Giving out your email address has become a common practice. But what happens if you aren’t comfortable handing out your primary address even though it’s required? Or if you manage a small business and want to sort out all the queries in Google Workspace? Instead of creating different email accounts, create a Gmail alias and connect it to your primary Gmail email address. Then, you can receive emails anywhere, from a handy Android tablet to your desktop PC. Below, we show you how to set up and create a Gmail alias for permanent and temporary use with your main account.

What is a Gmail alias, and why should you use it?

When managing multiple email accounts, you typically don’t want to sign in to each account separately. Having all your emails forwarded to one place makes them more manageable. You usually will have one primary email, and the rest serve as secondary emails, known as aliases.

But why put in the work to create an alias? Considering how the internet works today, you’ll hand out email addresses left and right. Whether that’s for job applications or update alerts on a product restock, you have to keep your eyes on your email. You can deal with this issue by creating multiple emails or redirecting your messages using filters with temporary aliases.

How to make a permanent alias on Gmail

Before proceeding, you must have an alternative email address prepared. The selected email address can be from another domain, such as Yahoo or Outlook. In this example, we use a second Gmail address.

1. Log in to Gmail and navigate to Settings.

2. Click See all settings.

3. Select the Accounts and Import tab.

4. Click Add another email address.

5. Fill in the Name and Email address fields.
6. Ensure the Treat as an alias box has a blue checkmark.
7. Select Next Step > Send Verification.

8. Log in to your selected alternative email address.

9. Open the link from the confirmation email. Alternatively, you can enter the confirmation code on the Add another email address you own window.

To keep your primary email address private, change the address connected to the from and reply-to fields. To do this, navigate to your settings, click Accounts and Import > Send mail as > edit info.

Changing the default to your alias address selects that email address as the labeled sender when composing a message. After you’ve specified the reply-to email address with the alias email from the edit info option, the listed address defaults to the alias email in the reply field. Otherwise, you can manually edit the reply field while drafting the reply message.

How to make a temporary alias on Gmail

When your inbox starts exploding with news, promotions, and marketing material, it might be time to make some temporary Gmail aliases. These aliases exist to allow and create filters. You can designate a folder for promotions and another for news to keep the email traffic under control. To get started, read below.

How to create a temporary alias

You can make as many temporary Gmail aliases for filtering. Use the same username and place a label after the plus sign. See the example below.

1. Log in to Gmail.
2. Hover over the search bar, and select Show search options.

3. Enter the temporary alias email address in To. For example, a temporary alias could be [email protected].

4. Click Create Filter.

5. Select Choose Category and click the category name.

6. Click Create Filter.

Keeping your Gmail spam-free

Creating Gmail aliases prevents your inbox from going out of control. But the volume of messages doesn’t necessarily change. So what happens if spam goes unchecked and sneaks into your main folders? You may want to consider blocking unwanted email addresses within Gmail so that you can prioritize those essential emails.