How to Create an Alias in MS Outlook

Privacy Protection Using an Alternate Email Address

© Thomas Alan Gray

Aug 17, 2009

Email is handled through accounts. An email account is registered with a service provider such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or a local internet service provider (ISP). The account contains

• technical details about how the account connects to the email server (the computer that stores the email)
• the email address
• information about how the user mail should be routed in and out.
• personal user details such as name and password

The user with a Gmail account for a mail-order business, a Yahoo account for internet sales and a local ISP address for personal use can jump from site to site, but MS Outlook has the ability to coordinate and route a variety of accounts, giving the convenient option of a consistent email environment.

Let's say the home address is myhome@myisp.ca, which is handled in Outlook, but the business address is writerforhire@yahoo.ca. Yes, it's possible to log into Yahoo and do business through there, but it's often more convenient just to work through Outlook and have one place to check for all incoming emails. Think of it as the email equivalent of a telephone switchboard.

Here's how to coordinate several email accounts from one.

Getting Started

1. In Outlook, click Tools > Email Accounts > View or Change Existing Email Accounts.
2. Select the account copy (the home account). Click Change.
3. In the window that opens up, make a note of all the information, especially the server info (it will say something like POP3 in and SMTP out. It's not necessary to know what those mean: just write down the contents of those fields).
4. Click the Back arrow at the bottom.
5. Click Add.
6. In the new window, select the server that is the same as that of the existing account (POP3).
7. Click Next

Now enter all the information in the new account. For User Information, put in a contact name and the business email address. This is the information that will appear in the From box in sent emails. Complete the other fields exactly as in the existing account. If necessary, use the Back and Next keys to get any information required.

Check the box Remember Password.

Testing the New Account

Now click the button Test Account. The test will send an email to the main (home) account. If all goes well there will be a message saying that all tests completed successfully. Close the test box.

Completing the Setup

1. Click the More Settings box.
2. Enter Business (for example) as the name of the account. This can be changed at any time down the road.
3. Put the business name (Writer For Hire) as the organization
4. Enter the business email address as the reply email.
5. Click OK. This tells Outlook, "Whenever I use this account, here is the reply to address."
6. Click Next, then Finish.

Any message sent from home using the business account will appear to the recipient to come from the business email address. Likewise, email replies sent to the business address will be directed to the home Inbox.

Using the Alias Account

Here's how to use it.

• Click New or Reply In the message window, then take a look at the information line just under the toolbars. It will say "This message will be sent via (default account)".
• Click Accounts (should be to the right of Send) and choose "Business" as the account. The info line should change to, "This message will be sent via Business" to let you know that the email will appear to come from the writerforhire@yahoo.ca email and all replies will be sent to that email address.

CAUTION: It is necessary to choose the proper account each time before sending an email. Learn to watch that information bar to see which account is active, and it only takes a quick click to get the right one.

This is a small trade-off for the convenience of having a central control station for incoming and outgoing emails.

Email Symbol

Computer Keyboard for Email

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