Microsoft will soon allow users of Office 365 email services to create as many custom, disposable email addresses as they please.
Known either as subaddressing or plus addressing, the feature (which Microsoft introduced to Hotmail back in 2013) allows users to add a unique “tag” to the local portion of their email address as a means of differentiating between groups of senders.
For example, address@domain.com could be extended to address+tag@domain.com. All emails delivered to the custom address appear in the main inbox, but users can more easily determine from which company the email (or email campaign) originated.
In theory, an infinite number of custom addresses could be created, to be used for different contact forms or service sign-ups.
Office 365 subaddressing
Subaddressing has been supported for years by a select few providers, including Gmail, and can prove handy in a couple of different scenarios.
The feature could be used to better organize a user’s inbox, in combination with inbox rules, or to track the exchange of an email address between third parties.
For example, if address+CompanyX@domain.com has only been provided to Company X, but an email to the subaddress is received from Company Y, the user can see their data has changed hands between the two parties.
“Plus Addressing is a great way to quickly create custom (or disposable) email addresses based off your standard email address,” explains the Office 365 product roadmap.
“Support [for the feature] is a great way to more easily manage your inbox, and even track mail like marketing and sales campaigns.”
The subaddressing facility, according to the roadmap, is currently under development and will launch at some point in Q3 this year.
Via ZDNet
