Just one email
Low-value downloads, forum previews and single verifications suit a temporary inbox. No replies needed afterwards, no password recovery involved.
Generate a temporary address →Privacy decision compass
How long an address should live depends on the relationship
First ask whether you'll ever need to recover the account, then how long the other side will still contact you. The shortest lifespan isn't always the safest — losing an important account is a risk too.
Notifications keep coming
Subscriptions, shopping updates and project contacts fit a forwarding alias. Your real mailbox stays hidden, and you can pause the relationship anytime.
Open the forwarding dashboard →Identity and asset accounts
Banks, healthcare, government and primary work accounts must use a mailbox you control long-term with recovery and multi-factor auth — never a temporary address.
Scenario risk matrix
| Scenario | Recovery needed | Ongoing mail | Suggested address |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-off download | Low | No | Temporary inbox |
| Store orders | Medium | Yes | Privacy forwarding |
| Banking & government | High | Yes | Long-term primary mailbox |
Scenario lookup
Find your exact situation first
Unsure which address a sign-up deserves? Match the scenario below, then check whether the reasoning fits your case.
Verification codes & activation links
Forums, tools and event pages want an activated email—after that one message, the relationship is over. Use the temp inbox and stay out of their database.
Verify & discardShop orders & shipping updates
Mail keeps coming for weeks and returns run over email. Use a forwarding alias: long-term delivery, one-click pause when the ads start.
Newsletters & content updates
Not sure you’ll keep reading? Subscribe through an alias; keep it if it earns its place, pause it if it turns into ad spray.
Job applications & collaborations
People must reach you for months and your reputation is attached. Use your long-term primary mailbox with two-factor auth enabled.
Banking, government & healthcare
Account recovery and legal notices ride on this address; any temporary scheme is a liability. Only a mailbox you fully control.
Three questions
Three questions pick the right tier
No scenario list to memorise—run these three questions before any sign-up and the answer points at the right address.
Will this account ever need recovery?
Anything with password resets or identity checks rules out temp addresses. A recovery email sent to a destroyed inbox is a lost account.
How long will they keep writing?
Meaningful mail beyond 24 hours (bills, notices, replies) needs at least an alias; a single expected email is cleanest on a temp address.
What does exposing your real address cost?
Unknown reputation or list-selling risk? Even long-term relationships deserve an alias: rotate the alias when abused, never your mailbox.
Address tiers
Three tiers, each owning its relationships
Privacy email isn’t about hiding—it’s about placing every relationship in the right tier so one breach never cascades.
Tier 1 · Long-term primary
Banks, government, employers and core platforms only. Two-factor on, never typed into unknown forms.
Tier 2 · Forwarding aliases
Shops, subscriptions and communities. Your real address stays hidden; one alias per relationship—pause it, and know exactly who leaked you.
Tier 3 · Temporary inbox
One-off verifications and trials. Three-hour lifetime, 24-hour cap, then address and mail are destroyed together.
Decision FAQ
Privacy Compass FAQ
Can one alias serve several sites?
It can, but shouldn’t. One alias per site means you can tell exactly who sold or leaked your address—and pause only the affected relationship.
Will sites detect my temp address?
Some maintain disposable-domain blocklists and refuse sign-up. Don’t cycle temp addresses against a hard block; forwarding aliases ride an independent domain that typically isn’t listed.
Can I swap an alias for my real email later?
Most sites let you change the bound email in settings. “Alias first, upgrade later” is the safe default; the reverse—unexposing a real address—is impossible.
Isn’t a three-tier system overkill?
Day to day it’s one rule: never give unknown forms your primary address. TMP10 generates the aliases and temp inboxes, so there’s nothing to memorise.