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I went to add an alias to a forwarded address (managed by GoDaddy, ie [email protected]) in Gmail, and I noticed that Google changed their system. In the past, after you entered the name and email address, you'd get a screen like this:

Before

However, now they seem to be requiring SMTP information:

Now

I did some research and contacted GoDaddy, but it seems that you have to register an actual email address, not a forward in order to add it as an alias in Gmail.

It should be noted that all aliases to forward addresses that I'd previously set up work fine, I just can't edit them or add new ones.

Does anyone know of a workaround for this or why this would have changed? Thanks!

rebello95
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1 Answers1

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I figured out a way to do this.

Use the Gmail SMTP server. Create an application specific password.

This is essentially the manual way to "send as an alias" with gmail.

I don't know why they removed the Alias functionality, but this is how to make it work.

I've written a more detailed step-by-step tutorial with screenshots and links here: http://ellisbenus.com/web-design-columbia-mo/workaround-using-gmail-alias-forwarded-email-addresses/

Ellis Benus Web Designer
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    This doesn't work anymore - There is no "App Passwords Settings". Try this link http://www.tjkelly.com/blog/gmail-godaddy-email-forwarding/ which is a more recent blog on **how to**. Good Luck. – Aakash Jan 07 '16 at 08:04
  • @AakashShah worked for me! – rebello95 Jan 27 '16 at 05:25
  • @rebello95 thats good. Are you already with 2-factor-authentication on your google account? – Aakash Jan 27 '16 at 09:23
  • @AakashShah yep I am – rebello95 Jan 27 '16 at 13:11
  • @rebello95 that's that explains why it worked for you then. cool. – Aakash Jan 28 '16 at 08:47
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    @AakashShah yeah you have to have it enabled in order to use app specific passwords. Otherwise it doesn't work – rebello95 Jan 28 '16 at 11:56
  • I believe this change to Gmail had to do with Google's stance/preference for sending digitally-signed emails, as a means of major email providers trying to reduce email based spam. -- since SMTP is not secure as a protocol, there is no integrated provision for authenticating the transmitting server. This has been solved by an agreement to include headers with such information. However, since Google cannot legitimately sign a message with e.g. Microsoft's signing certificate, any mail sent by Google as a Microsoft (live, msn, outlook, etc) address will have mismatched info and look suspicious – Code Jockey Feb 04 '16 at 19:41
  • if I ever get enough rep to answer a protected question on here, I'll come back and give it a full treatment, but this article from Google has a bit more info about it: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2014/08/external-addresses-no-longer-use-gmail.html – Code Jockey Feb 04 '16 at 19:42
  • Here in 2019, the Ellis Benus method still works (Even though the Google documentation on this is stuck at 2014... Sheesh...) Nice! And THANKS! BTW - Didn't work for me the 1st time with a weird 'can't load Gmail' error at the final step of the pop-up form (99% sure I did everything right), but worked fine on 2nd try. Persistence pays off! – spechter May 29 '19 at 13:19