Gmail Alias: How to Use Plus Addressing for Privacy
You can make a different Gmail address for every website without opening a new account. It helps you track who shares your email, but it is not a disguise.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 19, 2026Gmail plus addressing adds a tag after a plus sign, such as yourname+shop@gmail.com. Every tagged address delivers to your normal inbox, so you can filter mail by tag and see which company leaked or sold your address. It does not hide your real address, because the first part is still visible. For real hiding, use a relay alias service instead.
Your email is the key to most of your accounts. Has it already leaked?
Free · About 30 seconds · No sign-up · Email not stored
Most people give the same email address to every shop, newsletter and app. When one of them leaks it or sells it, you have no idea which one. Plus addressing is a free Gmail feature that fixes part of that problem: it gives every website its own version of your address.
How plus addressing works
According to Google’s Gmail Help, messages sent to addresses such as janedoe+school@gmail.com all go to janedoe@gmail.com. You choose the tag after the plus sign, and Google suggests using a different tag for each type of mail and then setting up filters to act on it.
There is nothing to create or turn on. You simply type the tagged version of your address when you sign up. The first tagged email that arrives shows the alias works.
Gmail dots are a separate trick
Gmail also ignores dots. Google says emails sent to any dotted version of your address will only go to you. That means jane.doe@gmail.com and janedoe@gmail.com reach the same inbox. The exception is work or school accounts, where dots can change the address.
Dots are less useful for tracking than plus tags, because most mail systems treat them as the same address once they clean up the data.
How to set it up for privacy
1Pick one tag per website
Use something you will recognise, such as +amazon, +newsletter or +bank. Keep a short list so you remember which is which.
2Sign up with the tagged address
Enter yourname+tag@gmail.com in the sign-up form. Mail arrives in your usual inbox.
3Add a filter
In Gmail, create a filter for mail sent to that address and apply a label. This keeps each source separate and makes new spam easy to spot.
4Watch for the tag in unexpected mail
If you start getting spam sent to yourname+shop@gmail.com, you know that shop shared or lost your address.
Quick check before you read on: is your email in a known data breach? Free, about 30 seconds.
Free · About 30 seconds · No sign-up · Email not stored
What plus addressing does not do
- It does not hide your real address. Anyone can delete the +tag and reach your main inbox. Google itself warns that aliases are not private and can sometimes be seen by others.
- Some sites reject it. A few forms refuse the plus sign in an email address.
- It does not stop a breach. If the site leaks your tagged address, it still reaches you and still appears in breach lists.
A simple naming plan
Keep tags short and consistent, such as +shop, +news or +bank, and record them in your password manager next to each login. Then you can spot misuse quickly and cancel a source without changing your main address.
When to use something stronger
If you want a website to never see any part of your real address, use a relay alias instead. Our guide to email aliases compares the options, and the guide to Apple Hide My Email explains one of them.
Whichever you choose, check what is already exposed. A tagged address does nothing for the address you used years ago. See how to check if your email address has been exposed.
Sources
- Gmail Help: Send emails from a different address or alias (plus aliases deliver to the main address, use filters, aliases are not private)
- Gmail Help: Dots in Gmail addresses (dotted versions go only to you, exception for work and school accounts)
Frequently asked questions
What is Gmail plus addressing?
It is a way to add a tag after a plus sign in your address, such as yourname+shop@gmail.com. Mail sent to it arrives in your normal inbox.
Does plus addressing hide my real email address?
No. The part before the plus is still your address, and anyone can remove the tag. It helps you track mail, not hide your identity.
Can I tell who leaked my email with a plus alias?
Often yes. If spam arrives at yourname+shop@gmail.com, the shop you used that tag with likely shared or lost it.
Do Gmail dots work as aliases?
Gmail delivers mail to any dotted version of your address to you, but dots are a weaker tool than plus tags for tracking sources.
Is there a limit to how many plus aliases I can use?
Google’s help page gives no limit on plus aliases. Some websites may not accept the plus sign in an email address.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
Compare data removal services
See which services work in your country, what they cost, and the free do-it-yourself route.
Compare removal services →Prefer a one-time report first? Scan My Shadow, our sister service, $9.99.