Testing a new SaaS platform. You need to register three different accounts to verify the onboarding flow works end-to-end. Problem: you only have one email address, and the system blocks duplicate registrations.
Sound familiar?
This is the exact frustration that pushed me to build Email Alias Generator — a free, client-side tool that generates unlimited unique email aliases from a single inbox. No signup required. No backend. No data leaving your browser.
The Problem with Testing Registration Flows
As a developer, I test a lot of platforms. Registration flows, email verification, OTP validation — all critical paths that need real-world testing.
But here’s the reality:
- Most platforms block duplicate emails
- Creating throwaway email accounts is slow and annoying
- Managing multiple inboxes to collect OTP codes is a nightmare
- Some services require phone verification on top of email
- You need a different email for every test environment
You end up spending more time managing email accounts than actually testing the product.
How Email Aliases Actually Work
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: your email provider already supports aliases.
Gmail’s Dot Notation
Gmail ignores dots in the local part of your email address. These all deliver to the same inbox:
johndoe@gmail.com → your real inbox
john.doe@gmail.com → your real inbox
j.ohndoe@gmail.com → your real inbox
johndo.e@gmail.com → your real inboxSame inbox. Different addresses. No configuration needed.
The Math Behind It
For a username with n characters, you have 2^(n-1) possible dot combinations. A 7-character name like johndoe generates 64 unique aliases. An 8-character name generates 128 combinations.
The Email Alias Generator automates this. Paste your email, pick how many dots to allow, and it generates all valid combinations instantly.
Features That Make It Actually Useful
One-Click Generation
Enter your email. Click generate. Get up to 20 aliases in milliseconds. No waiting, no API calls, no loading spinners.
Copy Individual or Bulk
Each alias has its own copy button. Or hit “Copy All” to grab the entire list for bulk operations.
Export to File
Download your aliases as a .txt file. Keep them for reference, import into your testing tools, or save for later.
Shuffle Mode
Randomize the order of your aliases. Useful when you want variety and don’t want to use the same first alias every time.
100% Client-Side
Your email is never sent to any server. The generation happens entirely in your browser. Refresh the page and the state clears. That’s intentional — no data persistence means no data exposure.
The Tech Stack
Built with a minimal, focused stack:
- React 18 + Vite — Fast dev experience, optimized production builds
- TypeScript — Strict mode, zero
anytypes - Tailwind CSS — Utility-first styling with a custom dark theme
- Lucide React — Clean, consistent iconography
- Cloudflare Pages — Edge-deployed, globally fast, zero backend costs
The entire production bundle is 204KB (55KB gzipped). Code splitting ensures you load only what you need.
Real-World Use Cases
1. QA Testing
Test the same registration flow repeatedly without hitting “email already exists.” Use a different alias for each test run. All OTP codes land in your real inbox.
2. Privacy & Data Tracking
Use a unique alias for every service you sign up for. If you start receiving spam on one specific alias, you know exactly which company leaked your data.
3. Development Staging
Test email workflows across multiple environments. Use johndoe+staging1@gmail.com for one environment, johndoe+staging2@gmail.com for another — and let the Gmail plus-addressing combine with dot-notation for maximum alias coverage.
4. B2B Demo Environments
Running demos? Generate fresh aliases for each prospect so you can track which demo emails get opened without revealing your real address.
How to Use It Right Now
Generate Aliases
- Go to email-alias.mdhn.my.id
- Enter any Gmail address (e.g.,
yourname@gmail.com) - Click Generate
- Copy the aliases you need
Important: Use Them Correctly
- Gmail only: This tool generates dot-notation aliases, which work with Gmail. Yahoo and some other providers support this too, but the primary target is Gmail.
- One alias per registration: Use each alias once. Reusing an alias on the same platform defeats the purpose.
- No password recovery: Remember your aliases. Gmail won’t help you recover access to
j.oh.ndoe@gmail.comif you forget you created it.
What I Learned Building It
Performance Matters in Utilities
This is a tool, not a landing page. Users expect it to be fast. The alias generation algorithm uses bit manipulation to generate all combinations in a single pass — no loops within loops, no unnecessary allocations. The result: generation is instant even for long email prefixes.
Minimalism Scales
No user accounts. No database. No authentication. No backend. This decision came from the core problem: users need aliases NOW, not after they create an account. Every friction point you remove increases the tool’s utility.
Dark Mode Isn’t Optional
Developers live in dark mode. Every dev tool, every code editor, every terminal — dark by default. Building a developer-focused utility with a light mode option would be tone-deaf. Commit to dark. Do it well.
Get Started
No signup. No tracking. Works in your browser right now.
Built with React, Vite, TypeScript, and Tailwind. Deployed on Cloudflare Pages. The source is open and available if you want to see how it works under the hood.