Gmail aliases let you send and receive mail from different addresses without creating separate accounts
A Gmail alias is an alternative email address that forwards to your main Gmail inbox. When you create an alias, you can send messages from that address, and replies come back to your main account. Gmail does not call this feature "aliases" — it calls it email forwarding and send-as addresses — but the effect is the same: one inbox, multiple addresses.
The most common reason to use an alias is to keep work separate from personal mail without managing two inboxes. You might also use one for online shopping, another for newsletters, and a third for social media, all filtering into the same place. Gmail stores all messages in one inbox but lets you see which address each one was sent to.
Gmail offers two ways to create an alias. The first uses Gmail's built-in "send-as" feature, which is free and takes five minutes. The second uses Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), which is a paid service that gives you more control but costs money per user per month.
Key Takeaways
- You can create a free alias using Gmail's send-as feature by adding a forwarding address in Settings and confirming it via email.
- Free aliases must follow the pattern yourname+tag@gmail.com, where you replace "tag" with any word you choose.
- If you want a completely different-looking address (like yourname@yourdomain.com), you need Google Workspace, which costs money.
- All mail to any of your aliases arrives in the same inbox, but you can filter messages by which address they were sent to.
- Replies to messages you send from an alias come back to your main Gmail address, not to the alias itself.
Creating a free alias with the plus sign method
Gmail's simplest alias uses a plus sign. If your email is james@gmail.com, you can send and receive mail at james+shopping@gmail.com, james+work@gmail.com, or james+anything@gmail.com. All of it lands in your main inbox. You do not have to set anything up — this works immediately on any Gmail account.
To use this method, go to Gmail Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "See all settings", then go to the "Accounts and Import" tab. Under "Send mail as", click "Add another email address". Enter the alias address (for example, james+shopping@gmail.com) and your name, then click "Next Step". Gmail will send a confirmation code to your main inbox. Copy that code, paste it into the prompt, and you are done.
The downside is that the plus sign is visible in the address, so it looks less professional. If you are giving the address to a business or putting it on a resume, james+work@gmail.com signals that it is an alias, not a primary address. For casual use — newsletters, online shopping, forum signups — it works fine.
Setting up a custom domain alias with Google Workspace
If you want an alias that looks like a real, separate address (for example, contact@yourcompany.com instead of yourname+contact@gmail.com), you need Google Workspace. This is a paid service that costs between $6 and $18 per user per month, depending on the plan you choose.
With Google Workspace, you own a custom domain and can create as many email addresses as you want on that domain. Each one can be set up as an alias (forwarding to your main inbox) or as a separate account. You manage everything through the Google Admin console.
To start, you buy a domain name from a registrar like Google Domains, GoDaddy, or Namecheap. Then you sign up for Google Workspace, add your domain, and create the email addresses you want. Google provides step-by-step instructions during setup. The process takes about 30 minutes the first time, mostly waiting for domain changes to take effect.
How to send mail from your alias
Once you have set up an alias (either with the plus sign or through Google Workspace), sending from it is straightforward. Open Gmail, click "Compose", and write your message. Before you send, look for the "From" field at the bottom of the compose window. Click it and select which address you want to send from — your main address or any of your aliases.
If you do not see the "From" field, it means you have not finished setting up the alias yet. Go back to Settings, "Accounts and Import", and make sure the alias is listed under "Send mail as". If it is there but not showing in the compose window, refresh the page and try again.
When someone replies to a message you sent from an alias, the reply goes to your main Gmail inbox, not to the alias address. The message shows which address it was sent to, so you know which alias the conversation is about.
Filtering and organizing mail by alias
With multiple aliases, your inbox can get crowded. Gmail's filters let you automatically sort messages by which address they were sent to. This way, all your work mail can skip the inbox and go to a label, while shopping confirmations go to another label.
To set this up, go to Settings, then "Filters and Blocked Addresses". Click "Create a new filter". In the "To" field, enter the alias address (for example, james+shopping@gmail.com). Click "Create filter". Now choose what to do with messages sent to that address: skip the inbox, add a label, mark as read, or any combination. Click "Create filter" to save.
You can create as many filters as you have aliases. This way, your inbox stays organized even if you are using five or six different addresses.
Deleting an alias you no longer need
If you set up an alias and later decide you do not want it, you can remove it. Go to Settings, "Accounts and Import", and find the alias under "Send mail as". Click the delete icon (trash can) next to it. Confirm the deletion.
Deleting an alias does not delete any messages you received at that address — they stay in your inbox. It just means you can no longer send mail from that address. If someone sends mail to the deleted alias after you remove it, Gmail will bounce the message back to them as undeliverable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell that my alias is not my real email address?
With the plus sign method (yourname+tag@gmail.com), yes — anyone who looks at the address can see it is an alias. With a custom domain through Google Workspace, no — the address looks like a real, primary email. If you want to hide that it is an alias, you need to pay for Google Workspace and use your own domain.
What happens if I reply to a message sent to my alias?
The reply goes out from your main Gmail address, not from the alias. If you want to reply from the same alias the message was sent to, you have to manually change the "From" field before you send, the same way you would when composing a new message.
Can I receive mail at an alias address without Gmail seeing it?
No. All mail to any of your aliases goes to your main Gmail inbox. There is no way to keep an alias completely separate from your primary account while using Gmail's built-in features. If you need a truly separate inbox, you would need to create a second Gmail account.
Do I need to verify each alias before I can use it?
Yes. When you add an alias in Settings, Gmail sends a confirmation code to your main inbox. You have to enter that code to activate the alias. This prevents someone from adding a fake address and sending mail pretending to be you.
How many aliases can I create?
With the free plus sign method, you can create as many as you want — there is no limit. With Google Workspace, the limit depends on your plan, but it is usually very high (often 30 or more per account). For most people, the free method is enough.