How to Create an Email Alias in Gmail (4 Methods, 2026)
An email alias lets you receive (and sometimes send) mail under a different address that still lands in your existing inbox — handy for separating newsletters from work, tracking who sold your address, or giving out a role-based address like billing@. Gmail offers several ways to do this, from a zero-setup trick to true Workspace aliases. Here are the four methods and when to use each.
1. Plus Addressing (Free, No Setup)
The fastest alias: add a + and any keyword before the @ in your Gmail address.
yourname@gmail.com→yourname+shopping@gmail.comyourname@gmail.com→yourname+newsletters@gmail.com
Anything sent to a + variation arrives in your normal inbox. You don’t create anything — the alias works instantly, and you can invent a new one on the spot for every sign-up.
Why it’s useful:
- Filter automatically. Create a Gmail filter on the
+keywordaddress to label, archive, or skip the inbox. - Spot who leaked your address. If you sign up somewhere as
+storenameand start getting spam to that exact alias, you know the source.
The catch: the + is visible in the address, so some sites reject it or strip it, and anyone can guess your real address by deleting the +keyword.
2. Dot Variations (Free, No Setup)
Gmail ignores dots in the local part of an address. These all deliver to the same inbox:
yourname@gmail.comyour.name@gmail.comy.o.u.r.name@gmail.com
So a dotted version acts as a lightweight alias. It’s less flexible than plus addressing (you can’t filter as cleanly, since the dot is cosmetic), but it’s useful where a site won’t accept a +.
Note: Dot and plus tricks only work on
@gmail.comaddresses, not on Google Workspace custom domains.
3. Send-As Address (Reply From the Alias)
Plus and dot aliases only receive. To send and reply from a different address, add it as a “Send mail as” address.
- In Gmail, click the Settings (gear) icon > See all settings.
- Open the Accounts and Import tab.
- In the Send mail as section, click Add another email address.
- Enter the name and alias address you want to send from.
- Gmail sends a verification to that address (or uses your domain’s settings) — confirm it.
- Once verified, choose the From address in the compose window’s From dropdown.
This is how you reply from a role address (like hello@yourdomain.com) while keeping everything in one inbox. You can also set different signatures per send-as address.
4. True Aliases on Google Workspace
If you’re on Google Workspace (custom domain), an admin can add real alternate addresses to a mailbox — no extra license, no separate inbox.
- In the Google Admin console, go to Directory > Users.
- Click the user, then Add alternate emails (alias).
- Enter the alias (e.g.,
sales@yourdomain.com). - Save. Mail to the alias is delivered to that user’s mailbox.
Pair this with a Send-as entry (section 3) so the user can both receive and reply from the alias.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Goal | Best method |
|---|---|
| Quick throwaway address for a sign-up | Plus addressing |
A site rejects the + sign | Dot variation |
| Reply from a different address | Send mail as |
| Role address on your own domain | Workspace alias + Send-as |
Troubleshooting
A website won’t accept my + alias
Some forms reject +. Use a dot variation instead, or your Workspace alias.
Mail to my alias isn’t arriving
Plus/dot tricks are @gmail.com-only. On a custom domain, the alias must be configured in Workspace Admin — it won’t work automatically.
I can’t select my alias in the From field
You have to add it under Accounts and Import > Send mail as and verify it first. Receiving at an alias doesn’t automatically let you send from it.
One Inbox, Many Addresses — Still One Pile of Email
Aliases organize where mail lands. They don’t answer it. Carly is an AI assistant you reach by email or text: give it its own name and email address, describe in plain English how to handle each kind of message, and it works across Gmail, Outlook, and 200+ other apps to sort, reply, and schedule — so all those aliases funnel into something that actually gets handled.
More on Gmail: How to create filters in Gmail · How to create labels in Gmail · How to add another email account to Gmail · How to set up email forwarding in Gmail · Best AI assistants for Gmail · Best email management tools
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