An alias is an email address or mailbox that represents a list of other email addresses. Every email message received by the alias is automatically forwarded to every email addresses on the alias list.

An alias is a simple device that provides a couple of advantages. First, while addresses on the alias list change, the alias name remains the same. Mail can always be sent to the same alias name, relieving individual users of having to maintain a list of addresses and updating it every time an address changes. Instead, address changes only need to be made in one place by the administrator who maintains the alias list. Secondly, rather than putting all the individual recipient addresses in the 'To:' line, an email only has to be addressed to the alias, and will then be forwarded to all the recipients on an alias list.

Kavi software applications create and utilize a number of aliases, called system aliases. The most widely employed alias is the administrative alias, used by applications on outgoing email and on incoming email by users seeking support. Most web sites use an alias in the "admin@mydomain.org" format as the administrative contact address. Email sent to the admin alias are forwarded to managers' and administrators' personal email addresses without directly exposing those addresses. For more information on aliases in general see Introduction to Mailing Lists and Aliases. For information on system aliases, see Aliases.

Unlike mailing lists, which are built on the aliasing mechanism, but have the added ability to enforce complex rules, aliases do not apply any rules before simply forwarding every email to every recipient on the alias list. Aliases do not support other features commonly found in mailing lists: they are not moderated, are not archived and cannot be managed using email commands. For more information on mailing lists, see How Mailing Lists Work.

However, incoming mail can be screened for viruses before entering the alias mailbox and messages containing viruses can be rejected, rather than entering the alias mailbox and being automatically forwarded to alias list recipients.

Search for an alias by scrolling through the tabular list, which is sorted by alias name, or search for a specific alias by alias name. To find all the aliases on which a recipient is listed, search by the user's email address. To create an alias, click the Add a New Alias link. To manage an existing alias, click links to edit or delete that alias.