Jon Sidor
Tired of spam clogging your inbox? Or looking for an email alias that doesn’t scream I made this in high school? Hey, we’ve all been there, FurbyFan4Life@aol.com.
Enter the email address generator, a tool that lets you dodge marketing emails, safely sign up for online services, or just keep your main email under wraps.
Read on to find out what an email address generator is and which services are best for your needs.
What is an email address generator?
An email address generator is a tool that helps you create alternative email addresses to use instead of your primary address from a service like Gmail or Outlook. Rather than completely replacing your regular inbox, these generated addresses are useful in a variety of specific scenarios where sharing your personal email wouldn’t be desirable.
It’s important to note that all generators aren’t created equal. While they have their similarities, specific tools generate email addresses for different purposes. Here are the key types of email generators:
- Temporary email address generator: provides a short-lived inbox to receive things like verification emails;
- Disposable email address generator: a good idea when trying to avoid spam or sign up for online services like a newsletter. These are sometimes called burner email or fake mail generators, as they’re helpful for bypassing mandatory sign-ups without sharing your main email account;
- Personal email address generator: helps create customized addresses for personal or business needs. These are great for making a unique email address that’s meant to stand out;
- Random email address generator: produces randomized addresses, often using combinations of generic usernames, numbers, and special characters
No matter the exact type, email address generators give you more control over your online identity.
Benefits of using an email address generator
The online world is full of sketchy websites, spammy newsletters, and data-hungry companies. An email address generator helps you stay on top of these common issues by bringing these benefits:
Privacy protection
Using your main email account for every website is like giving your home address to every stranger you meet. All you’ll be doing is needlessly putting yourself in harm’s way.
For instance, you’ll likely receive messages from a bunch of questionable sources. If personal info like your name, business name, or year of birth are in your regular address, your private details may be compromised in data leaks or sold to third parties.
An email address generator lets you keep your real inbox private by creating a temporary address for use on whatever websites or services you want. This helps protect your identity and reduces the chances of your primary mail ending up in the wrong hands. With a disposable address, your main inbox stays private, shielding you from unwanted exposure.
Enhanced security
Cybercriminals send about 3.4 billion emails a day. Thankfully, you significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to phishing attacks, data breaches, and identity theft by using two email inboxes — one for spam and one for trusted correspondence.
Scammers often target known or public email addresses to trick individuals into revealing personal information or installing malware. Using a disposable address or alias helps defend against these attacks by making your actual contact details harder to target.
These addresses are one of the easiest ways to strengthen your online security, especially when signing up for websites or services you aren’t entirely sure about. Even if a disposable address is compromised, it’s much less damaging than having your primary email exposed.
Note: To avoid cyberattacks, you still need to avoid clicking on sketchy links sent to any of your email addresses. While threats can end up in any inbox, using an email address for spam makes it easier to recognize unsafe messages.
Spam reduction
Anyone who’s used their email address to sign up for a free service, online contest, or loyalty program knows the likely aftermath — an avalanche of spam and promotional emails.
With an email address generator, you can free your primary inbox from this constant clutter. Disposable emails act as a barrier between you and unwanted communications, receiving these annoying messages while making your real inbox a clean, streamlined home for important emails.
This makes these tools particularly useful for signing up for one-off services that you want to sign up for but not necessarily stay in touch with long-term. You can even throw these temporary addresses away once you’re done, cutting off spam at the source.
Greater convenience
Less spam isn’t just a benefit in and of itself. It unlocks a more convenient, hassle-free internet wherever you browse.
Sign up for that subscription you’ve been eyeing — without worrying about getting caught up in unwanted follow-up emails. Access exclusive deals, register for events, and try out free trials with greater peace of mind. Your alternative email addresses might get swamped, but your main inbox won’t.
Need to test out an online service? Use a disposable address to explore it, knowing that future notifications are the least of your concerns. When you’re done, discard the address to leave no trace of unwanted subscriptions or registrations.
Overall, a temporary email address makes managing your online activity more efficient and enjoyable.
What is Surfshark’s Alternative ID?
Alternative ID is a tool that lets you generate a new email address and online identity. You can create a new email address to use on any sites you don’t trust. Email messages are forwarded to your main inbox, keeping you in the loop while staying private.
And Alternative ID isn’t just another temporary email address service. Here’s where it stands out:
- New identity creation: users get much more than a temporary mail address. Alternative ID lets you create a brand-new online persona with a name and physical address to go along with your email, making it easier to sign up for services that require additional info;
- Ease of use: the auto-fill function means you can instantly fill out sign-up forms without having to hunt down your temporary information;
- Multiple emails: your sign-ups might be a one-and-done thing, but Alternative ID isn’t. The tool lets you maintain up to three email addresses at once, each with its own domain;
- Part of Surfshark’s cybersecurity bundles: Alternative ID always comes in a wider cybersecurity package. It’s available in every Surfshark bundle, so you can enjoy it alongside tools like Surfshark VPN (Virtual Private Network), Antivirus, the Alert data leak monitoring tool, and more.
Steps to create an Alternative ID with Surfshark
You can set up Alternative ID — complete with a generated email address — by following these simple steps:
1. Sign up for Surfshark
Set up your Surfshark account and log in to the Surfshark web application.
2. Navigate to Alternative ID
Go to the Alt ID tab and click Create.
3. Create your Alternative Persona
Fill in fields like Gender, Age range, and Country to create your new online identity. Not sure what you want? Click Regenerate to see new names, addresses, and dates of birth that have been generated based on your preferences. Once you see a persona you like, click Create Alt persona.
4. Create your Alternative Email
You’ll see an automatically generated address to use as your alternative email. Click Regenerate until you find one you like, and then click Continue.
5. Link your real email
Enter your real email address and click Create Alt email.
6. Verify your email
Check your inbox for a verification email and confirm. You’ll get a confirmation message in the Surfshark web app. Your Alternative ID is ready to go, and emails sent to your generated address will be forwarded to your real email inbox.
For complete instructions, including how to set up Alternative ID on our browser extension, check out our Alternative ID helpdesk article.
Use cases for an email address generator
Still wondering why you’d want to use generated email addresses? Here are some everyday situations where they can come in handy:
Online shopping
Many online retailers require an email address to complete a purchase, access discounts, or get a store loyalty card. Using an email generator helps you keep marketing emails, promotional spam, or even phishing attempts out of your primary account — these mails will go to your alternative inbox instead. Additionally, your personal email stays protected if the shop experiences a data breach.
Subscriptions and free trials
Certain websites offer free trials for services like streaming, software, or online courses, but they often require an email to sign up. An email generator lets you register without using your primary inbox, preventing follow-up emails or renewal reminders from cluttering your account.
Social media accounts
You usually need to verify your email address when making a new account on social media. While sharing your address may expose your personal information to potential data leaks or targeted ads, an email generator makes you nearly anonymous when signing up, reducing the risk of spam or unwanted tracking in the process.
Job applications
When applying for jobs, keeping a separate email for professional interactions ensures that recruitment-related messages don’t get lost among your personal emails. An email generator can also protect your primary inbox from unsolicited job-related emails.
Testing websites and services
Developers, researchers, and curious minds frequently need temporary access to apps or websites for testing purposes. Instead of entering your personal email over and over and facing security risks, an email generator gives you a disposable address you can quickly use and discard.
Surfshark’s Alternative ID vs. other email generators
Here’s how Alternative ID stacks up against other email generators on the market:
Alternative ID vs. Temp Mail
Temp Mail provides email addresses that are literally disposable — you set up a temporary inbox that deactivates and disappears after a short period of time. Incoming messages come to a newly created inbox, which you lose access to once the address expires.
In contrast, Alternative ID offers a more comprehensive service. Users get alternative names, birth dates, and physical addresses on top of a new email, and messages are forwarded to your primary inbox — which you naturally won’t lose access to.
Additionally, Alternative ID comes bundled with products like Surfshark VPN, so you can enjoy an all-in-one cybersecurity suite. Temp Mail’s features are specifically focused on its generated email addresses.
| Alternative ID | Temp Mail |
|---|---|
| Provides a complete persona (email, name, date of birth, etc.) | Offers only a disposable email address |
| Forwards messages to your primary inbox | Creates a temporary inbox that expires |
| Comes with Surfshark cybersecurity suite | Not bundled with any complementary tools |
Alternative ID vs. 10-minute-mail services
A 10-minute-mail service is a type of email name generator that lets you create free, disposable email addresses that expire after 10 minutes. This time can be extended, but it’s still capped at a couple of hours.
When it comes to choosing your generated address, these sites don’t offer many options. You usually have to settle for a random email address consisting of a chain of letters for both the username and domain. This means your addresses will look something like qwerty@html.com. Incoming emails go to your 10-minute-mail inbox and can’t be forwarded to your primary account.
In contrast, Alternative ID can be used over a long period and gives you plenty of domain names to choose from — no random character strings here. While admins are also likely to block 10-minute-mail domains, Alternative ID’s generated emails look like legitimate addresses that rarely raise red flags.
| Alternative ID | 10-minute-mail services |
|---|---|
| Lets you use generated email addresses that look legitimate | Generates addresses with random character chains |
| Suitable for use over longer periods | Expires after 10 minutes |
| Comes with Surfshark cybersecurity suite | Not supported by any additional tools |
Alternative ID vs. Guerrilla Mail
Guerrilla Mail is a no-frills service that creates a disposable email address to avoid spam and stay private online.
Guerrilla Mail provides scrambled and unscrambled usernames and has around a dozen preconfigured domain names you can choose from. Emails are sent to a temporary mailbox that can’t be synced to a real email address. All incoming communication expires after one hour in your inbox, but the address itself does not.
On the other hand, Surfshark Alternative ID forwards messages to your primary inbox, so you don’t have to worry about messages getting automatically deleted. And while Alternative ID comes bundled with Surfshark VPN, Antivirus, or more (depending on the package you choose), Guerrilla Mail only offers a password manager to go alongside its email generator.
| Alternative ID | Guerrilla Mail |
|---|---|
| Used to help you create a new online persona | Made expressly to avoid spam |
| Doesn’t delete emails | Deletes emails after one hour |
| Comes with Surfshark cybersecurity suite | Only complemented by password manager |
Prioritize your online privacy with Surfshark
In a world where private online communication is a luxury, having a tool like Surfshark’s Alternative ID can be a game-changer. Whether you’re protecting your inbox from spam, securing your account, or just trying to maintain some sanity on the web, Surfshark has your back.
Generate email addresses with Alternative ID to stay safe, stay private, and stay one step ahead of the inbox chaos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a unique email address?
You can create a unique email address using a service like Surfshark’s Alternative ID. It lets you generate custom email aliases that forward to your main inbox, helping you identify which alias received unwanted emails. This keeps your regular email private and gives you better control over potential risks.
What is the best free email?
If you’re not using one of the mainstream providers like Gmail, free email generators often have limited capabilities. Many, for instance, create addresses that expire after a short period, meaning you could lose access to important messages. Paid services from a reputable provider, like Surfshark’s Alternative ID, provide long-term solutions for keeping your personal email private.
How do I create a custom email address?
A custom email address can be created using a tool like Surfshark’s Alternative ID. It lets you generate unique addresses and manage multiple accounts for different online activities, giving you flexibility while keeping your real address protected.
Are disposable emails legal?
Yes, disposable emails are completely legal. They are widely used to protect personal privacy, reduce spam, and enhance security when signing up for online services. Many people use them to avoid sharing their real email address with untrusted websites.
What is disposable email?
A disposable email is a temporary email address designed for one-time or short-term use. It is commonly used for online sign-ups, testing services, and reducing spam. These emails boost privacy and help keep your primary inbox clutter-free.
What is the best temporary email generator?
No temporary email generator is the best, but Surfshark’s Alternative ID stands out from other choices because it combines privacy, security, and usability. It gives you real email aliases with forwarding capabilities and comes bundled with the Surfshark cybersecurity suite, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for secure, reliable email.
