Gmail plus addressing: what it does and doesn’t do
Add a plus sign and any word to your Gmail username, and the email still reaches you. It’s a handy sorting trick, but it isn’t a privacy tool.
How it works
If your address is alex@gmail.com, Gmail also delivers mail sent to alex+anything@gmail.com to the same inbox. The part after the plus is called a tag. You don’t create it anywhere first. You just type it into a sign-up form.
For example, you might use alex+shoes@gmail.com for an online shoe shop and alex+news@gmail.com for a newsletter. Both land in your normal inbox.
Gmail also ignores dots in the username, so a.lex@gmail.com reaches the same person. That is a Gmail rule, not something every provider does.
Using tags to sort your mail
- In Gmail, open the search options and type the tagged address in the To field.
- Choose Create filter.
- Pick what should happen: apply a label, skip the inbox, mark as read, or delete.
If spam starts arriving at alex+shoes@gmail.com, you also know who shared or leaked your address.
Why it doesn’t protect your privacy
- Your real address is right there before the plus sign. Anyone can delete the tag and email you directly.
- Spam lists commonly remove plus tags automatically.
- Data brokers and ad platforms can still match the address to your other accounts.
- You can’t switch off one tag. If it starts getting spam, all you can do is filter it.
Other providers
Outlook, Proton Mail, Fastmail, and many other providers support plus addressing too, though the details vary. Some use a hyphen instead of a plus, and some let you turn the feature off. Check your provider’s help pages before you rely on it.
Some websites also reject addresses with a plus sign, even though it is a valid character in an email address.
When to use what
- Plus addressing: sites you trust, when you just want to sort their mail.
- Email alias: accounts you keep but don’t want linked to your real address.
- Temporary email: one-time sign-ups you won’t need again. Try our disposable email inbox.
Questions
Can someone tell I used a plus address?
Yes. The plus and the tag are part of the address the site sees, and so is your real username.
Does plus addressing stop spam?
Not by itself. It helps you filter and spot who leaked your address, but the spam still reaches your inbox unless you set up a filter.