The latest articles on DEV Community by Orbex Store (@orbex_store_694a637c3eb97). https://dev.to/orbex_store_694a637c3eb97 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4207179%2F937274dc-3f64-4493-a360-800eea7119c5.png https://dev.to/orbex_store_694a637c3eb97 en Orbex Store Sun, 25 Oct 2026 18:46:25 +0000 https://dev.to/orbex_store_694a637c3eb97/how-to-stop-spam-after-signing-up-for-free-trials-94n https://dev.to/orbex_store_694a637c3eb97/how-to-stop-spam-after-signing-up-for-free-trials-94n <p>The easiest way to stop trial spam is to never give a trial your real address. Use a temporary inbox for the sign-up, and keep your own email for things you actually want to hear about.</p> <p>I run <a href="https://tempmailhub.tech/" rel="noopener noreferrer">TempMailHub</a>, a free temp mail service, so I see how people use disposable email every day. Here is what works, and what does not.</p> <h2> Why free trials fill your inbox </h2> <p>Most trials ask for an email to send a confirmation. That address is then added to a marketing list: product tips, upgrade offers, and "we miss you" reminders. Many of those lists are shared with partners. Unsubscribing helps, but it can take days and some senders ignore it.</p> <h2> Three ways to avoid it </h2> <ol> <li> <strong>Use a temporary inbox.</strong> Generate an address, use it for the sign-up, and read the confirmation code there. When you are done, you never think about it again.</li> <li> <strong>Use a Gmail alias.</strong> Adding a tag, like <a href="mailto:name+trial@gmail.com">name+trial@gmail.com</a>, sends mail to your normal inbox but lets you filter it. It does not hide your real address, so it is better for sorting than for privacy.</li> <li> <strong>Keep a separate email for sign-ups.</strong> A second real account works, but it still collects mail until you clean it out.</li> </ol> <h2> When a temporary inbox is the right choice </h2> <p>It works well for free trials, downloading a PDF that wants an email, one-time discounts, and testing a sign-up form. It is a poor choice for anything you may need later, such as a bank, a store account, or a service where you may lose access if you cannot reset the password.</p> <h2> A simple routine </h2> <p>Before you type your real email into a trial form, ask one question: will I need to reach this account in six months? If not, use a temporary address. Most inboxes on temp mail sites vanish in minutes. On TempMailHub the inbox stays open for 30 days, so if the trial sends a follow-up or a receipt, you can open the same address again by pasting it back in.</p> <h2> What temp mail cannot do </h2> <p>It does not make you anonymous. Your device and network are still visible to the site you join. It also cannot help with sites that block known disposable domains. For those, a Gmail alias or a second email account is the fallback.</p> <h2> Further reading </h2> <p>For the full walkthrough, with steps and examples, see the guide on <a href="https://tempmailhub.tech/blog/stop-spam-after-signing-up-free-trials/" rel="noopener noreferrer">how to stop spam after signing up for free trials</a>.</p> <p><em>Disclosure: I run TempMailHub, the service mentioned above.</em></p> privacy email security productivity