Abstract: A dead e-mail identification locator discovers dead e-mail addresses without forwarding messages to valid recipients. Existing headers in the mail protocol are extended to include a test header. A mail server that supports the protocol extension of the present invention may send a reply if the address does not exist and may discard the message if the address does exist. The test header allows a sender to test an e-mail address for validity without the message being forwarded to the user, as will be described below. The sender may be a dead e-mail locator program, which tests one or a plurality of e-mail addresses and compiles metrics regarding the quality of service. The metrics may be displayed to an administrator through a graphical user interface.