Create Instant Email Aliases With Plus Addressing
Sometimes it's nice to know exactly who has your email address, and why. Once you've handed it out, there's no going back. Or maybe you need a unique email address for special routing or message rules.
Many large email systems support Plus Addressing. This feature allows anyone to "create" their own email alias by adding a + character and any text to their email address. For example, jim+newsletter@example.com and jim+astorenamehere@example.com would both deliver to jim@example.com.
This could be used to track who is handing out your email address, for example. Or used for alternate accounts, to log in as two different users.
Pros
- Instantly available, no setup
- Usable in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Cons
- Spam filter must support/allow it (ITS Mail Guard does!)
- Some web site forms consider the + as an invalid character, either due to old code or because they are trying to prevent using plus addressing
- Can't be used to send outgoing email
- The other person can see your real email address
Do note that in some systems such as Microsoft 365, Plus Addressing can be disabled at the company/tenant level.
If you are interested in two-way anonymous email, where they can't see your real email, give us a call as we may have a solution for that!
May 2025
Send this article to a friend!
Subscribe to The ITS Connection
Related articles