What Is an Email Alias?

What is an alias?

An alias is like a nickname. A person called Robert may also be called Rob. Both names reach the same person. An email alias works the same way. Mail sent to the alias lands in the real mailbox. You do not need a second login or a second inbox.

For example, your main address is john@yourdomain.com. You can add the aliases sales@yourdomain.com and info@yourdomain.com. All mail to these names arrives in John's inbox.

Why use aliases?

• You can show a job-based address, like support or billing, without a new mailbox.
• You keep your main address private.
• You read all mail in one place.
• You can remove an alias if it gets too much spam.

Alias or forwarder?

A forwarder sends a copy of the mail to another address, often at a different company. An alias is just another name for the same mailbox. Some control panels, such as cPanel, set up both through a forwarder. In cPanel you can use a forwarder to send mail from one local address to another address on the same account.

Steps to add an alias in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel from your client area.
2. Under Email, click Forwarders.
3. Click Add Forwarder.
4. Type the new alias name in Address, such as sales.
5. Choose your domain.
6. Under Destination, choose Forward to Email Address.
7. Type the real mailbox address.
8. Click Add Forwarder.

Other control panels use the word alias directly. Look in the email area of your panel.

Quick recap

• An alias is another name that points to one mailbox.
• All mail arrives in the same inbox.
• It helps with privacy and organising.
• In cPanel, use Forwarders to set one up.