The formats that work
Every example uses jessmoreno.com, an example name. Swap in yours.
| Format | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| first@ | jess@jessmoreno.com | Almost every personal brand: short, warm, memorable |
| first.last@ | jess.moreno@jessmoreno.com | Consultants and anyone with a common first name |
| firstlast@ | jessmoreno@jessmoreno.com | Fine, but repeats the domain; first@ is cleaner |
| hello@ | hello@jessmoreno.com | The address on your website: friendly and general |
| hi@ | hi@jessmoreno.com | The same, shorter and more casual |
| bookings@ | bookings@jessmoreno.com | Musicians, DJs, speakers, photographers |
| collabs@ / partnerships@ | collabs@jessmoreno.com | Creators who want brand deals in one place |
| press@ | press@jessmoreno.com | Journalists, podcasts, media requests |
| studio@ | studio@jessmoreno.com | Artists, designers, small studios |
| team@ | team@jessmoreno.com | When an assistant or manager reads mail too |
Ideas by what you do
- Content creators: jess@, collabs@, business@
- Streamers and gamers: jess@, sponsors@, business@
- Musicians and DJs: bookings@, mgmt@, jess@
- Photographers and videographers: hello@, bookings@, studio@
- Coaches and consultants: jess@, coaching@, hello@
- Freelancers: jess@, work@, projects@
- Athletes: jess@, partnerships@, media@
- Real estate agents: jess@, homes@, hello@
- Job seekers: jess@ or jess.moreno@, nothing else needed
- Small businesses: hello@, orders@, support@
Addresses that cost you replies
| Avoid | Why | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| jessmoreno2003@gmail.com | Birth years and numbers read as personal, and invite typos | jess@jessmoreno.com |
| jess_moreno_official@... | Underscores and “official” are hard to say and look like spam | jess@ |
| xojessxo@... | Nicknames don’t travel to work conversations | Your real name |
| info@ | Feels like a form letter for a personal brand | hello@ or your name |
| A very long domain | Every letter is a chance to mistype it | The shortest version of your name you can get |
One inbox, several addresses
You don’t need a mailbox for every address. Most email services let you add aliases: hello@, bookings@ and press@ all arrive in the inbox of jess@. Reply from whichever one they wrote to. It keeps cost down and nothing gets lost.
Check it before you choose
- Say it out loud to a friend. If you have to spell it, simplify it.
- Write it on a business card. If it doesn’t fit on one line, it’s too long.
- Type it on a phone. Anything awkward to type will be mistyped.
- Check the domain is free with the domain name ideas tool, which suggests matching addresses for each domain it finds.
Setting one up
You need your own domain and an email service on it, with the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records in place. How to get a professional email address walks through every option. With Bounley Premium, the domain, the email and your website come together, the records are put in for you on a domain from Bounley, and your signature goes on every email. Premium is invitation-only during the beta. How it works.
Questions
What is the most professional email address format?
firstname@yourdomain.com. If your first name is very common in your field, first.last@ is the safe alternative.
Should I use hello@ or my name?
Both: your name for conversations, hello@ on your website. Point them at the same inbox.
Can a Gmail address be professional?
A clean one with your real name is acceptable, especially early on. An address at your own domain is clearly stronger once brands and clients write to you.
Can I change my email address later?
Yes, at the same domain, any time: add the new address, keep the old one as an alias for a while, and update your signature and site.