> Enrich.chat gives AI agents verified work emails and mobiles. To use it from an agent, read https://enrich.chat/agents.md . This is the Markdown version of https://enrich.chat/blog/company-email-address-examples/

# Company email address examples: formats, role addresses and a naming policy

Made-up examples for two readers: people setting up addresses for their own company, and people working out someone else's address from a known one. It has decision tables, the RFC 2142 role names, alias and shared mailbox limits, and a one-page naming policy.

By Enrich.chat Editorial. Updated October 16, 2026.

**Short answer:** A company email address is a mailbox on a domain the company owns. Most companies pick one staff format, usually first.last (sam.rivera@example.com), plus role addresses such as sales@ and support@ that [RFC 2142](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html) names. To work out someone else's address, copy the format of one known colleague, then [verify it](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-finder/) before you send.

## Key takeaways

- [RFC 2142](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html) defines info@, marketing@, sales@, support@, abuse@, noc@, security@ and postmaster@, among others. It does not list billing@, press@, careers@ or privacy@, which are convention.
- Limits checked October 16, 2026: [Google Workspace](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias) allows 30 aliases per user, [Microsoft 365](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user) allows 400, and a [Microsoft shared mailbox](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/about-shared-mailboxes) supports up to 25 users.
- For two people with one name, the first keeps the plain address and the next adds a middle initial or a number, as in [Washington State's naming standard](https://watech.wa.gov/policies/email-address-naming-standard-0).
- [Gmail](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) and [Yahoo](https://senders.yahooinc.com/best-practices/) ask every sender for SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders for SPF, DKIM and DMARC, with spam complaints under 0.3%.
- To read a format, match one known address to its owner's name, then apply the rule to your target. It stays a guess until a check says otherwise.

## What does a company email address look like?

A company email address is a mailbox on a domain the company owns, such as sam.rivera@example.com. It takes one of a few forms: a personal address for one person, a role address for a job or team, or an alias that sends mail to a mailbox that already exists. Every example on this page uses example.com, which [RFC 2606](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2606.html) reserves for use as an example, and every person is made up.

| Type | Example | Who gets the mail | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal | sam.rivera@example.com | One person | Staff and named contacts |
| Role | sales@example.com | Whoever holds the job | Questions about a function |
| Alias | sam@example.com | The same inbox as sam.rivera@ | Nicknames, old names, a second role |
| Team address | support@example.com | Several people | Help desk or front desk |
| Sender only | notifications@example.com | Nobody, unless replies are routed | Receipts and alerts |

Two kinds of reader use this page. If you are setting up addresses for your own company, read the next six sections. If you want to work out a colleague's or a prospect's address, go to the section on reading a format from an example.

## Which format should a company use for staff addresses?

Use first.last@ unless the team is small and will stay small. It reads as a name, and it clashes only when two people share a full name. The table matches common situations to a format. Our guide to [business email address formats](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-address-formats/) lists 12 patterns and the character rules, so this page does not repeat them.

| Your situation | Format to pick | Example | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A founder, or a team with no repeated first names | first@ | sam@example.com | It breaks at the second Sam. Keep first@ as an alias if you move to first.last@ |
| A growing company with customer-facing staff | first.last@ | sam.rivera@example.com | Two people with one full name need a tie-breaker |
| A larger staff that wants short addresses | flast@ | srivera@example.com | Anyone who shares a first initial and surname clashes |
| Several regions or brands | first.last@ on a region subdomain | sam.rivera@eu.example.com | Each sending domain needs its own authentication |
| A public body or a regulated employer | A written standard | sam.rivera@example.com, then sam.k.rivera@ | The sign-in name must match the primary address |
| Someone who needs protection | An address that hides the name | u4821@example.com | Keep these as written exceptions to the policy |

The last two rows come from [Washington State's naming standard](https://watech.wa.gov/policies/email-address-naming-standard-0). It sets FirstName.LastName@agency.wa.gov, requires the sign-in name and primary address to match, and allows obfuscated addresses for protection as an exception. The region subdomain row follows [LINK Mobility's guide](https://www.linkmobility.com/blog/examples-of-good-email-address-structure), which lists firstname.lastname@region.company.com for international organizations. [Google](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) asks senders to set up authentication for each sending domain.

Whatever you pick, apply it to everyone, founders included. Use lowercase letters, digits, dots and hyphens. [Google Workspace](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/name-guidelines-for-users-and-groups) converts uppercase letters in a username to lowercase and does not ignore dots, so sam.rivera@ and samrivera@ are different addresses unless an admin adds an alias.

Avoid nicknames, hobbies and numbers that are not tie-breakers. [Twilio's guide](https://twilio.com/en-us/blog/insights/make-professional-email-address) gives that rule for professional addresses. [GMass](https://www.gmass.co/blog/professional-email-address/) adds one more rule: do not tie an address to a job title, which can become irrelevant when the person changes role.

## How do you handle two people with the same name, a name change or a leaver?

Write the rule before the first case arrives. Every format meets all three cases, and an address that has been in use for months is hard to change.

### Two people with the same name

The first person keeps the plain address. The next one adds a middle initial, and a later one adds a number. [Washington State's standard](https://watech.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/EA-01-04-S%20Email%20Address%20Naming%20Standard.pdf) settles duplicates with a middle initial or a number after the last name. So Sam Rivera keeps sam.rivera@example.com, Sam K. Rivera gets sam.k.rivera@example.com, and a third Sam Rivera gets sam.rivera2@example.com. The initial-first order is our suggestion, not the standard's.

Both big platforms refuse a duplicate address. Google says you [can't create an alias](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias) that matches an existing account. Microsoft shows an error when a shared mailbox name is [already in use](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/about-shared-mailboxes). Never hand the first person's address to someone else, because mail already goes to that person.

### A name change

Rename the primary address and keep the old one working. In Google Workspace, a rename turns the [old address into an alias](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/change-a-users-email-address). The person signs in with the new address, and mail to both reaches the same inbox. Microsoft's [rename guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address) points admins to its alias guide for extra addresses, so add the old address as an alias there.

### A leaver

Remove the person's sign-in on the last day, then decide where their mail goes. Google's [alias guide](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias) suggests adding a deleted employee's address as an alias on a current user, so mail still arrives. In Microsoft 365 you can [convert the mailbox to a shared mailbox](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/convert-user-mailbox-to-shared-mailbox). It needs a license when you convert, can drop the license afterward if it holds 50 GB or less, and the old user account must stay because it anchors the shared mailbox.

Set a date when the old address retires, and do not reissue it. Otherwise a new hire with the same name receives mail meant for the person who left.

## Which role addresses should a company set up?

Set up the ones for functions you have: info@, sales@ and support@ for customers, security@ and abuse@ for problem reports, and postmaster@ for the mail system. [RFC 2142](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html) defines these names and encourages every organization to support each name whose function it has. [RFC 5321](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5321.html#section-4.5.1) goes further: any server that relays or delivers mail must support postmaster.

| Address | What it is for | In RFC 2142? | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| info@ | General questions | Yes | Packaged information about the organization, products or services |
| sales@ | Buying questions | Yes | Product purchase information |
| support@ | Problems with a product or service | Yes | Usually a shared mailbox or group |
| marketing@ | Marketing communications | Yes | Product marketing and marketing communications |
| abuse@ | Reports of inappropriate public behaviour | Yes | Google Workspace reserves it, so no user or alias can take it |
| security@ | Security bulletins and questions | Yes | RFC 9116 uses it as the sample Contact in a security.txt file |
| postmaster@ | Mail delivery problems | Yes | Required by RFC 5321. Google Workspace reserves it |
| billing@ | Invoices and payment questions | No | A convention. Google's alias guide uses it to handle invoices |
| press@ | Media requests | No | A convention |
| careers@ | Job applications | No | A convention |
| privacy@ | Privacy requests | No | No standard names it. Use the address your privacy notice gives |
| hello@ or contact@ | A friendly front door | No | A convention for first contact |

The table follows the RFC's own wording in [sections 3 to 5](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html). RFC 2142 does not list billing@, press@, careers@, privacy@, hello@ or contact@. [LINK Mobility's guide](https://www.linkmobility.com/blog/examples-of-good-email-address-structure) lists billing@, press@, careers@ and hello@ among common role addresses. It adds partners@, events@, finance@, onboarding@ and renewals@ for growing teams, and regional forms such as support.fr@ for a French support team. The [Google Workspace guidelines](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/name-guidelines-for-users-and-groups) say abuse and postmaster are reserved words. RFC 2142 also says names must work in any case, so POSTMASTER@ and postmaster@ reach the same mailbox. For a security contact, [RFC 9116](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9116.html) defines a security.txt file under /.well-known/ whose Contact field can point to security@.

Use a stable From address for each kind of message you send. [Google's sender guidelines](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) give sales@ for receipts, deals@ for promotions and alert@ for account notices. If you send from a no-reply address, [Microsoft's Outlook.com guidance](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftdefenderforoffice365blog/strengthening-email-ecosystem-outlook%E2%80%99s-new-requirements-for-high%E2%80%90volume-senders/4399730) says the From or Reply-To address should be able to receive replies.

## Should a role address be an alias, a shared mailbox or a group?

Use an alias when one person answers, a shared mailbox or shared inbox when a team replies, and a group when many people only need a copy. The limits below come from the Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 admin guides, checked October 16, 2026.

**Figure 1: Alias, shared mailbox or group for a role address.** Three rows match who handles mail to support@example.com with the right setup. When one person answers, use an alias: Google Workspace allows 30 per user and Microsoft 365 allows 400, and a Google alias belongs to one user. When a team reads and replies, use a shared mailbox: Microsoft allows up to 25 users and 50 GB without a license, and Google offers a shared inbox or a group. When people only receive a copy, use a group: Microsoft offers a distribution group or a Microsoft 365 group for outsiders, and Google offers Google Groups.

*Which setup fits a role address such as support@. Limits checked October 16, 2026. Sources: [Google's alias guide](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias), [Microsoft's alias guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user), [Microsoft's shared mailbox guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/about-shared-mailboxes) and [Microsoft's group comparison](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/create-groups/compare-groups).*

### Aliases

A Google Workspace alias is a forwarding address that sends mail to one user's primary inbox. [Google's guide](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias) allows up to 30 per user at no extra cost. Only one user can hold a given alias, nobody can sign in with it, and it can show up when someone searches Gmail for a colleague's mail. Google suggests using aliases when one person fills several roles, such as info@, billing@ and sales@. [Microsoft 365](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user) allows up to 400 aliases per user with no extra fees or licenses.

### Shared mailboxes and shared inboxes

Microsoft says [shared mailboxes](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/about-shared-mailboxes) suit company information, support and front-desk addresses. A shared mailbox holds up to 50 GB without a license, supports at most 25 users, and is not meant for direct sign-in. People outside your business, such as someone with a Gmail account, cannot be given access, and Microsoft suggests a group for that case. Google's [shared inbox](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/create-a-shared-inbox) lets delegates read, send and delete mail at an address such as sales@example.com. It is available in Business Starter, Standard and Plus, and Google says it is being released in phases.

### Groups

For a team address in Google Workspace, Google says several users who send and receive from one address can [use Google Groups](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/overview-add-additional-email-addresses-for-users). A group can also run as a Collaborative Inbox, which needs conversation history on and, for work accounts, [Google Groups for Business](https://support.google.com/groups/answer/2464926). In Microsoft 365, [distribution groups](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/create-groups/compare-groups) send notifications to a set group, and Microsoft 365 groups add a shared workspace and can include people outside the company when an admin allows it.

## Should you use your own domain, and what do SPF, DKIM and DMARC require?

For a company, use a domain you own. A free mailbox belongs to the person, not the company, and Gmail warns that impersonating its From headers can hurt delivery. On your own domain, set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC before you send mail at volume.

Control is the first reason. Google explains that a Workspace account is [created and controlled by an administrator](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/overview-add-additional-email-addresses-for-users), while an admin has no control over a personal gmail.com account. On the day someone leaves, a company can disable the first and cannot touch the second. Deliverability is the second reason. [Google's sender guidelines](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) tell senders not to impersonate Gmail From headers and say Gmail will use a DMARC quarantine policy against that.

Three DNS records do the work. Per Google's guidelines, SPF publishes the servers allowed to send for your domain, DKIM adds a signature that receivers check, and DMARC tells receivers what to do with messages that fail. The domain that passes must match the domain in the From address.

**Figure 2: Three email records and what Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com ask for.** SPF lists the servers allowed to send for a domain, DKIM adds a signature to each message, and DMARC sets the rule when checks fail. A grid shows what each receiver asks. Gmail and Yahoo ask any sender for SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Gmail and Outlook.com put the bulk line at 5,000 messages a day, and Yahoo does not state a number on its page. Outlook.com only advises best practice for smaller senders. Gmail and Yahoo also ask for a spam rate under 0.3%.

*What the three records do, and what each large receiver asks of senders. Sources: [Gmail's sender guidelines](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126), [Yahoo's sender requirements](https://senders.yahooinc.com/best-practices/) and [Microsoft's April 2, 2025 post on Outlook.com](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftdefenderforoffice365blog/strengthening-email-ecosystem-outlook%E2%80%99s-new-requirements-for-high%E2%80%90volume-senders/4399730), read October 16, 2026.*

The numbers differ by receiver. Since February 1, 2024, Google has required every sender to Gmail to use SPF or DKIM, keep valid reverse DNS, send over TLS and keep reported spam below 0.3%. Senders of more than 5,000 messages a day also need SPF, DKIM and DMARC, with a From domain that aligns with the SPF or DKIM domain, and one-click unsubscribe on marketing mail. Google says a DMARC policy of none is enough, and it asks senders to keep the spam rate below 0.10% in Postmaster Tools.

Yahoo asks for the same split: SPF or DKIM from everyone, and SPF, DKIM and a DMARC policy of at least p=none from bulk senders, with spam complaints under 0.3% and unsubscribes honored within 2 days. Its page gives no daily number for bulk. Microsoft announced on April 2, 2025 that Outlook.com requires SPF, DKIM and DMARC from domains sending over 5,000 emails a day. Non-compliant mail goes to Junk first and may be rejected later.

These are sending rules. They matter most if your staff email customers or prospects, and they do not change how you name a mailbox. The domain carries the reputation, because Gmail tracks volume and feedback per domain and IP address. Our guides to [email bounce rate](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-bounce-rate/) and [cold email data](https://enrich.chat/blog/cold-email/) cover the limits in more detail.

## How do you work out a colleague's or a prospect's address from an example?

Find one real address at the company, match it to its owner's name to read the rule, then apply the rule to your target's name. Treat the result as a guess until a check says otherwise.

1. **Get a real example.** Use a named address from the company's site, a press release or a past thread. Skip role addresses such as info@, because they show the domain but not the rule.
2. **Read the rule.** Match the address to its owner's name. For Mara Okafor, m.okafor@example.com is a first initial, a dot and a last name.
3. **Apply it to your target.** Theo Brandt becomes t.brandt@example.com. Use lowercase and drop accents and apostrophes, as in the [formats guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-address-formats/).
4. **Check it before you send.** Do not email the guess to find out.

**Figure 3: Reading a format from one known address.** A known address, m.okafor@example.com, belongs to Mara Okafor. Its rule is first initial, dot, last name. Applied to Theo Brandt, the rule gives t.brandt@example.com, which stays a guess until checked. Three things can still make a copied rule miss: a tie-breaker number or middle initial for a second person with the same name, dots that Google Workspace does not ignore, and nickname aliases such as jen@ for Jenna.

*Reading a format from one known address, and three ways a copied rule can miss. Names and addresses are made up. Sources: [Washington State's naming standard](https://watech.wa.gov/policies/email-address-naming-standard-0) for tie-breakers, [Google's name guidelines](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/name-guidelines-for-users-and-groups) for dots, and [Microsoft's alias guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user) for the Jenna example.*

The table shows seven known addresses and what each one predicts for Theo Brandt. The right column says when the prediction fails.

| Known address (Mara Okafor) | Rule | Theo Brandt would be | It breaks when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| mara.okafor@example.com | first.last | theo.brandt@example.com | Another Theo Brandt holds it, so he has a number or initial |
| mokafor@example.com | flast | tbrandt@example.com | Someone else has the same initial and surname |
| mara@example.com | first | theo@example.com | An earlier Theo took it, or a nickname alias is the main address |
| maraokafor@example.com | firstlast | theobrandt@example.com | The company uses an underscore or a dot between the names |
| m.okafor@example.com | f.last | t.brandt@example.com | Same clashes as flast |
| okafor.mara@example.com | last.first | brandt.theo@example.com | The target works in a unit that uses another order |
| mara.okafor@eu.example.com | first.last on a subdomain | theo.brandt@eu.example.com | He sits in a region or brand with a different domain |

### How do you check a guess without sending mail?

Run three checks in order: the address syntax, the domain's MX records, and the mail server's reply for that recipient. A pass is evidence, not proof, because a catch-all domain says yes to every address. Our guide to [whether ChatGPT can find email addresses](https://enrich.chat/blog/can-chatgpt-find-email-addresses/) walks through each check and its limit, so this page does not repeat it.

These pages help at each step:

- The [email format finder](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-format-finder/) takes a domain and shows its most common pattern. Each check uses one of 10 free lookups shared across the website tools.
- The [company email format directory](https://enrich.chat/email-format/) has pages for individual companies.
- The [email permutator](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-permutator/) lists the likely addresses for a name.
- The [email finder](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-finder/) returns a work email with a status, and the [catch-all checker](https://enrich.chat/tools/catch-all-checker/) tells you if the domain accepts everything.

Do not use real sends as the test. [Google's guidelines](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) list automatically unsubscribing recipients who have multiple bounced messages. For ways to get the address from the person instead, see [how to find someone's work email](https://enrich.chat/blog/how-to-find-someones-email/), and for a general company inbox rather than a person, see [how to find a company's email address](https://enrich.chat/blog/find-company-email-address/).

## What should a company email naming policy say?

A naming policy fits on one page. It fixes the format, the tie-breakers, the role addresses and what happens to an address when a person changes name or leaves. Copy the template below and replace the words in brackets.

1. **Scope.** Every mailbox at [example.com], founders included, follows this policy.
2. **Format.** Staff addresses are [first.last]@[example.com], in lowercase letters, digits, dots and hyphens.
3. **Names.** Use the name the person uses at work. Remove accents and apostrophes. [Keep or drop] hyphens, and apply that choice to everyone.
4. **Same name.** The first person keeps the plain address. The next adds a middle initial, and a later one adds a number.
5. **Length.** Keep the part before the @ under 64 characters, which is the limit [Google Workspace](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/name-guidelines-for-users-and-groups) sets. Shorten the longest names.
6. **Aliases.** Each person may hold up to [number] aliases for nicknames and old names. No job titles in addresses.
7. **Role addresses.** [info@, sales@, support@, billing@, security@, abuse@, postmaster@] each have a named owner, a backup and a setup: alias, shared mailbox or group. Washington State's standard leaves administrative, service and proxy addresses to each agency, so give them their own rule.
8. **Sign-in.** The sign-in name matches the primary address. Microsoft calls this a [best practice](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address).
9. **Name change.** Rename the primary address and keep the old one as an alias for [number] months.
10. **Leavers.** Remove sign-in on the last day. Route the old address to [manager or shared mailbox] for [number] months. Never reissue it.
11. **Exceptions.** [Owner] approves and logs any address that breaks these rules, such as a protected or obfuscated address.

Review the policy once a year, and again if you add a second domain or a new mail platform.

## How can an AI agent look up a work email instead of guessing?

Give the agent a person's name and a company website, and let it call a contact API that returns the address with a status. With Enrich.chat that is one request, and a lookup that finds nothing uses 0 credits.

Know what it does not do. Enrich.chat does not create or host mailboxes, set up aliases or change DNS records, so it does not replace Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. It has no list builder and no Chrome extension. It looks up the work email of a person at a company website and reports a status: `verified`, `catch_all` (the domain accepts every address, so the mailbox cannot be confirmed) or `unknown`. Personal mailboxes such as Gmail are not looked up, and a company name alone is not supported, so give the website. Treat each result as a strong lead, not a guarantee.

Paste this prompt into an agent that can call the API or the MCP server:

```text
Use www.enrich.chat to look up the work email format for [company website], then find the work email for [full name] at that website. Show the format, the address and its status exactly as returned. If nothing is found, write not found and do not guess an address.
```

The email endpoint also returns the company's email pattern, such as first.last@example.com. When it finds nothing it can return a `guess`, which is not data. The [Enrich.chat agents file](https://enrich.chat/agents.md) tells agents to call it an unconfirmed guess or leave it out, which is why the prompt says not to guess.

The free tier gives 10 lookups a day with no signup and no key. A work email found uses 10 credits, and a lookup that finds nothing uses 0. A list of 300 names needs at most 3,000 credits, which fits the Growth plan at $29 a month. For a list, ask the agent to go at about one request a second. To connect, add the MCP server at `https://enrich.chat/mcp` or follow the [install page](https://enrich.chat/install/). The [guide for AI agents](https://enrich.chat/agents/) and the [email finder API](https://enrich.chat/api/email-finder/) page cover the endpoints, and [pricing](https://enrich.chat/pricing/) lists every plan.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is an example of a company email address?

jane.doe@example.com is a personal company address: first name, a dot, last name, then the company's own domain. sales@example.com is a role address that reaches a team, and support@example.com can be a shared mailbox read by several people. The domain example.com is reserved for examples by [RFC 2606](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2606.html).

### What is the best format for a company email address?

For most companies it is first.last@yourcompany.com, because it reads as a name and clashes only when two people share a full name. A founder, or a team with no repeated first names, can use first@. Whichever you choose, apply it to everyone and write a tie-break rule: a middle initial first, then a number. Our [email address formats guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-address-formats/) lists 12 patterns.

### Which role-based email addresses does a company need?

Start with info@, sales@ and support@ for customers, and postmaster@, abuse@ and security@ for the mail system and problem reports. [RFC 2142](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html) defines all of those names. billing@, press@, careers@ and privacy@ are conventions, so add them when you have the function. Give every role address an owner and a backup.

### How do I make an email address with my company name?

Register a domain, choose an email host such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and create one mailbox per person in your chosen format. Add role addresses as aliases, shared mailboxes or groups, then publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC records at your domain provider. Enrich.chat does not create mailboxes or set up DNS records. It looks up existing work emails.

### Can two employees have the same email address?

No. Each address points to one mailbox, and Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 refuse an address that is already taken. Two people with one name get different addresses, usually with a middle initial or a number, as in [Washington State's standard](https://watech.wa.gov/policies/email-address-naming-standard-0). Mail that must reach several people goes to a role address backed by a shared mailbox or a group.

### How do I find a company's email format from an example?

Take one real address at the company and match it to its owner's name. If mara.okafor@example.com belongs to Mara Okafor, the format is first.last, so Theo Brandt would be theo.brandt@example.com. Treat that as a guess: expect aliases, nicknames and number tie-breakers, and check it without sending mail. The [email format finder](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-format-finder/) shows a domain's pattern.

## Sources

1. [RFC 2142: Mailbox Names for Common Services, Roles and Functions](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2142.html)
2. [RFC 5321: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5321.html)
3. [RFC 2606: Reserved Top Level DNS Names](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2606.html)
4. [RFC 9116: A File Format to Aid in Security Vulnerability Disclosure (security.txt)](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9116.html)
5. [Name guidelines for users and groups](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/name-guidelines-for-users-and-groups)
6. [Add or delete an alternate email address (email alias)](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/add-or-delete-an-alternate-email-address-email-alias)
7. [Overview: Add additional email addresses for users](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/overview-add-additional-email-addresses-for-users)
8. [Create a shared inbox](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/create-a-shared-inbox)
9. [Change a user's email address](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/users/change-a-users-email-address)
10. [Create a group and choose group settings](https://support.google.com/groups/answer/2464926)
11. [Add another email alias for a Microsoft 365 business subscription user](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user)
12. [About shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/about-shared-mailboxes)
13. [Convert a user mailbox to a shared mailbox](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/convert-user-mailbox-to-shared-mailbox)
14. [Compare groups in Microsoft 365](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/create-groups/compare-groups)
15. [Change a user name and email address](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address)
16. [Email sender guidelines](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126)
17. [Sender Best Practices](https://senders.yahooinc.com/best-practices/)
18. [Strengthening Email Ecosystem: Outlook's New Requirements for High-Volume Senders](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftdefenderforoffice365blog/strengthening-email-ecosystem-outlook%E2%80%99s-new-requirements-for-high%E2%80%90volume-senders/4399730)
19. [Email Address Naming Standard (EA-01-04-S)](https://watech.wa.gov/policies/email-address-naming-standard-0)
20. [EA-01-04-S Email Address Naming Standard (full text, PDF)](https://watech.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/EA-01-04-S%20Email%20Address%20Naming%20Standard.pdf)
21. [How to create a professional email address (+ examples)](https://twilio.com/en-us/blog/insights/make-professional-email-address)
22. [Examples of good email address structure](https://www.linkmobility.com/blog/examples-of-good-email-address-structure)
23. [The 10 Best Professional Email Address Options Ranked (and 10 Worst)](https://www.gmass.co/blog/professional-email-address/)

## Try this prompt

Look up a work email and its format

```text
Use www.enrich.chat to look up the work email format for [company website], then find the work email for [full name] at that website. Show the format, the address and its status exactly as returned. If nothing is found, write not found and do not guess an address.
```

## Related

- [Business email address formats](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-address-formats/)
- [Find a company's email address](https://enrich.chat/blog/find-company-email-address/)
- [Email format finder](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-format-finder/)