Before you share the address

Pause at the point where a free download and a domain registrar ask for an address on the same afternoon. Ask whether the relationship is temporary, whether recovery matters and what would happen if the address became public.

The checklist

  • Name what matters
  • Estimate likely harm
  • Choose a proportionate route
  • Review when circumstances change

Write down the purpose beside the credential. A label is small operational memory: it prevents a random-looking address becoming another mystery.

After the first message arrives

Confirm that the route works, that replies behave as expected and that important mail is not being forwarded somewhere unsafe. If the relationship grows, extend the lifetime before it becomes urgent.

Review without over-managing

Choose controls according to recovery need, exposure, impact and effort. Review on change—not every day. The strongest theoretical setup fails if it is too complicated to use.

Give the next relationship its own route.

Create an MXDuck alias