Gmail’s Hidden Address Tricks

Did you know that your single Gmail address can actually function as unlimited email addresses? Gmail has some built-in features that let you create variations of your email address that all deliver to the same inbox. This is incredibly useful for organizing emails, signing up for services, and tracking who’s selling your email address.

The Three Gmail Address Tricks

1. Dots Don’t Matter

Gmail completely ignores dots (periods) in email addresses. These addresses all go to the same inbox:

• johnsmith@gmail.com
• john.smith@gmail.com
• j.o.h.n.s.m.i.t.h@gmail.com
• jo.hns.mith@gmail.com

How This Helps:

• Give different versions to different websites
• Track which services share or sell your email
• Create easy-to-remember variations for family members

Example Use Case:

Shopping sites:    john.shop@gmail.com
Social media:      john.social@gmail.com
Work contacts:     john.smith@gmail.com
Newsletters:       j.o.h.n.smith@gmail.com

2. The Plus Sign Trick

Add +anything before the @ symbol, and it still reaches your inbox:

• johnsmith+shopping@gmail.com
• johnsmith+newsletters@gmail.com
• johnsmith+facebook@gmail.com
• johnsmith+spam@gmail.com

How This Helps:

• Even easier to create unique addresses
• Simple to set up filters
• Immediately see who sent the email
• Identify which services leaked your email

Example Use Case:

Amazon:            johnsmith+amazon@gmail.com
eBay:              johnsmith+ebay@gmail.com
Bank:              johnsmith+bank@gmail.com
Free trials:       johnsmith+trial@gmail.com

3. Googlemail.com Domain

Your Gmail address also works with the @googlemail.com domain:

• johnsmith@gmail.com
• johnsmith@googlemail.com

Both deliver to the same inbox. This is a legacy from when Gmail launched in the UK and Germany where “Gmail” was already trademarked.

How This Helps:

• Another variation for your address collection
• Can combine with dot and plus tricks
• Useful if a website blocks Gmail addresses

Practical Applications

Organize with Filters

Create Gmail filters based on these variations:

1. Click the gear icon > See all settings
2. Go to Filters and Blocked Addresses
3. Click Create a new filter
4. In the “To” field, enter your variation (e.g., yourname+shopping@gmail.com)
5. Click Create filter
6. Choose actions:
   • Skip Inbox (Archive it)
   • Apply the label: Shopping
   • Categorize as: Updates
7. Click Create filter

Now all emails to that address automatically get labeled and organized!

Detect Email Leaks

If you receive spam at yourname+service@gmail.com, you know that service shared or leaked your email address.

Example:

Signed up:  johnsmith+techstore@gmail.com
Spam from:  johnsmith+techstore@gmail.com
Result:     TechStore leaked/sold your email

Bypass Sign-up Restrictions

Some websites limit one account per email address. Use variations to create multiple accounts:

Account 1: john.smith@gmail.com
Account 2: johnsmith+personal@gmail.com
Account 3: j.ohn.smith@googlemail.com

Warning: Check the service’s terms of service. Some websites prohibit multiple accounts.

Protect Your Primary Address

Use variations for:

• Online shopping: yourname+shop@gmail.com
• Free trials: yourname+trial@gmail.com
• Public forms: yourname+public@gmail.com
• Contests: yourname+contest@gmail.com

Keep your plain address for important contacts only.

Setting Up Advanced Filters

Example: Newsletter Management

Create a label and filter for all newsletters:

Filter Settings:

To: yourname+newsletter@gmail.com
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label "Newsletters", Mark as read

Result: Newsletters arrive quietly in their own label, keeping your inbox clean.

Example: Shopping Receipts

Filter Settings:

To: yourname+shopping@gmail.com
Do this: Skip Inbox, Apply label "Shopping", Star it

Result: Easy to find purchases without cluttering inbox.

Sending From Alternative Addresses

By default, Gmail sends from your primary address. To send from a plus-sign variation:

1. Compose a new email
2. Click the “From” field (if not visible, click your email address)
3. Select Add another email address
4. Enter your variation (e.g., yourname+work@gmail.com)
5. Click Next > Send verification
6. Gmail sends a confirmation code to your inbox
7. Enter the code to verify

Now you can choose which address to send from when composing emails.

Note: This works for plus-sign variations. For dot variations, they’re already recognized as your address, so no setup is needed.

Advanced Tips

Spreadsheet Tracking

Keep a spreadsheet of your addresses:

Service	Email Address	Category	Date
Amazon	you+amazon@gmail.com	Shopping	2021-03-15
Newsletter	you+news@gmail.com	Info	2021-04-02
Facebook	you+facebook@gmail.com	Social	2020-12-10

Systematic Naming

Develop a consistent naming scheme:

yourname+shop-amazon@gmail.com
yourname+shop-ebay@gmail.com
yourname+social-facebook@gmail.com
yourname+social-twitter@gmail.com
yourname+work-client1@gmail.com
yourname+work-client2@gmail.com

Temporary Addresses

For sketchy websites or one-time uses:

yourname+temp@gmail.com
yourname+disposable@gmail.com
yourname+onetime@gmail.com

Create filters to automatically delete these after 30 days.

Limitations and Workarounds

Some Sites Block Plus Signs

A few websites incorrectly reject plus signs in email addresses. Workarounds:

1. Use the dot trick instead
2. Use the googlemail.com domain
3. Contact the website’s support (they should fix their validation)

Can’t Change Your Base Address

These tricks only create variations. Your base Gmail address (before @) cannot be changed without creating a new account.

Filters Have Limits

Gmail allows 20 forwarding addresses and 1,000 filters per account. For most users, this is more than enough.

Privacy Considerations

Pros:

• Track email leaks
• Organize automatically
• Reduce primary address exposure
• Easy spam management

Cons:

• Sophisticated spammers can remove plus-sign additions
• Not true email aliasing (all goes to one inbox)
• Some services might recognize the trick

For maximum privacy, consider:

• Domain-based email aliases (if you own a domain)
• Email forwarding services like SimpleLogin or AnonAddy
• Multiple email accounts for different purposes

Conclusion

Gmail’s address tricks are powerful tools for email organization and privacy. By strategically using dots, plus signs, and the googlemail.com domain, you can:

• Create unlimited variations of your email address
• Automatically organize incoming emails
• Track which services share your email
• Protect your primary address from spam

Start using these tricks today to take control of your inbox and protect your privacy online.

Quick Reference

Dot Trick:

original@gmail.com = o.riginal@gmail.com = ori.ginal@gmail.com

Plus Trick:

original@gmail.com = original+anything@gmail.com

Domain Trick:

original@gmail.com = original@googlemail.com

Combine All:

o.riginal+shopping@googlemail.com

All of these deliver to the same inbox!