `422 COLD_DOMAIN_TIMEOUT_TOO_LOW` | Allow more time or [prefetch](/brand/prefetching). |
| `400 NOT_FOUND`                   | Keep an unresolved company state.                  |

An uncached domain needs at least 10,000 ms with `behavior: "fail"`; use a longer deadline for cold lookups. See [lookup by domain](/brand/lookup-by-domain#freshness-and-cold-domains).