How to Create Unlimited Gmail Aliases (with the ‘+’ Sign)

Want to create new email addresses on the fly and use them to cleverly filter the mail you get? Find out here how to create Gmail email aliases using the plus sign or dots (on the fly), and how to make good use of them.

First, “Pillow Made by Gong Is Strong and Blue”

“Pillow made by Gog is strong and blue” begins a poem composed in China’s Northern Song Dynasty commemorating the gift of a—pillow.

We also learn what made pillows such as the one Gong gave to Zhang Lei priced gifts:

an old friend gave it to me to beat the heat
it cools down the room like a breeze
keeping my head cool while I sleep

Zhang Lei

For the ingenious Chinese porcelain pillow was invented to keep cool in the hot, hot summers of China’s south.

Are you feeling creative, too? Gmail has a cool gift for you: a just about unlimited supply of email addresses:

How to Create Unlimited Gmail Email Aliases (Using the Plus Sign or Periods)

You have two options to create a new email alias in Gmail: the dot (period) method, and the plus sign method.

Using Periods for Gmail Email Aliases

To create a new Gmail address on the fly:

1. Add a period (.) anywhere in front of the @ sign in your Gmail address.
   Not just one: You can use more than one period sign.

If your email address is “example@gmail.com”, for instance, all of the following will still deliver to your standard inbox:

• e.xample@gmail.com
• exa.mple@gmail.com
• ex.am.ple@gmail.com

More about dots: Can I Use Periods in Email Addresses?

Using the Plus Sign (‘+’) to Create a Gmail Alias

How to Create Unlimited Gmail Email Aliases (Using the Plus Sign or Periods): FAQ

Which method to set up aliases should I use?

Use the Gmail alias plus sign method.

While it’s nice to know that you can make up Gmail addresses that deliver to yours on the fly by adding dots, serious use requires the plus sign:

• Using the plus sign offers way more options, and
• you can be descriptive in what you add to the address.

For instance, e.xample@gmail.com tells you nothing about how it differs from exa.mple@gmail.com, while example+work@gmail.com explains itself.

What can I do with my new Gmail alias?

You are more than creative, of course. Your creation is also useful.

That Gmail address you just made of, for instance: let’s put it to good use with one Gmail feature in particular: filters.

You can set up a rule in Gmail that treats all mail sent to a specific alias (created with the plus method above) in a special manner.

The Basic Gmail Alias Filtering Process

To set up a rule in Gmail that treats all messages sent to one of those aliases you so creatively thought up:

1. Use a plus Gmail alias (see above) instead of your regular Gmail address.
2. In the Gmail search field, type to: followed by that Gmail alias.
   Example: Type to:example+nl@gmail.com.
3. Now click the Show search options button (a triangle pointing downwards, ▼) at the end of the search field.
4. Click Create filter with this search ».
5. Choose the action or actions you want to be applied to emails sent to the alias:
   Skip the Inbox (Archive it): Avoid seeing the message in any of your inboxes but keep a record.
   Mark as read: Useful in particular in combination with Skip the Inbox.
   Star it: Mark the message with a yellow star. Who does not like stars?
   Apply the label: This makes it particularly easy to spot certain emails right in the inbox, or to find them later.
   Forward it to: Copy or redirect—in combination with Delete it—an email; can also be used together with Skip the Inbox, for example.
   Delete it: You might use this if an alias is receiving nothing but junk.
   Never send it to spam: This is probably better left unchecked. Gmail’s spam filter is usually good at picking the good from the bad.
   Send canned response: Yes, you can set up an autoresponder. Make sure the reply is sent from your main Gmail address (or a different alias), or the sender might receive your auto-response more than once.
   Always mark it as important: Give VIP treatment to messages sent to an alias.
   Never mark it as important: Make sure these emails are not highlighted as important.
   Categorize as: Pick an inbox tab for these emails.
6. Click Create filter.

For example, you can use aliases plus filters to have Gmail handle newsletters your way (or “unsubscribe” from obnoxious ones).

Set Up an Autoresponder in Gmail

Using Gmail email alias addresses, you can even automate Gmail and have it reply automatically in a specific manner.

(How to create unlimited Gmail email aliases using the plus sign tested in a desktop browser; first published July 2017, last updated October 2024)