Email aliases let you receive messages sent to additional addresses without creating separate mailboxes. Messages sent to an alias are delivered directly to the primary mailbox, which helps keep real addresses private while still receiving all communication.
This feature is commonly used on environments managed through Plesk hosting where email accounts are administered per domain.
When Email Aliases Are Useful
Email aliases are typically created when:
- You want to publish a generic address instead of a personal one
- Different contact addresses should reach the same inbox
- You want to reduce exposure of primary mailboxes to spam
Aliases do not store messages separately. All mail is delivered to the main mailbox.
Creating an Email Alias
Step 1: Open the mailbox
Log in to the Plesk control panel.
From the left sidebar, click Mail and select the email address that should receive the messages.
[Screenshot: Mail section with selected mailbox]
Step 2: Add the alias
Open the Email Aliases tab.
In the alias field, enter the email alias you want to create.
If you need more than one alias, use the option to add additional aliases and enter each address.
Click OK to save the changes.
[Screenshot: Email Aliases tab with alias added]
Once saved, messages sent to the alias are delivered to the main mailbox automatically.
Verifying Alias Delivery
After creating the alias:
- Send a test message to the alias address
- Confirm the message appears in the primary inbox
- Reply to ensure outbound mail works as expected
Aliases work alongside spam filtering and are often combined with services like Spam Experts to keep inboxes clean.
Practical Notes
- Aliases do not require separate passwords
- Remove unused aliases to reduce spam exposure
- Use clear naming for aliases used publicly
Email aliases are widely used on scalable mail setups running on cloud servers where multiple addresses may route to a single team inbox.