Changing Your Email Reply 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 why you would want to and how to do it.

Why Change Your Email Reply Address

The biggest reason that I help people change their email reply address is so that they can use email forwarding. Email forwarding makes it possible for you to "own" your own email address and to keep that address even if you ever change ISPs.

If you own your own email address then when you move across the country, or when your ISP gets bought, or when you want to change because you got a better deal, you just change. You don't have to tell anyone that you did and everyone can keep writing you at the email address that you own.

I have a page on my site that explains this in more detail. Just click here to open that page in a new window.

If you are using email forwarding, then you will want your email to show your forwarding address instead of your "real" address.

For example, if you were Gaspar Aluzo and your real email address was GAluzo@Earthlink.net but you were using a forwarding address of GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com, you would want your email to show GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com. That way when people replied to you, and more importantly, when they put you in their address book, they would use your forwarding email address.

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.

Changing Your Reply Address

These steps will work in both Outlook and in Outlook Express:

1. Click on "Tools"
    
2. Click on "Accounts"
    
3. Click on the "Mail Tab"
    
4. Click on the account labeled as your "default" account
    
5. Click on "Properties"
    
6. Under "User Information", the "Name" is the name that will show in the reply address. You may change this if you wish.
    
7. Under "User Information", the "E-mail address" is the reply address that will be used as your from or reply address. This is where you change your reply address.
    
8. Under "User Information", the "Reply address" is provided if you want your "From" address and your "Reply" address to be different. I recommend that you do not use this feature. Instead, place your reply address in the "E-mail address" box.
    
9. Click OK.

You will now have changed the address that will show as the From address when you send an email and that will be used as a Reply address when someone clicks Reply.

Creating Another Address

Some people will need more than one email address. I have a page on my site that explains this in more detail. Just click here to open that page in a new window.

Other Related Pages On My Site

Creating Another Email Address:  How to create a second (or third or fourth . . .) email address in Outlook or Outlook Express. This page explains why you might need to and 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