Email alias guide
Giving every website your real email address lets them link your accounts, sell your address and feed you spam, and a single breach exposes it everywhere. An alias fixes that. Here is how the options differ and which one fits you.
This page does not host any email. It only explains options and points to services. What you pick or type here stays in this page: nothing is sent, saved or put in the address bar.
Which approach fits you?
The options compared
| Approach | Hides your real address? | Can you reply? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| "+" address (you+shop@gmail.com) | No. Anyone can strip the "+shop". | Yes | Spotting who leaked your address. Not privacy. |
| Forwarding alias / email masking | Yes, from the site. The alias service can see the mail. | Yes, on most services | Everyday signups and accounts. |
| Catch-all on your own domain | Mostly. Your domain and pattern can still link the aliases. | Yes | People who own a domain and want full control. |
| Separate mailbox | Yes, if kept apart from your real identity. | Yes | A separate identity for sensitive work. |
| Temporary inbox | Yes, but the inbox is often public. | No, it is short-lived | A single code or download. Never anything private. |
Habits that make aliases work
- One alias per site. If one starts getting spam, you know who sold it, and you can switch that one off.
- Make the alias random, not guessable. An alias like amazon@yourdomain.com lets anyone guess your others. Use the generator below and record which alias went where in your password manager.
- Keep your important accounts on your real address. Banks, government, and anything you might lose access to should use a mailbox you fully control, because an alias service closing can lock you out of a reset email.
- Never mix identities. Do not forward mail between a sensitive mailbox and your everyday one, and do not sign in to both from the same device or network if the link would be dangerous.
- An alias hides your address, not you. The site can still see your IP address and your browser, and a phone number linked to an account can identify you. See the Email Privacy guide and the browser fingerprint tool.
Random alias name generator
Makes a random name such as k7d3-n4qpxm with a secure random number generator built into your browser. It is made on your device and never stored.
Services change their features and prices. More email and alias services we recommend are on the Resources page. These are best available precautions, not guarantees.