An alias works well while one person answers everything. The first hire changes the question: which messages should the new colleague see, where should replies be kept, and who should still handle the address when someone leaves? Give the salesperson their own sign-in before sharing access to business correspondence.
For example, the owner may keep supplier messages in a personal work mailbox while both people handle sales@. Write down the desired arrangement before moving addresses. A familiar address can stay on the website even when the way people access it changes.
Several addresses for one person
Imagine a small workshop where the owner, Irina, answers customers, receives partnership inquiries, and handles order questions herself. Her main mailbox, irina@workshop.example, can also receive messages addressed to info@ and sales@.
An alias adds an address to an existing mailbox. It has no separate password or storage. Messages arrive in the same mailbox, so the employee doesn't need to check several accounts.
This works while one person really is responsible for all those areas. The recipient address helps distinguish the type of inquiry, and the messages can be organized within the mailbox as needed. The alias guide explains how it works.
When correspondence needs to be separated
Now the workshop hires someone to handle sales. Sharing Irina's password is unsuitable because her mailbox also contains supplier messages, documents, and other work matters. The salesperson needs their own access to the correspondence they are responsible for.
Compare four options:
- An alias delivers messages to an existing mailbox. That mailbox's user can read them.
- A separate mailbox keeps its own correspondence and has its own login and password.
- A shared mailbox holds the team's correspondence. Members use individual logins and assigned permissions.
- A forwarding address sends messages to the specified recipient. It has no login or archive of its own.
If one salesperson handles sales@, a separate mailbox may suit them. If both Irina and the salesperson answer it, a shared mailbox lets them work with the same correspondence while receiving their own permissions.
A shared address does not need a shared password
In TrekMail, shared mailbox members sign in through their own accounts. Permissions determine who can read messages and who can send from the shared address. You can remove one employee's access without giving everyone else a new shared password.
A shared mailbox has its own history. With ordinary forwarding into personal mailboxes, replies may end up spread across employees' accounts. Decide where the team should see the customer conversation first.
The shared mailbox guide explains how to add members. An address called support@ does not turn email into a ticketing system. If you need individual case assignments, response-time tracking, or specialized support reports, assess those requirements separately.
Check which address sends the reply
Receiving mail at sales@ is only part of the setup. Customers also need replies from the correct business address. In TrekMail, you can enable sending permission for an alias and then use it in webmail.
Check the display name, signature, and reply address. When Irina replies, she might appear as “Irina, Workshop” while sending from sales@workshop.example. A matching name and address make the conversation easier for the recipient to follow. See the sender identity settings.
Aliases and shared mailboxes are available on Starter, Pro, and Agency within defined limits. Before creating addresses, list each one's purpose, owner, members, and reply method. Some addresses only need an alias; others need a mailbox of their own. The structure should reflect how the team works and stay understandable as it grows.
Decide how much old correspondence the new person needs
Separate the public address from the archive behind it. The business may want the salesperson to handle new enquiries without exposing years of unrelated owner correspondence. Write down which previous sales conversations are necessary for the role and arrange any required transfer through the supported process. Changing an address's destination does not, by itself, move messages already stored elsewhere.
For a shared sales role, choose one place where both people will look for the current conversation. Forwarding a new enquiry to two personal mailboxes can give both people a copy, but it doesn't guarantee that either will see the other's reply. Ask how the owner will tell whether a customer has already received an answer. If the chosen arrangement leaves that unclear, revisit the shared history requirement before changing addresses.
Do not promise ticket assignments or collision prevention just because more than one person has access to a mailbox. Decide how two colleagues will coordinate replies in their ordinary working day. A simple agreed process may suit a small workshop, while a busier team may need tools beyond shared email access.
Keep personal access separate from the public address
Give the salesperson their own sign-in and establish a recovery process appropriate to that access. The customer-facing address can remain sales@ while the people authorised to work with it change. Record the mailbox or alias arrangement and the permissions needed to send a reply, instead of placing the owner's password in the new employee's setup notes.
Check sending permission separately from reading. A colleague may be able to see an enquiry but lack authority to reply from the public address. Send a test to an outside mailbox and inspect the received From and reply destination. If a phone or desktop app is used, include that app in the check rather than assuming a successful webmail reply proves every device is configured.
Plan the next handover before the first one ends
Write down who will remove access when the salesperson changes role or leaves. Keep the public address under the business's control and decide who takes responsibility for ongoing conversations. Removing a person's membership and deleting business correspondence are different decisions; do not combine them without reviewing what the business needs to retain.
Revisit the address list when another colleague joins. An arrangement that fits one salesperson may need to change when several people answer the same enquiries. Review current plan allowances before creating additional aliases or shared mailboxes, and document the new arrangement so the business can continue without relying on the memory of its first administrator.
Make the handover clear
For each public address, record its current recipient, future readers, permitted senders, and the place where the team will look for the conversation. Check the available options before moving an existing alias into another arrangement; keeping the spelling does not transfer old messages by itself.
Ask the new colleague to receive a test inquiry, reply from the right address, and find that reply again. Then check the same conversation as the owner. If only one person can see the answer, decide whether that is intentional before handing over customer work. Review membership when the role changes, instead of leaving a password shared between two people.
Related reading
- Domain Email Alias vs Mailbox: Decision Guide
- A Shared Mailbox in Outlook and Apple Mail, Without Sharing a Password
- Five people, fifteen email addresses: what are you paying for?
- Set up a three-person support inbox without a shared password
- How do I stop replying from the wrong business address?
