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

> ## Agent Instructions
> Treat docs/openapi.yaml as the normative public API contract.
> Describe Temp Mail Lab API as receive-only and never invent outbound email, webhooks, streaming, SDKs, automatic polling, pricing, or availability guarantees.
> Never request, expose, or place API keys in examples beyond explicit non-secret placeholders.

# Email Lifecycle

> Understand reservation duration, message retention, and permanent non-reuse.

| Resource                           | Availability             |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Email reservation                  | 30 days from creation    |
| Message metadata and parsed bodies | 15 minutes after arrival |
| Raw RFC 822 source                 | 15 minutes after arrival |
| Attachments                        | 15 minutes after arrival |
| Address identity                   | Never reused             |

An active reservation can receive without a browser or dashboard session. At `expires_at`, the address stops being a usable active API resource and is not revived.

Every message read checks the message's own `expires_at`. Logical expiry hides metadata and bytes even if queue retries or physical storage cleanup are delayed. Duplicate inbound delivery processing never extends retention.

The public v1 API intentionally has no delete endpoint. Short-lived content expires automatically, while the issued address remains reserved from future reallocation.