Gmail Tip of the Day - Create an Infinite Number of Email Addresses with a Single Account

I constantly use email, and I get a lot (I mean a lot) of email. For years, I've used various filter/label/rule features to help me organize my email. Gmail provides some innovative ways to allow me to better organize and control my email. In this post, I will address one of those ways.

With a single Gmail account, an infinite number of email addresses can be created. Let's say my email address is "jsmith@gmail.com." I could add a period anywhere before the "@." So, an email addressed to j.smith@gmail.com will be delivered to jsmith@gmail.com.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Hey, there are only so many places to put a period. That's not infinite." But wait, there's more. I could also use this email address "jsmith+***@gmail.com with anything I wanted taking the place of ***. So, I could use jsmith+spam@gmail.com or jsmith+work@gmail.com.

I know what you're thinking now. "So, why is this useful?"

Let's say I use my email address for both personal and business purposes. I can give my all of my friends the email address "jsmith@gmail.com." I can give all of my business contacts the address "j.smith@gmail.com." I could then create labels so that I will instantly identify and/or automatically separate my personal and business emails.

As a bit of background, for years I've used the "filters" feature in Yahoo! Mail to cause my emails to automatically be filed where I want them to go. For example, all of my emails from "JetBlue" immediately go to the folder "Airlines" - emails from JetBlue never go to my inbox. But what if JetBlue were to sell my email address? My email address could be filled with spam, and I wouldn't know who was responsible for this problem.

When I sign up with JetBlue, I could use the email address "jsmith+jetblue@gmail.com." I could then set up whatever filter I like for emails that come to that email address. And if I start to receive spam to the address "jsmith+jetblue@gmail.com," I would know that it was JetBlue that sold my email address. But what if I decide that I've had it and I never want to receive another email from JetBlue or anyone that they have sold my address to? I can simply create a filter so that any email that comes to "jsmith+jetblue@gmail.com" instantly goes to the trash.

I could sign up for my utility bills with the email address, "jsmith+bills@gmail.com." Then, I could create two labels "Unpaid Bills" and "Paid Bills." When the invoices arrive, I could create a filter automatically labeling them as "Unpaid Bills" which I could then change to "Paid Bills" after they are paid.

Now, if only Gmail would catch up with Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail and AOL's web base email which all provide free unlimited storage.