Include Your Name in Your Email Address

January 2013 — Tip of the Month

Have you ever wondered why some email messages your receive include the person's name in the From field, while others just include an email address? The reason is that some people set up their email accounts properly, while others do not.

When configuring your email account, look for a field labeled "Full Name" or "Name" and make sure to enter your name correctly before saving the account settings. This will allow the email client or webmail system to append your name to your email address whenever you send a message. It will show up as "Your Name " rather than simply "[email protected]."

Including your name when setting up your email account has two primary benefits: 1) It clarifies who you are to your recipients, and 2) it prevents your emails from being labeled as spam.

1. Clarifying Your Identity - Most people receive a several emails per day. So when your name shows up in the From field, it is much easier for the recipient to recognize who the email is from. Therefore, he or she will probably open it and read your message sooner. Including your name is a simple way to make your emails more user-friendly and more professional.
2. Preventing Spam - Most email servers and email programs include some type of spam filtering. These filters often work by assigning points to each email based on certain factors, such as the server location, length of the message, and keywords found in the message. If the points reach a certain limit, the message is filtered into a spam folder. Many filtering algorithms assign extra spam points to messages that do not include a name in the From field. Therefore, if you don't include your full name when setting up your email account, your messages are more likely to end up in your recipients' spam box.

Whether you use an email program like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail, or a web-based solution, like Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail, it is worth taking a moment to make sure your full name has been entered correctly in your email account settings. You can then send a test email to yourself to make sure your name shows up in the From field.

- Per Christensson