Creating Another Email Address

One of the big misconceptions on the net is that your email "reply address" is somehow "real" or "correct".

In actuality, your email "reply address" is just like the reply address on the outside of a snail-mail envelope.

The email reply address tells the recipient how to write you back.

But, the email reply address can be anything. I can set my email software to have any reply address I want.

This page explains how to create a second (or third, or fourth) email address using Outlook or Outlook Express.

Outlook and Outlook Express

The particular steps here only work for Outlook and for Outlook Express. If you are using different email software, you will need to consult that software to identify how to change your email reply address.

Why Have Multiple Reply Addresses

There are three major reasons.

1. You might have one email account with one ISP, but receive mail there at multiple "addresses", and
    
2. You might have multiple email accounts with different ISPs, and
    
3. A combination of #1 and #2.

One Email Account, Multiple Addresses

Now you ask how this is possible.

This most common reason is that you are using an email forwarder in order to "own your own email address". I explain how to do this on this page.

If you are using an email forwarder, then you may have different addresses forwarded to your one "real" email address.

Consider this example. Assume that you are Gaspar Aluzo. Your "real" address is GAluzo@Earthlink.net. But you own a domain name of GasparAluzo.com. You are using a registrar like NameCheap to forward your email. All email addressed to anything@GasparAluzo.com is actually forwarded to GAluzo@ATT.net. Most people write you as GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com and you have set your reply address to show as GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com (like I explain on this page).

Now you would also like to use another email address. You would like to use TheBigGuy@GasparAluzo.com in your email as a reply address.

(Note that this address will already forward to you. All we are talking about is setting up a second account so you can send some mail with this reply address.)

Because, in this example, you have one real, incoming account, you just need to create an "outgoing" email account in Outlook using this second email address. Here is how:

1. Click "Tools"
    
2. Click "Accounts"
    
3. Click on the "Mail Tab"
    
4. Click on your "primary" or "default" account. This should say "mail (default)" in the "Type" column.
    
5. Click "Properties"
    
6. Click on the "Servers" tab
    
7. Make a note of the value in the "Outgoing mail (SMTP) box. You will use this value below.
    
8. Click "Cancel"
    
9. Click "Add", then "Mail"
    
10. In the box labeled "Display Name" type your name as you would like it to appear on outgoing email. For example, Gaspar Aluzo might type "Gaspar Aluzo".
     
11. Click "Next"
     
12. In the box labeled "E-mail Address" type the reply address you would like to use. In our example, Gaspar Aluzo would type TheBigGuy@GasparAluzo.com.
     
13. Click "Next"
     
14. In the box labeled "Incoming mail (POP3 or IMAP) server", type five or six zeros. This box is not necessary because this account won't really "receive" any mail. It will only be used to send mail.
     
15. In the box labeled "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server", type the address of the outgoing mail server that you use for your primary account. This is the value you obtained at the start of this process. This second account will send mail through the same outgoing mail server. It will just have a unique "reply address". 
     
16. Click "Next"
     
17. In the box labeled "Account name", leave whatever value appears. It does not matter.
     
18. In the box labeled "Password", do not type anything. It does not matter.
     
19. Leave the box labeled "Remember password" however it is set. It does not matter.
     
20. Click "Next"
     
21. On the panel that asks "Which method do you want to use to connect to the Internet?", I recommend selecting "manually".
     
22. Click "Next"
     
23. Click "Finish"
     
24. Immediately click on "Properties". This will reopen the "account" you have just created.
     
25. Note that the account used the value you specified as the incoming account with your ISP as the "name" of the account. This will be the 5 or six zeros you typed. This name is only used to identify the account within Outlook or Outlook Express. Change this value to something you will easily recognize.
     
26. Uncheck the box labeled "Include this account when receiving mail or synchronizing". Remember, this is not an account you will use to receive mail. All your mail is forwarded to your primary account. This is just an account to use to have a special "reply address".
     
27. Click "OK"
     
28. Voila. You are done.
     

To use this account, click the "pull down" arrow next to the "Send" button on any email. Outlook will reveal all your defined accounts and let you specify which one to use.

In our example, using this second account would cause the email to be sent with a reply address of TheBigGuy@GasparAluzo.com. And anyone who sends mail to that address, will have the mail automatically forwarded to the "real" account at GAluzo@Earthlink.net.

Multiple Email Accounts at Different ISPs

If you have multiple email accounts at different ISPs, Outlook and Outlook Express can handle that.

Consider this example. Assume that you are Gaspar Aluzo. You have two "real" accounts with two "real" ISPs. One is GAluzo@Earthlink.net. Another is Galuzo@ATT.net. You have set Outlook to handle the first account. You need to set it to handle the second.

Here is how to create a "second" account within Outlook or Outlook Express

1. Click "Tools"
    
2. Click "Accounts"
    
3. Click on the "Mail Tab"
    
4. Click "Add", then "Mail"
    
5. In the box labeled "Display Name" type your name as you would like it to appear on outgoing email. For example, Gaspar Aluzo might type "Gaspar Aluzo".
    
6. Click "Next"
    
7. In the box labeled "E-mail Address" type the reply address you would like to use. For example, Gaspar Aluzo might type GAluzo@ATT.net.
    
8. Click "Next"
    
9. In the box labeled "Incoming mail (POP3 or IMAP) server", type the address of your incoming mailbox for the second account. You must get this from the ISP for your second account.
    
10. In the box labeled "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server", type the address of the outgoing mail server for the second account. You must get this from the ISP for your second account.
     
11. Click "Next"
     
12. In the box labeled "Account name", type the account name or user ID your ISP gave you for the second account.
     
13. In the box labeled "Password", type the password that that your ISP gave you for the second account.
     
14. Check the box labeled "Remember password"
     
15. Click "Next"
     
16. On the panel that asks "Which method do you want to use to connect to the Internet?", I recommend selecting "manually".
     
17. Click "Next"
     
18. Click "Finish"
     
19. Immediately click on "Properties". This will reopen the "account" you have just created.
     
20. Note that the account used the value you specified as the incoming account with your ISP as the "name" of the account. This name is only used to identify the account within Outlook or Outlook Express. I strongly recommend changing it to something you will easily recognize.
     
21. Click "OK"
     
22. Voila. You are done.

To use this account, click the "pull down" arrow next to the "Send" button on any email. Outlook will reveal all your defined accounts and let you specify which one to use.

Also, Outlook will "poll" this second account looking for incoming email.

Other Related Pages On My Site

Changing Your Email Reply Address: How to change your email reply address in Outlook or Outlook Express to make the best use of email forwarding services. This page provides click by click instructions.  ««»»

Own Your Own Email Address: Today, it costs less than three cents per day to own your own email address. If you own your own email address, then the next time you change ISPs, you will not have to change addresses and will not have to send out notices about your new address. ««»»

Registration With NameCheap: Because I recommend NameCheap for domain registration, URL forwarding and email forwarding, I was emailing people over and over answering simple questions. I wrote this page to provide a central help point.  ««»»

Last updated:
18:17, Thu, 27.Mar.2008