Use guides · Website sign-ups
How to Use a Temporary Email for One-Time Sign-Ups and Free Trials
Learn when a temporary email is the right tool for a one-time sign-up or free trial, how to use it, and when you should use your real address instead.
2 min read
A temporary address fits tasks where you need an email once and never again: downloading a file, reading a members-only page, or testing a free trial. It is a poor fit for anything you may need to recover.
Good uses
- A download or document that asks for an email first.
- A free trial you will not keep.
- A forum or comment account for a single question.
- Testing a form or a sign-up flow.
Bad uses
- Banking, work, government or any account holding money or personal records.
- Shops where you will track an order or need a refund.
- Any account you may need to log back into after the inbox is gone.
Steps for a one-time sign-up
- Create a temporary email address and copy it.
- Complete the form as described in how to sign up for a website with a temporary email.
- Receive the code or link and finish verifying.
- Use the service. Do not rely on the address afterwards.
- Press Burn mailbox to delete the inbox and its messages, or let it expire.
Common problems
If the site will not accept the address, read when a website rejects your temporary email.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get back into the account later?
Not reliably. Once the inbox expires, you cannot receive password-reset or login emails at that address.