Email basics
Core terms for how email addresses and messages work.
- Alias email
An extra address that delivers into an existing mailbox.
- Alternate email
A second address a person gives as a backup way to reach them.
- Archive (email)
Moving a message out of the inbox into long-term storage without deleting it.
- Attachment
A file sent along with an email message.
- BCC
Blind carbon copy: recipients added in BCC receive the message without being shown to the others.
- Branded email
Email sent from an address on your own domain with a consistent name, rather than from a free-mail account.
- Canned email
A saved, ready-made message you reuse instead of writing the same reply each time.
- CC
Carbon copy: recipients added in CC receive the message and every recipient can see who else got it.
- Compose (email)
Writing a new message, as opposed to replying or forwarding.
- Contact form
A web form that lets visitors send you a message without opening their own mail app.
- Email
Electronic mail: messages sent between mailboxes over the internet using standard protocols.
- Email address
The string that identifies a mailbox, in the form local-part@domain.
- Email address fields
The header fields of a message that hold addresses: From, To, Cc, Bcc, Reply-To and Return-Path.
- Email case sensitivity
Whether upper and lower case matter in an address.
- Email client
The software a person uses to read and write email, such as a webmail site, a desktop app or a phone app.
- Email domain
The part of an address after the @, which decides where mail for that address is delivered.
- Email etiquette
The habits that make email easier to read and respond to: clear subjects, short messages and careful use of reply-all.
- Email forwarding
Passing a received message on to another address, by hand or by an automatic rule.
- Email hosting
A service that provides mailboxes for your domain.
- Email list
A group of subscribers you send to, usually organised into lists, segments and tags.
- Email management
Handling the flow of email in a team or business, from shared inboxes and assignment to lists and sending accounts.
- Email prefix
The local part of an address, the text before the @.
- Email sender
The identity a message comes from: the From name, the From address and the envelope sender that receives bounces.
- Email signature
A block at the end of a message with the sender’s name, role and contact details.
- Email thread
A conversation of related messages that a client groups together.
- From name
The display name shown beside the sender’s address in the inbox.
- Gmail
Google’s email service, used with a free gmail.com address or on a custom domain through Google Workspace.
- GMX
A free email provider popular in Germany and other European countries.
- Inbound email
Email that arrives at your system, as opposed to email you send.
- Inbox
The folder where new messages arrive for a mailbox.
- Inbox zero
A personal habit of keeping the inbox empty by processing each message once.
- mailto link
A link that opens a new email to a given address, written as mailto:name@example.test.
- MUA
Mail User Agent: the program a person uses to read and write email, such as a mail app.
- No-reply address
A sender address such as noreply@ that is not meant to receive answers.
- Out-of-office reply
An automatic reply sent while the recipient is away.
- Outbox
The folder that holds messages waiting to be sent.
- Outlook
Microsoft’s email client and the service behind outlook.com addresses and Microsoft 365 business mail.
- Primary email
The main address on an account or contact record.
- Primary tab
Gmail’s main inbox tab, as opposed to Promotions, Social and Updates.
- Proxy email address
An address that forwards to a person’s real mailbox so the real one stays private.
- Recipient email address
The address a message is delivered to.
- Reply all
Answering to the sender and every other recipient of a message.
- Reply-To
A header that tells the recipient’s mail app where replies should go.
- Rich text
Text with formatting, such as bold, italics, lists and links.
- Role-based email address
An address for a function or team rather than a person, such as info@, sales@ or support@.
- Valid email
An address that is correctly formed and that the receiving server will accept mail for.
- Webmail
Email that you read and write in a web browser, such as Gmail on the web or Outlook.com.