Did you know your Gmail address has more versions than you think?
You can add dots to it, or a plus sign and a word, and every version still lands in the same inbox.
The quick answer: the plus trick is the useful one. Use it to sort your mail and to see which website shared your address.
When I first wrote this in 2016, I called it a "bug" in Gmail and showed you how to use it to grab extra coupons when signing up to websites.
It's not a bug. Gmail is built this way on purpose.
Using it to make "new" accounts for the same offer again and again breaks many websites' rules, and it can get all of those accounts banned.
So this guide covers the side of the trick that's actually useful: sorting your mail, spotting who shares your address and keeping your inbox under control.
Also Read: What's the Difference Between Cc and Bcc When Sending an Email?
TL;DR
- Dots: Gmail ignores them, so your.name@gmail.com and yourname@gmail.com reach the same inbox. Work and school accounts are the exception.
- Plus: add a plus sign and any word before the @, like yourname+news@gmail.com. Mail still arrives in your normal inbox.
- Best use: sort newsletters and shopping mail with filters, and find out which site leaked your address.
- Avoid: using it to open extra accounts for sign-up offers. Some forms also reject the plus sign.
What Is the Gmail Dot and Plus Trick?
It's a way to get several working versions of your Gmail address without creating a new account. Each version is an alias that delivers to your one inbox.
Requirements
- A Gmail account.
- A computer, if you want to set up filters (more on that below).
How the Gmail Dot Trick Works
Google says dots don't matter in a Gmail address. So if your address is yourname@gmail.com, all of these go to the same inbox:
Google also says that mail sent to any dotted version only goes to you. So nobody else can own a dotted copy of your Gmail address.
There's one exception. If your Gmail account comes from your work or school, dots do change the address there.
How the Gmail Plus Trick Works
This is the more useful of the two.
Add a plus sign and any word right after your username, before the @. Mail to that address still arrives in your normal inbox.
For example:
Google's own help pages suggest this as a way to sort your email.
The Mistake in My Old Post
In my old post, I said you could put the plus sign anywhere, like Xt+reme+Tric+ks+12@gmail.com. That was wrong, and I'm sorry about it.
Gmail treats everything before the first plus as the username. So that address would go to xt@gmail.com, which is someone else's inbox!
The plus always goes after your full username.
Dot Trick vs Plus Trick at a Glance
| Dot trick | Plus trick | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | your.name@gmail.com | yourname+news@gmail.com |
| Tells you where a mail came from | No | Yes, if you use one word per site |
| Works on every website | Yes, it looks like a normal address | Some sign-up forms reject the + sign |
| Best for | Not much, it's mostly good to know | Sorting mail and tracking sign-ups |
If you want to sort mail, use the plus trick. The dot trick is mostly good to know.
Smart Ways to Use Gmail Aliases
1. Sort Your Newsletters
Sign up to newsletters with yourname+news@gmail.com.
Then make a filter that labels them and keeps them out of your main inbox. You read them when you want, not when they arrive.
2. Keep Shopping Mail in One Place
Use yourname+shopping@gmail.com for online stores.
Order updates, receipts and sale emails all end up under one label.
3. Find Out Who Shared Your Email
This is my favourite use.
When you sign up to a website, use its name as the word: yourname+sitename@gmail.com.
If spam ever arrives at that address, you know exactly which site shared or leaked it. Then you can send everything to that alias straight to the bin.
Also Read: How to Protect Your Number From SMS and Call Bombing
4. Test Your Own App or Website
If you build websites or apps, you can sign up as yourname+test1@gmail.com, yourname+test2@gmail.com and so on.
Every test account's email lands in your one inbox.
How to Make a Gmail Filter for an Alias
Google's help only covers making filters on a computer, so do this part on a PC or laptop.
- Open Gmail on your computer.
- In the search bar at the top, click "Show search options".
- In the "To" box, type your alias, for example yourname+shopping@gmail.com.
- Click "Create filter".
- Choose what should happen. For example, tick "Apply the label" and pick a label, and tick "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" if you don't want these mails in your inbox.
- Click "Create filter" again.
Once the filter is saved, every mail to that alias is sorted for you.
Things to Know Before You Use It
- Aliases aren't private. Google points this out itself. Anyone who sees yourname+shopping@gmail.com can work out your real address.
- Some websites don't accept the + sign. If a form says your address is invalid, use your normal address there.
- It doesn't create new accounts. Every alias is still your one Gmail account, with one password.
- Don't use it to farm sign-up offers. Many sites allow only one account per person, and they can ban every account linked to you.
If you need an address that can't be traced back to you, an alias isn't the answer.
Also Read: How to Hide Files and Folders on Android Without Any App
Final Thoughts
The dot and plus trick is a way to keep one inbox tidy, not a way to get extra accounts. Forget the coupon hunting from my 2016 post.
The real power is sorting your mail and knowing which website shared your email.
Start with one alias for newsletters and one filter. You'll see the difference in a week.
Google could change how aliases or filters work, so check its help pages if something stops behaving as described here.
FAQs
Does Gmail really ignore dots in an address?
Yes, for a personal Gmail account, because Google says dots don't matter. Work and school accounts are the exception.
What does the plus sign do in a Gmail address?
Mail sent to yourname+news@gmail.com still arrives in your normal inbox. The word after the plus can be used to sort or filter that mail.
Can the dot trick give me unlimited Gmail accounts?
No. Every alias is still your one Gmail account, with one password, and using aliases to open extra accounts for the same sign-up offer can get those accounts banned.
Why does my plus address fail on some websites?
Some sign-up forms reject the plus sign. If a form says your address is invalid, use your normal address there.
Where does the plus sign go?
Right after your full username, before the @, like yourname+news@gmail.com. Gmail treats everything before the first plus as the username.
Still stuck? Tell me through the contact page.
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Comments (6)
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Gmail dot tricks me mobile no. Verification ki jarurat hoti he ya nahi
It depends upon you how the website or application if mobile number verification is mandatory in app/site so you cant skip that step ;)
Bhai app me sing up ke time mail directly aati he use hum dal nahi sakte to what i do
You need xprivacy application for that :(
Xaif what is the meaning of tejas can u plzz explain
tejas is the name nothing of the person :D