What Is the Gmail Plus Trick?

The Gmail plus trick (also called plus addressing or subaddressing) lets you add a +tag to your Gmail username. Everything after the + is ignored during delivery, so all mail arrives in your main inbox. The technique is defined in RFC 5233.

Gmail Plus Trick Formatusername+tag@gmail.com
yourname+amazon@gmail.com      → yourname@gmail.com inbox
yourname+netflix@gmail.com     → yourname@gmail.com inbox
yourname+20260901@gmail.com    → yourname@gmail.com inbox
yourname+anythinghere@gmail.com → yourname@gmail.com inbox

How to Use It Step by Step

1

Choose a Tag

Pick something memorable: the service name, a date, a category like "shopping" or "news". The tag can contain letters, numbers, and hyphens.

2

Use It When Signing Up

Enter yourname+tag@gmail.com in any signup form. Verification emails will arrive instantly in your inbox.

3

Create a Gmail Filter

In Gmail, go to Settings → Filters → Create new filter. Set "To" as your full plus address. Apply a label or skip the inbox automatically.

When Sites Block the Plus Sign

Some websites use email validation that incorrectly rejects the + character, even though it is RFC-compliant. In these cases, use a dot-trick variation instead — it looks like a regular email and works on all sites.

Not Anonymous
Your base username is visible before the + sign. Anyone who receives your plus address can see your real Gmail username. Use the dot trick if you want to obscure the connection.

Popular Use Cases

Try the Free Gmail Alias Generator

Generate up to 5,000 dot variations and plus tags instantly in your browser with zero data stored.

Open Generator Tool →