> ## 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.

# FAQ

> Answers about lifecycle, polling, authentication, and environments.

## Does an API inbox require an open browser?

No. An API email is a durable isolated reservation. It receives while active even if the Temp Mail Lab website or dashboard is unavailable.

## How long is content available?

The email reservation lasts 30 days. Message metadata, parsed bodies, raw MIME, and attachments expire 15 minutes after receipt. An expired address is never assigned again.

## Does the API wait for an email?

No. The confirmed v1 contract contains finite REST reads only. Your application controls when to list messages and must bound its own retry interval and deadline.

## Why did a foreign ID return 404 instead of 403?

Missing, expired, and foreign private resources intentionally share the same response shape. This avoids confirming whether another account owns an identifier.

## Can a key be retrieved again?

No. A raw key is shown only in the initial create or rotate response. Rotate the key if it was not stored safely.

## Are Staging keys available to customers?

No. Staging is internal, Access-protected, uses synthetic accounts, and is isolated from Production resources and customer data.

## Does a temporary inbound mail refusal consume API allowance?

No. Mail ingest and its safety controls are separate from public request accounting.