Summary
Plus addressing (e.g., `name+keyword@example.com`) allows users to create unique email addresses for different services and manage subscriptions. Key benefits include tracking email sources, filtering emails, and facilitating targeted unsubscribes. Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, and Fastmail support plus addressing, while Apple offers a similar feature via Hide My Email. Experts recommend testing the full subscription/unsubscription flow with plus-tagged addresses and including recipient-specific unsubscribe instructions. While generally not impacting deliverability, plus addressing may not be accepted by all websites, and standard email validation practices remain crucial.
Key findings
- Platform Support: Major providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, Fastmail) natively support plus addressing. Apple offers a similar feature with Hide My Email.
- Tracking: Plus addressing enables tracking email sources and identifying potential data breaches.
- Filtering: Users can filter emails based on the plus-tagged address for better organization.
- Subscription Management: Unsubscribing a plus-tagged address stops emails from a specific source, preserving the main address.
- Testing Required: Experts recommend testing the full subscription and unsubscription processes using plus addresses.
Key considerations
- Acceptance: Some websites may not accept plus addresses in their forms, limiting their applicability.
- Validation Still Needed: Regular email validation is still necessary even when using plus addressing.
What email marketers say
6 marketer opinions
Plus addressing involves adding a '+tag' to your email address (e.g., `name+keyword@example.com`) to create unique addresses for different services. This allows users to track the source of emails, filter them, and manage subscriptions more effectively. Subscribing with a plus-tagged address helps identify the source, while unsubscribing it prevents further emails to that specific tag. While generally not affecting deliverability, some websites may not accept plus addresses, and validating email addresses remains crucial.
Key opinions
- Tracking: Plus addressing facilitates tracking the source of emails and identifying potential spam origins.
- Filtering: Plus addresses enable creating filters to automatically sort emails into specific folders.
- Subscription Management: Users can easily unsubscribe a plus-tagged address to stop emails from a particular source.
- Deliverability: Generally, plus addressing doesn't negatively impact email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Acceptance: Some websites might not accept plus addresses in their forms.
- Validation: Validating email addresses remains essential, regardless of plus addressing.
Marketer view
Email marketer from MailerLite shares that users can create variations of their email address using a plus sign (+) and a keyword (e.g., `yourname+newsletter@domain.com`). This allows tracking which services are sending emails and managing subscriptions more effectively. To unsubscribe, you can filter emails based on the plus-tagged address or directly unsubscribe the tagged address.
6 Oct 2021 - MailerLite
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Hippo shares that plus addressing is a valid email address variation. They advise that using plus addressing will not negatively affect deliverability but encourage you to always validate the email addresses to ensure they are real and working.
28 Nov 2021 - Email Hippo
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts recommend checking that you can subscribe, send mail to, track analytics, and unsubscribe plus-tagged email addresses. Gmail and Yahoo support user-tagging features. Including the recipient's address in the message body with unsubscribe instructions and providing real unsubscribe links are good practices. While plus addressing helps determine where an address was shared, some websites may not accept plus addresses.
Key opinions
- Testing: It's important to verify the full subscription/unsubscription flow with plus-tagged addresses.
- Platform Support: Major email providers like Gmail and Yahoo support user-tagging through plus and hyphen features.
- Unsubscribe Clarity: Providing the recipient's specific plus-tagged address in the body helps with targeted unsubscriptions.
- Unsubscribe Links: Using real unsubscribe links is essential.
Key considerations
- Acceptance: Not all websites accept plus addresses.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests putting the recipients in the message body so they know which address to later unsubscribe, with a message like "You are subscribed with <address>, click here to unsubscribe".
24 May 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that it's a good time to check that you can subscribe, send mail to, see analytics from and unsubscribe plus-tagged email addresses.
16 May 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email providers like Office 365, Gmail, and Fastmail support plus addressing, allowing users to add a '+tag' to their email addresses (e.g., `john.doe+newsletter@example.com`) to identify email sources and manage subscriptions. These services enable users to filter emails based on the plus-tagged address. Apple's Hide My Email offers a similar function by creating unique, random email addresses.
Key findings
- Platform Support: Office 365, Gmail, and Fastmail natively support plus addressing.
- Source Identification: Plus addressing helps identify the origin of received emails.
- Filtering: Emails can be filtered based on the plus-tagged portion of the address.
- Alternative Solutions: Apple's Hide My Email provides a similar functionality through random email address generation.
Key considerations
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft explains that Office 365 supports custom email addresses with plus addressing. Users can add a plus sign and a keyword to their email address (e.g., `john.doe+newsletter@example.com`). This helps in identifying the source of emails and managing subscriptions. To unsubscribe, users can set up rules to filter emails to the plus-tagged address or unsubscribe the address entirely.
1 Mar 2025 - Microsoft Support
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains Gmail ignores periods in Gmail addresses and allows plus signs. You can add a plus sign (+) and any combination of words or numbers after your email address. It can be used to filter email.
23 Nov 2023 - Google Help
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