Intuitive Gmail "From:" addresses

Posted by Matt Thommes on April 14, 2006 | Post type: Gain

Gmail allows users to set up custom "From:" addresses, for outgoing email.

If you're not using Gmail, you're missing out on a great feature, which helps manage multiple email accounts, all in one spot.

This means that you can manage all of your external email accounts from within Gmail. And with Gmail's generous storage space, you probably won't run out of room anytime soon.

After you set-up your external email accounts to work with Gmail, you're able to select which "From:" address you'd like to use, for each outgoing email message.

You can include as many as you'd like.

This is tremendously handy. Your recipients may never know you use Gmail, and you'll never have to check multiple email clients.

Custom from addresses in Gmail

Overview

This brief article is intended for new Gmail users, or current users who haven't yet tried custom "From:" addresses.

Before you begin

In order to enjoy custom "From:" addresses in Gmail, the only requirement you'll need to meet is this:

You must be the owner of the external email address you'd like to use in Gmail.

Also, make sure to remember that if you send someone an email using a different "From:" address, than that of your Gmail account, any replies to that email will go to the custom "From:" email address account, not your Gmail account.

However, if you set-up your other email addresses to automatically forward to your Gmail account, you'll definitely get the reply.

How do you forward your email?

Typically, your server administrator will know how to do this. If you have web hosting (and email addresses) with an outside hosting company, they should have a "control panel," where you can add email addresses, and apply settings to them, such as "email forwarding."

If there's no possible way for you to forward your external email addresses to Gmail, you're still in luck.

Within Gmail, you can specify a different "Reply-To" address, so that when a person replies to your external email address, it can be sent anywhere you'd like - specifically your Gmail account:

Screen shot of Gmail settings

This is not as ideal as "email forwarding," because someone could still send an email directly to your external email address, rather than simply "replying" to an email you sent them. But it's still better than nothing.

Intuitive email addresses

Take a moment to think about who you give your email address out to.

Now... for each situation that you supply your email address (in person, on a web form, etc) - think about a more appropriate email address, for that specific situation.

For example, let's say you're at a new Apple store opening, in your home town. Inside the store, the employees are running a random drawing to win a new iPod nano. In order to enter the contest, you must fill out a form, and provide your email address.

Now... wouldn't it be appropriate to include your .Mac email address, for this situation? It's just more intuitive. After all, you're in an Apple store.

Here's another example...

You've just found out that your bank now provides online access to your accounts. When you go to sign up, on the web site, they ask you if you'd like email reminders of changes to your account. Of course. So you include your custom domain email address, "banking@yoursite.com." "yoursite" would obviously be your personal site.

And how about when you order something online, to be shipped to you? Why not use "shipping@yoursite.com?"

These are just examples of how to use "intuitive" email addresses, depending on where you use it.

Here are some "typical" intuitive email addresses for a custom domain:

  • billing@yoursite.com
  • shipping@yoursite.com
  • receiving@yoursite.com
  • accounting@yoursite.com
  • photos@yoursite.com
  • webmaster@yoursite.com
  • info@yoursite.com
  • contact@yoursite.com

I'm sure you could think of dozens more.

Manage everything in one spot

With Gmail, you could "manage" all of your email addresses in one spot.

When you go to compose a new message, you have the option to choose which email address you'd like to appear in the "From:" field.

Screen shot of Gmail

You're all set! Your recipients will only see the "From:" address, so they won't know Gmail is behind it.

More links

The Gmail Help Center is also available as a reference.

About the author(s)

Matt Thommes is an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.

Comments

Note: Comments may be viewed by authors, but if you have a more specific question you'd like to ask them, please email matt.thommes@paininthetech.com.

# Josh Street at 4/20/2006 8:55 pm cst
Not quite true. As Gmail still includes the real address in the email headers, clients such as Outlook (i.e. probably the most widely used email client on the planet) will display the "From" address as "__@gmail.com on behalf of __@example.com". Badness! Still, it's a useful thing to have setup anyway.

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# Matt Thommes at 4/21/2006 6:23 am cst
Well that's good to know. Thanks for pointing that out. What happens on reply from Outlook - does it at least use the example email address, or the Gmail address?

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# Andy Atkinson at 4/21/2006 6:40 am cst
Yes, when you hit "Reply" in Outlook, it will use the @yourdomain address you've set up (not the Gmail account)...Good! Recipients will know you are using a Gmail account if they are using the Outlook client to check their email, but they will not see the Gmail account (under default settings) if they are using Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and likely most other web clients. I'm sure if one examined the raw email header in any email client, they would see the Gmail address. In fact, this is a good thing to do if you are ever suspicious about where an email is originating from. I'm assuming Outlook displays the "on behalf of" portion for more security for users of Outlook. This Gmail tip shows that the source address can easily be faked when sending an email.

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# Paul Tully at 5/20/2008 10:46 pm cst

This is bloody hopeless and you would think that Gmail would have fixed this problem by now.

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