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What is an alias and how do I use it

If you're seeking more flexibility in creating and managing email addresses or need specific addresses for particular purposes, consider using aliases at mailbox.org. They can assist you in effortlessly generating additional email addresses, thereby protecting your primary address from spam or misuse. Much like disposable addresses, with email aliases, you can permanently establish separate email addresses for specific use cases. We'll detail how this technically works and how it can enhance your privacy, security, and inbox organization.

Email Aliases at mailbox.org​

What is an alias?​

Email aliases act like server-internal redirects, allowing multiple email addresses to forward to a primary address. Thus, all emails addressed to any of these aliases end up in the same inbox as those sent directly to the main address. Of course, you can assign a separate folder in the mailbox to each alias using a filter. Unlike disposable addresses and mail extensions, aliases can also be used to send emails. This feature is commonly used to employ different email addresses for various purposes without the need to create or manage multiple accounts. It's especially handy for businesses or groups wanting to use a shared email address without granting all employees or members access to the same email account.

In short, email aliases provide the full potential of dedicated email addresses without the additional configuration effort required to create new mailboxes.

Additional Benefits

Enhancing Security & Protecting Privacy

Use aliases, for instance, when signing up for specific services where you'd prefer not to disclose your personal email address. If the alias doesn't contain your real name, it becomes harder to associate the address with you, offering added protection against online tracking. Coupled with anonymized contact details, you can significantly boost your privacy protection.

Avoiding Spam with Aliases

A great side effect: each time you use an alias instead of your personal email address, you prevent the dissemination of your private address, thereby potentially reducing spam in your inbox. If, despite these measures and our stringent spam filter rules, you still receive spam via the alias or no longer need the alias, you can delete this address at any time and immediately create a new one. With the STANDARD and PREMIUM plans, you can create up to 25 aliases with the @mailbox.org ending, delete, and recreate them anytime.

Aliases & Filter Rules - The Perfect Synergy

Combining email aliases with filter rules offers numerous advantages for a more organized inbox. Firstly, they enable the separation of personal and business emails by providing different addresses for varied purposes. Secondly, they help reduce spam as users can conceal their primary email address from unwanted senders. Thirdly, filter rules simplify email organization by automatically moving messages to relevant folders, enhancing findability and boosting productivity. Lastly, email aliases and filter rules provide added security by making it easier to identify phishing attacks and other threats.

Availability based on your mailbox.org-plan​

Depending on the plan, it is possible to specify up to 25 @mailbox.org-aliases and up to 200 aliases with custom domains:

Depending on your plan, you have different limits on how many aliases you can set up:

  • LIGHT plan: up to 3 @mailbox.org-aliases. Aliases with custom domains are only available within team accounts
  • STANDARD plan: up to 25 @mailbox.org-aliases and up to 50 aliases with custom domains
  • PREMIUM plan: up to 25 @mailbox.org-aliases and up to 200 aliases with custom domains.

How to set up or delete aliases​

How to set up aliases​

  • navigate to "Settings" (1)
  • select "mailbox.org" (2)
  • then head to "E-mail Aliases" (3)
  • enter the name of your new alias (4)
  • add an additonal memo regarding your alias (5) (optional)
  • press "Add" when finished (6) (Figure 1). That's it. Your new alias is ready to use!

Figure 1: Setting up aliases at Settings → mailbox.org → E-mail Aliases.

How to delete an alias​

Within the same menu, you can also delete an alias if you no longer wish to use it. When you delete an alias, it is automatically locked for a certain period to prevent third parties from registering a previously used alias. This ensures they can't accidentally (or maliciously) receive someone else's emails. However, during this lockout period, you can lift the restriction at any time (also under "Settings | mailbox.org | Email Aliases") and release the alias for immediate re-registration.

Unable to delete an alias?

If you're unable to delete an alias, it's often because it's still set as the default sender address under "Settings | Email | Compose". Edit the entry and try again. You may have to log out once to refresh the settings.

Frequently asked Questions​

Can I combine liases with mail extension at mailbox.org?​

Yes, mail extensions work both with your main mailbox.org address as well as with your aliases. Also, these extensions do not count towards your regular alias limit, because they are generated dynamically. Note that if you would like to archive e-mails automatically into a folder, this folder must have been created beforehand. Here is more information about it.

I like an alias even better than my current main e-mail address. Can I use it permanently?​

Sure you can. Simply head over to Settings (1), select mailbox.org (2), and then E-mail Aliases (Figure 1) to choose your new main address. Hit save and remember to change your login credentials the next time you log in to your account, since you now have to use the new address for logging in.

How can I specify the alias being used as sender e-mail address?​

When you compose a new e-mail using the mailbox.org web interface, you can see a drop-down menu in the lower left-hand-side of the page. Simply choose an alias from this menu before sending.

In external e-mail clients, an alias can usually be defined or set up as a new “identity”.

Can someone else use my alias after is being deleted?​

For security reasons, we will block registration and reuse for a certain period of time after an alias has been deleted. This is to ensure that the alias cannot be hijacked by third parties shortly after the previous owner stopped using it.

Can I use aliases with domains from other e-mail providers, such as my.name@gmail.com?​

Using aliases with domains from other e-mail providers within mailbox.org is technically not possible. However, you may configure an automatic download of these messages via POP3-fetch in your mailbox.org settings. Additionally, if you activate the address of the external provider via "Settings | mailbox.org | Alternative Sender", you can also use it for sending through mailbox.org. You can find more information about integrating external accounts in this article.

Can I migrate an existing alias into a dedicated mailbox?​

No, unfortunately not. If you have an existing alias, for instance for your partner or your children, and then decide later that they should have their own inbox - the only thing you can do is to delete the alias and then try to register a new account using the previous alias address, as soon as this becomes available again. Read more about that in the previously mentioned part "How to delete an alias".