Adding an email address to Gmail takes about five minutes and requires access to that email account

You can add another email address to your Gmail account in two ways: as an alias (so mail sent to the new address lands in your main inbox) or as a separate account you manage from the same login. Most people want an alias. To set one up, you go to your Gmail settings, find the "Accounts and Import" tab, click "Add another email address you own," and follow Gmail's verification process — Gmail sends a confirmation code to the address you're adding, and you paste that code back into Gmail to prove you own it.

The whole process works the same whether you're adding a Gmail address, an address from another provider like Outlook or Yahoo, or a custom domain. The only requirement is that you can receive email at that address right now.

Key Takeaways

  • An email alias lets you receive mail at a new address without creating a separate account — replies go to your main inbox.
  • Gmail sends a verification code to the address you're adding; you must check that inbox and paste the code back into Gmail settings.
  • The process takes about five minutes and works for Gmail addresses, other providers' addresses, and custom domains.
  • If you forget the verification code, Gmail lets you request a new one when ready — there is no waiting period.
  • Once verified, you can send email from the new address without switching accounts or logging out.

Step-by-step: Adding an email alias

Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select "See all settings." Click the "Accounts and Import" tab near the top of the page. Under the section labeled "Send mail as," click "Add another email address you own."

A small window will pop up. Type your name (the name that will appear when you send from this address), then paste or type the email address you want to add. Leave the "Treat as an alias" checkbox marked — this is the default and the option most people need. Click "Next Step."

Gmail will ask you to confirm the email address one more time. Click "Send verification email." Gmail when ready sends a message to that address containing a confirmation code. You have 24 hours to use it.

Open the inbox of the email address you just added. Find the message from Gmail (check your spam folder if you don't see it in the main inbox). The message contains a confirmation code — usually a string of numbers and letters. Copy that code, go back to Gmail, paste it into the verification window, and click "Verify."

Gmail will confirm that the address has been added. You're done. The new address now appears in your "From" line whenever you compose a new email, and any mail sent to that address will arrive in your main Gmail inbox.

What to do if you don't receive the verification email

Check your spam or promotions folder first — Gmail's own verification emails sometimes land there. If you still don't see it after checking all folders, go back to Gmail settings, click "Accounts and Import," find the address you're trying to add under "Send mail as," and click "resend verification email." Gmail will send a fresh code when ready with no waiting period.

If you're adding an address from a provider that blocks forwarding or has strict security settings, the verification email might not arrive at all. This is rare but happens with some corporate email systems. In that case, contact your email provider's support to ask whether they allow Gmail to send verification messages. Most do, but a few require you to adjust security settings first.

The difference between an alias and a separate account

An alias is what most people add. Mail sent to the alias address arrives in your main Gmail inbox alongside everything else. When you reply, the recipient sees the alias address as the sender. You manage everything from one login. This is the "Treat as an alias" option in the setup window.

A separate account is different — it's a second Gmail account that you access by switching users without logging out. You would use this if you want to keep work email completely separate from personal email, or if you need two distinct inboxes. To set up a separate account, you don't add it in settings; instead, you click your profile picture in Gmail, select "Add another account," and log in with the credentials for the second Gmail account. That's a different process than adding an alias.

Sending email from your new address

Once the address is verified, you can send from it when ready. Open a new email in Gmail. Click the "From" line (it usually shows your main Gmail address). A dropdown menu appears with all the addresses you've added. Select the one you want to send from and compose your email normally.

The recipient will see the alias address as the sender and can reply to it. Their reply lands in your main Gmail inbox. You don't need to do anything special — Gmail handles the routing automatically.

Removing an email address you no longer need

If you add an address by mistake or stop using it, you can remove it. Go to Gmail settings, click "Accounts and Import," find the address under "Send mail as," and click the "delete" link next to it. Gmail will ask you to confirm. Once you delete it, you can no longer send from that address, but any mail already received at that address stays in your inbox.

If you want to add the same address again later, you can — Gmail will ask you to verify it again, but the process is identical to the first time.

Adding a custom domain or business email address

The process is exactly the same whether you're adding a Gmail address, an Outlook address, or a custom domain like yourname@yourcompany.com. Type the address in the setup window, and Gmail sends a verification code to that inbox. You retrieve the code and paste it back into Gmail. Custom domains and business email addresses work as aliases just like any other address.

The only exception is if your custom domain uses Gmail's own infrastructure (Google Workspace). In that case, the address may already be linked to your account, and you might not need to verify it. Gmail will tell you if that's the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add more than one email address to Gmail?

Yes. You can add as many addresses as you want. Each one appears in your "From" dropdown when you compose email. There is no limit.

What happens to mail sent to my old address after I add a new one?

Mail sent to your old address keeps arriving in your inbox exactly as before. Adding a new address doesn't change anything about the old one — both work at the same time, and both land in the same inbox.

Do I need to verify every address I add, or just the first one?

You need to verify every address you add. Gmail sends a confirmation code to each one to make sure you actually own it. This is a security measure to prevent someone from adding your friend's email address to their Gmail account.

Can I set one address as my default so it's always selected when I compose email?

Gmail doesn't have a default setting, but it remembers which address you used last and selects it automatically the next time you compose. If you want to change which address appears first in the dropdown, you can reorder them in settings under "Send mail as" by dragging them into a new order.

What if I can't access the email address I'm trying to add?

You won't be able to verify it. Gmail requires you to receive the confirmation code at that address, so if the inbox is locked, hacked, or you've forgotten the password, you can't complete the process. You would need to recover access to that email account first through the provider's account recovery process.