Email alias

An email alias is an additional email address that a provider routes to another destination, often an existing mailbox. It lets someone receive mail at another name without necessarily creating another inbox or account.

What happens when someone writes to an alias?

Suppose Alex has the mailbox alex@example.com and the provider maps info@example.com to it. A message sent to info@example.com arrives in Alex's mailbox because the provider has configured that address as an alternate route. The alias may not have its own password, storage, or independent login.

Some services also let a user send messages with an alias in the visible From address, but receiving mail at an alias does not automatically grant that sending ability. The provider may require verification or additional settings. Replies and authentication can also depend on how the service handles the alias.

How is an alias different from forwarding?

An alias is an alternate address assigned within a mail service, while email forwarding describes passing received messages on to another address or service. A provider may implement an alias by routing internally or by forwarding; product labels are not identical across providers. In either case, ask whether the address has its own mailbox and whether it can send as that address.

Related terms

• Email mailbox — the destination an alias may point to
• Email forwarding — passes messages to another address
• Email provider — configures alias behavior