Suped

Summary

Gmail's handling of dots in email addresses is a feature that often causes confusion among users and businesses alike. While Google explicitly states that dots do not matter in the local part of an email address, the practical implications can lead to situations where users receive emails intended for others or where marketers face challenges with data hygiene and customer support.

What email marketers say

Email marketers often find themselves on the front lines of customer confusion due to Gmail's dot handling. They frequently encounter scenarios where customers receive unwanted emails, or conversely, where valid customers claim not to have received communications. These situations underscore the importance of robust data capture and clear communication about email address nuances.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks describes a strange scenario where a customer ordered with customer.name@gmail.com, but another person using customername@gmail.com claimed to receive the order confirmation, despite not being the same person. Their system only registered the dot variant of the email.

18 May 2022 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks notes that Gmail indeed ignores dots and treats dot variations as the same address. They suggest investigating user error or input validation issues as the primary cause for discrepancies.

18 May 2022 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Experts in email deliverability and technology largely confirm Gmail's official policy regarding dots. However, they also delve into the implications of this feature, particularly concerning user perception, data hygiene, and potential security vulnerabilities like phishing. While the technical behavior is clear, managing user expectations and preventing abuse remains a key discussion point.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks asserts that claims of two separate Gmail IDs existing—one with a dot and one without—are simply cases of people being confused about their actual email address. They emphasize that the dot-ignoring rule was a very early decision by Gmail, dating back to pre-beta days.

18 May 2022 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Medium explains that while dots typically don't matter for sending/receiving, they can impact Google Workspace investigations. For internal Google systems, variations with dots might be treated differently for specific audit or logging purposes, which can be critical in cybersecurity forensics.

10 Aug 2023 - Medium

What the documentation says

Official documentation from Google clearly defines its policy on dots in Gmail addresses. This stance is foundational for understanding how Gmail processes incoming mail and for developing applications or services that interact with Gmail users. Despite the clarity in documentation, the unique behavior often requires reiteration due to persistent user misconceptions.

Technical article

Google's official documentation states that if someone accidentally adds dots to your address when emailing you, you will still receive that email. This confirms that dots are treated as insignificant by Gmail for delivery purposes.

18 May 2022 - support.google.com

Technical article

The Google help page clarifies that if your email is johnsmith@gmail.com, you own all dotted versions of your address, such as john.smith@gmail.com or j.o.h.n.s.m.i.t.h@gmail.com. All these variations deliver to the same inbox.

18 May 2022 - support.google.com

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