How to Add a Temporary Alias to Gmail
When signing up with a new website or online service, insert a period somewhere in your normal Gmail address. For example, if your address is “johndoe@gmail.com,” typing “john.doe@gmail.com” creates an instant alias. Insert the period anywhere you like, and insert as many as you like. For instance, “j.o.h.n.d.o.e@gmail.com” works just fine. As strange as such aliases look to the casual observer, Gmail treats them as identical to your original address. Anything sent to “j.o.h.n.d.o.e@gmail.com” will actually be sent to “johndoe@gmail.com." You also can create a temporary alias using a plus sign at the end of the address. For example, “johndoe+@gmail.com” is a temporary alias, although “john+doe@gmail” isn’t (messages sent to such an address will fail). You can type any gobbledegook after the plus sign, such as “johndoe+fsnsfsfwwgnj@gmail.com,” and mail sent to this still goes to your address. Of course, you might wonder what the point of this is. One useful trick involving temporary aliases is to create filters that put emails sent to one email address, such as, “john.doe@gmail.com,” in a folder other than your inbox. This way, you can prevent your inbox from buckling under the weight of too many promotional emails. To create a filter for a temporary alias:
How to Permanently Add an Alias to Gmail
The other way of creating a Gmail alias is useful if you already have multiple email addresses and would like a time-saving way of checking all your mail in one place. In this example, suppose you have two email addresses, “johndoe@gmail.com” and “janedoe@gmail.com.” Here’s how to add the latter as a permanent alias of the former, so that mail sent to “janedoe@gmail.com” is also sent to “johndoe@gmail.com.” This enables you to view mail sent to the alias address. Continue with the following steps to enable sending of mail from the alias address using your original Gmail account. Once you’ve done this, you’ll then be able to specify who your emails are from when writing them. This field will be visible at the top of your draft emails, above the To field.
