This guide explains how to handle people records that lack an email address or share duplicate ones (such as test records), using plus addressing (also known as sub addressing) to create a unique variation of the email for the affected user(s)

Contents

• Overview

• Using plus addressing to create unique emails

  • What is plus addressing?
  • How to format a plus address
  • Compatibility
  • Further learning

   

Overview

• The Sign-in area requires a unique contact/work email address for the user's sign-in credential, which can be either a work or personal email address stored in Personal Details > Contact Details tab

• Records with duplicate emails will not be able to be synced so the user will not be able to sign in
• This could also apply if you have used your email address for test records, and if it's not possible to use an alternative email, then plus addressing can help

Using plus addressing to create unique emails

What is plus addressing?

Plus addressing (also known as sub-addressing) allows you to create unique variations of an email address by adding a + and a tag before the @ symbol.

Example: If your email is user@example.com, you can use:

• user+test1@example.com
• user+test2@example.com

These variations will still deliver emails to user@example.com.

How to format a plus address

Use the following format:

[base email]+[identifier]@[domain]

• Example - Tony Adcock wants to add a test user that he can log in as
  • Base email: tadcock@ciphrdemo.com 
  • Plus address: tadcock+test@ciphrdemo.com
• You can choose any identifier after the + to distinguish a different user
• In the test record shown below, the plus address is added to the test record's Personal Details Contact Email Address (or Work email if this is your default email address for sign-in and emails)

• The test record can sign in with the plus address but any emails would still be sent to the original email (Tony Adcock's) so that the password and two-factor authentication can be set up

Compatibility

Most major email providers support plus addressing, including:

• Gmail
• Outlook
• Yahoo

Further learning

For more technical details, visit Microsoft’s official documentation:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/recipients-in-exchange-online/plus-addressing-in-exchange-online