Alias vs Plus-Address Explainer
you+tag@gmail.com goes to the same inbox as you@gmail.com, but the CRM, the analytics tool, and the deduper all think they're different.
| Stored as | Actually delivers to | Provider strips it? |
|---|---|---|
| example@gmail.com | example@gmail.com | No |
| e.x.a.m.p.l.e@gmail.com | example@gmail.com | Gmail ignores dots |
| example+vendor@gmail.com | example@gmail.com | Gmail strips +tag for routing, keeps it in headers |
| example@googlemail.com | example@gmail.com | googlemail.com is a Gmail alias domain |
| example@yahoo.com vs example+x@yahoo.com | Different inboxes | Yahoo does NOT support plus-addressing |
Before deduping a list, normalize: lowercase, strip dots for gmail.com/googlemail.com, strip +tag for providers that support it.
You know the benchmark. Now see your own number.
Benchmarks are averages across other people's email. Outsolvi shows yours, with every open graded so Apple Mail pre-fetches and security scanners don't inflate it. From $7/user/mo billed yearly, 14-day free trial.
See your numberWorked examples showing how the same person can appear three times in your CRM as alias, plus-address, and primary; how to normalize.
Before deduplicating a contact list. Before building any signup form on a free-email-domain audience.
FAQ
Which providers support plus-addresses?+
Gmail (yes), Outlook.com (yes since 2020), Apple iCloud (yes), Fastmail (yes), Yahoo (no), most corporate Exchange (depends on admin config).
Keep going
Articles, glossary entries, and other tools on the same topic.
Nate built Outsolvi after watching every email-tracking tool he had ever used lie to him about opens. Outsolvi grades every open as a person or a machine, in Outlook and Gmail, so the number on the dashboard is one a rep can actually act on.
We update these pages when the underlying mechanics change. new mailbox-provider rules, new tracker behavior, new measurement gaps. The dates above are real revisions, not auto-touches.