How to Send an Email With Any From: Address in Outlook

Choose the Outlook email address you want to send from

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on December 23, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Select From in the header of an Outlook new message, reply, or forward.
  • Choose Other Email Address.
  • Select an address or type one in and select OK.

This article explains how to send an email with any From address in Outlook for Office 365, Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010.

How to Send an Email With Any From Address in Outlook

When you create a new message in Outlook, the email address you used to sign in to Outlook appears in the From field. If you have multiple email accounts and want to use an email address that is not associated with the account you opened in Outlook, edit the From field of the message and enter any email address you want.

To use any email address in the From field of a message you are composing in Outlook:

  1. Start with a new message, reply, or forward in Outlook.

    New Email button in Outlook

  2. Go to the message header area and select From.

    From button in the Show Fields area of Outlook.

    If the header area does not show the From field, go to Options and, in the Show Fields group, select From.

  3. Select Other Email Address.

    Other Email Address menu in Outlook.

    If the email address appears in the list, select the address and go to step 6.

  4. In the From text box, type the email address that you want to appear in the From field.

    From address chooser in Outlook.

  5. Select OK.

    OK button in From address chooser for Outlook.

  6. Compose the message and select Send.

Person sending email from Other Address
Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi

What May Happen When You Send With a Custom From Address in Outlook

Note that freely editing the From field is allowed in the email standards. Depending on the outgoing (SMTP) email server used for the default Outlook email account and the address you use in the From field, a number of things can happen:

  • A server such as Gmail will let you send mail from a custom address to Gmail if the address is configured in their own settings for sending.
  • If an address is not configured for sending in Gmail, Gmail changes the address in the From field to the one used with the account you set up in Outlook. The address used in the From field in Outlook is preserved in the X-Google-Original-From header line.
  • The outgoing mail server may send the message, but the recipient's email server may reject it because the server is not configured to send messages using the address in the From field. You will receive a delivery failure notification email.

What Can You Do When a Message Fails to Send Using a Custom From Address?

If you do run into message delivery problems with using a different From address in Outlook, you have two options:

  • Set up an account in Outlook using the email account's SMTP server and proper authentication.
  • Send using an address that you know will work in Outlook.
FAQ
  • How do I block an email address in Outlook?

    To block an email in Outlook, open the message from the sender you want to block and select Sweep > For email from > Move all messages from the Inbox folder and any future messages. Then select Move to > Deleted items > OK and all future messages from that address will be sent to the Deleted Items folder.

  • How do I delete an email address from Outlook?

    To delete an email address from Outlook, select File > Info > Account Settings > choose the email to delete > select Remove > Yes. To delete an email from Outlook's autocomplete list, begin a new message and start entering the address. Then highlight the address from the autocomplete list and select the X next to it.

  • How do I add an email address to Outlook?

    Adding an email address to Outlook requires manually setting up the other email account to allow access to Outlook, which requires different steps depending on the service. Once ready, open Outlook and select Info > Add Account > enter the email address and password > Connect > Done.

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