Can breach checks reduce password sharing?

They help identify accounts likely to be compromised or resold. Pair breach status with session and device signals, then prompt the account owner to reset their password.

Should we check emails used for free newsletters?

Usually only when the account gains value, such as on upgrade to a paid plan. That keeps credit use focused where takeover would cause real harm.

What about spam list entries?

Breaches flagged with IsSpamList usually indicate the address was on a mailing list rather than that a password leaked. Many publishers weigh them lower.

Email breach checks · Media and publishing

Email breach checks for subscription publishers

Subscription publishers see the same pattern again and again: an account suddenly logs in from many locations, the email address changes, and the real reader writes in confused. Checking subscriber emails against Finowl Intelligence helps you spot accounts at elevated risk before that happens. The response shows each breach, its date and which data classes leaked, so you can focus on accounts where passwords were exposed.

Publishers can use the signal without adding friction for everyone. Ask for a one-time code when a subscriber with a breached address changes their email or payment method, or when concurrent sessions spike. Audience and customer care teams can use the same data to explain why a reader was asked to verify, which protects trust in a relationship that depends on renewals.

Try it in the sandbox About email breaches

USE CASES

Where it fits in media and publishing

Account change verification
When a subscriber changes their login email or payment details, check the current address and send a one-time code to it if it appears in breaches that exposed passwords.
Sharing and resale detection
Combine breach status with concurrent session counts and device diversity to identify subscriber accounts that are likely being resold, then prompt a password reset for the owner.
Newsletter platform signups
For paid newsletter platforms, check writer and subscriber emails at signup to decide whether to require email verification before granting access to paid archives and subscriber-only posts.
Customer care context
Give customer care agents breach context when a reader reports being locked out, so they can recognize takeover quickly and restore the subscription to the right person.

HOW TO INTEGRATE

The workflow

1
Store FINOWL_API_KEY on the subscription backend and keep it out of paywall scripts and client code.
2
Call POST /v1/breaches/email at registration and before changes to email, password or payment method.
3
Evaluate breached, DataClasses and IsVerified to decide whether to request a one-time code.
4
Feed the result into your session-sharing rules alongside device and concurrency signals.
5
Cache results for a short period and retry 429 responses only after the Retry-After interval.

POST /v1/breaches/email

curl https://api.finowl.co/v1/breaches/email \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FINOWL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "email": "morning.reader@example.com"
}'

Runs before a subscriber changes their payment method. If the address appears in a breach that exposed passwords, send a one-time code to the current email first.

GOOD PRACTICE

Before you ship

Do not cancel or suspend subscriptions based on breach status alone. Readers with old breached addresses are common, so use the signal to request verification.
Keep breach results in security and fraud tooling, separate from advertising and audience profiles, and describe the check in your privacy notice.
Respect the reading experience. Trigger checks at account changes and suspicious sessions, not on every article view or app open.

Read the API reference for every field and error code. Each lookup costs 1 credit; see pricing.

A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS

Common questions