Carnegie Mellon University
Office of the CIO  ›  Computing Services  ›  Services  ›  Communication and Collaboration  ›  Email and Calendaring  ›  How to Use Email and Calendaring  ›  How to Use An Email Alias (@CMU.EDU)

Email Alias (@CMU.EDU)  

You can personalize your (Andrew) email address by creating an email alias (@cmu.edu). An alias is an additional email address that people can use to send email messages to you at CMU. Create an alias often makes your email address easier for people to recognize or remember.

For example, Andy Cunningham has the following Andrew email address: acunning@andrew.cmu.edu. He can create an alias as andycunningham@cmu.edu to help make his address more recognizable.

Note: Your email alias will always have the domain @cmu.edu.  Additional @andrew.cmu.edu aliases are not offered.

Creating an email alias DOES:

Creating an email alias DOES NOT:
  • Change how you receive your university email. All email – whether it is sent to your email alias or to your official Andrew email address – will be delivered to the same place you read it today.
  • Change your Andrew userID. Services that require Web Login will still use your Andrew userID (NOT your email alias).
  • Change the way your name is displayed. You can set a preferred name if you want to display a different one from your legal name.

Important!

Once you've selected an email alias, you cannot change it. Be careful about selecting an alias that could be ambiguous or that you won't want for the duration of your association with Carnegie Mellon University. Computing Services reserves the right to remove inappropriate or misrepresentative alias selections.

How to Create an Email Alias

Review the sections below to create email aliases for your preferred email account type.

  1. Visit emailtools.cmu.edu. 
  2. Enter your Andrew userID and password if prompted.
  3. Click Manage Email Addresses.
  4. Click Create an email alias, enter the desired alias, and click Next.
  5. Add your new alias to your CMU Google account.

The following are the rules to consider when selecting an email alias.

  • An email alias must be least 2 characters in length and can contain up to 35 characters, limited to alphanumerics, and must start with a letter. 
  • Your requested email alias cannot match an existing email address in any CMU domain that is not already assigned to you. Common email alias requests include the use of the following:
    • Last name: You can select your last name as your email alias @cmu.edu as long as it is your last name and it doesn't match an existing email address that is not already assigned to you.
    • User ID (Andrew userID and/or organizational user ID): You can select your user ID as your email alias @cmu.edu as long it doesn't match an existing user ID that is not already assigned to you.
      NOTE: If an email alias matches to two or more user IDs, then no one is able to choose that alias without mutual agreement between individuals and organizations. If you find yourself in this situation, get permission from the other individual who matches your desired email alias and send it to it-help@cmu.edu.
  • You will be notified immediately if your chosen email alias is unavailable and will be asked to make another selection.
Computing Services reserves the right to remove inappropriate or misrepresentative email alias selections.

 

Who can create an email alias?
Campus affiliates with an official university Andrew email account can create an email alias (@CMU).

Does an email alias replace my official university email address?
No. Your official university email address does not change or go away if you decide to create an email alias.

Will setting an email alias change the username and password that I use to log in to other services?
No. You will still use your Andrew userID and password for all services that require Web Login. If you need to log in with your email address, you will use your official university (Andrew) email address, not your email alias.   

If I create an email alias, will I miss messages sent to my official university email address?
No. You will receive all your university emails in the same location that you do today, regardless of whether the message is sent to one of your email aliases or your official university email address.

What if two people request the same email alias?
Email aliases are granted on a first-come, first-served basis and are immediately verified upon request. If your alias meets the criteria and is not duplicated, you will receive an onscreen notification that your alias is available to create.

How do I request or create an email alias?
Review the email alias selection rules for personal accounts and follow the appropriate steps. Your request will be verified against appropriate rules. An error message displays if the alias does NOT meet the criteria. If your alias does meet the criteria, the association between your personal Andrew email address and your new email alias will be managed automatically.

How will I know when an email alias is ready?
For personal accounts, your requested email alias will be immediately verified. If your alias meets the criteria, you will receive an onscreen notification that your alias is available to create (Google). Once created, the association between your personal Andrew email address and your new email alias will be managed automatically. Follow the onscreen instructions for any processing time or login requirements. Once your email alias is ready, you can set it as your preferred email address.

How many aliases can I add?
You can add ONE email alias.

Can I set an external email address (for example, a Gmail address) as my email alias?
No. All email aliases must end with @cmu.edu.

Can I delete an email alias that I have created?
No. The service is intended to enable students, faculty, and staff to create email aliases that can be used on a long-term basis to meet ongoing academic or business needs. To help discourage the creation of short-term, temporary email aliases, individuals will not have the ability to delete or remove an email alias that they have created.

What criteria must my email alias meet?
Refer to the email alias selection rules for details.

I currently forward my university email to another address. Will messages sent to my email alias also be forwarded?
Yes. Messages sent to your email alias will adhere to your current email forwarding preferences.

I have a sponsored account. Can I set an email alias for it?
Yes. If you have a sponsored (rather than a primary) university visitor account, you can still create an email alias.

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