Can a business email address contain an asterisk?

For a public-facing small business, prefer a simple role or person address that avoids *—such as quotes@<short-name>.au or bookings@<short-name>.au—then test the exact setup before printing or publishing it.

Why an asterisk does not work in practice

RFC 5321 section 4.1.2 defines the normal SMTP mailbox local part using characters that do not include *. RFC 5322 section 3.2.3 permits * in a quoted-string local part, but that syntax is intended for internal or special cases, not a public business address.

Even when the standards permit it in a quoted local part, an asterisk address is not practical. Mail providers rarely create them. Website forms, booking tools, CRMs, accounting packages and imported contact lists often reject *, strip it or interpret it as a wildcard or glob pattern for matching multiple addresses.

When speaking the address, the asterisk is described as "asterisk", "star", or "star key". Customers typically type the word asterisk, the word star, omit it entirely, or assume it is a footnote marker, redaction symbol or placeholder rather than part of the address. The same workflow concerns that make giving an email address over the phone challenging are amplified when * cannot be reproduced reliably from speech.

What customers hear and type

Picture a business telling a customer on a noisy call: info*@example. The customer hears "info asterisk at example dot ..." or "info star at example dot ..." or "info star key at example dot ...". Do they type info, info-asterisk, infostar, info*, or assume the asterisk is a footnote marker indicating there is more information to follow?

Now imagine the same address on a printed invoice, quote PDF or van sign. The * is visible, but it looks like a footnote marker, a redaction symbol (as in "p*ssword"), or a placeholder indicating the address is incomplete. When a customer retypes the address from a mobile screen or physical paper, they may drop it, type the word "asterisk" or "star", assume it is a typo, or wonder whether the business is withholding part of the address for privacy reasons.

This variability does not mean every customer will mistype the address. It means there are several ways to interpret * where none would exist if the address were info@<short-name>.au instead. Compare this to the narrower concern around hyphens, underscores and spaces in business email addresses, where the character can be seen but may still be confused, missed or rejected.

Wildcard and glob pattern problems

In most search tools, file systems, mail filters and command-line contexts, the asterisk character (*) is a wildcard or glob pattern that matches zero or more characters. When an email address containing * is entered into a search box, filter rule, contact list or import tool, the * may be interpreted as a wildcard rather than a literal character.

For example, a mail filter configured to route messages from info*@example may match info@example, info123@example, information@example and any other address starting with info, because the * is treated as a glob pattern. This is not a syntax error—it is the intended behaviour of wildcard matching—but it means the address cannot be used as a unique, literal identifier in systems that support glob patterns.

Website contact forms, CRM imports, booking systems, accounting packages and quote generators often validate or normalise email addresses before storing them. An * may be rejected outright, stripped, escaped with a backslash, replaced with the word "asterisk", or misinterpreted as a wildcard in systems that process addresses through search, filter or scripting layers.

The business may not see the alteration until a reply to a stored address bounces or goes missing. A customer who enters info*@example into a website form may receive a confirmation message sent to info@example, info-asterisk@example or info\*@example, depending on how the form processed the input.

This is a different layer from the question of whether a hash, ampersand, or plus sign may be valid. An asterisk has both technical syntax restrictions and especially severe practical interpretation problems because of its reserved role as a wildcard in most search and filtering tools.

Phone and spoken ambiguity

When spoken aloud, * can be called "asterisk", "star", or "star key". Regional and technical conventions differ. In Australia, "asterisk" and "star" are both common. On phone keypads, the * button is often called the "star key".

A customer hearing "info asterisk" may type infoasterisk, info-asterisk, info, or assume the word "asterisk" refers to a footnote annotation rather than a literal character. A customer hearing "info star" may type infostar, info*, or wonder whether "star" is part of the business name or a character in the address.

A customer hearing "info star key" may type info*, infostarkey, assume it is a telephone keypad instruction, or become confused about whether the address is an email address or a phone menu code.

This spoken ambiguity does not exist for a simple address like info@<short-name>.au or bookings@<short-name>.au. For the wider phone workflow, see this guide to giving an email address over the phone without spelling.

Print and signage: looks like a redaction, footnote or typo

When printed on a business card, invoice, quote PDF, van sign, or website footer, an asterisk in the email address creates visual confusion. To most readers, * signals a footnote marker, a redaction symbol, a placeholder, or a wildcard—not a literal character in the address.

Customers seeing info*@<short-name>.au on printed material may assume the address is incomplete, the business has redacted part of the address for privacy, there is a footnote explaining the address elsewhere, or the * is a typographical error. This perception undermines trust and professionalism, even if the address is technically configured to work.

Compare this to a simple address like info@<short-name>.au, which reads clearly and unambiguously on any printed surface. The goal is not to prove that an address can be technically created, but to choose an address customers can use without hesitation.

Trading name and email address are different

A business that trades under a name containing * or star imagery—such as "Star* Solutions" or "All*Star Events"—does not need to reproduce the symbol in the email address. The trading name remains on the letterhead, website, business card, invoice PDF, quote footer and email display name. The email address is only the technical routing identifier.

Use a simpler role address—such as events@<short-name>.au or bookings@<short-name>.au—or a person address—such as chris@<short-name>.au—that drops the asterisk. The email display name can still show the full trading name with the asterisk: Star* Solutions <info@<short-name>.au> or Chris Lee — All*Star Events <chris@<short-name>.au>.

This separation keeps the public contact workflow simple without removing the business identity. For the wider naming choice, see this guide to professional email address formats for small business. For display name guidance, see what your business email display name should be.

Prefer a simple role or name address

For a public customer-facing business, use a simple role address (such as quotes@<short-name>.au or bookings@<short-name>.au) or a person address (such as chris@<short-name>.au) without *, spaces, quote marks or other special characters.

A role address does not create a shared mailbox or give several people access by itself. The routing rule, destination mailbox, staff login, shared access and storage policy are separate parts of the setup. The public address is only the visible entry point.

When choosing the format, prioritise what customers can hear, say and type consistently. Read the separate guide to common mistakes customers make when entering email addresses for the wider picture.

Run a harmless test before publishing

Before printing, publishing or giving out a public business address:

1. Confirm that the provider can create or route the exact address without *, quote marks or other special syntax.
2. Send harmless fictional content from an unrelated inbox and confirm that it reaches the intended destination.
3. Enter the address into the real website, quote, booking, CRM and accounting workflows the business uses.
4. Copy it from a PDF and a mobile screen. Check that the format remains visible and unchanged.
5. Have someone who is not already familiar with the address hear it over a call and write down what they heard. Compare their version to the original.
6. Test the address in any mail filters, search tools, contact lists and import workflows the business relies on. Pay special attention to how * is handled in wildcard and glob pattern contexts.
7. Record who owns the public address, routing rule and mailbox access. Set a retest trigger for any provider or configuration change.

This test proves only the exact route, provider and configuration tested at that time. It does not guarantee delivery or inbox placement.

The public address is only 1 layer. An asterisk-free address does not create a routing rule, mailbox, login, shared access, storage policy or permission to send from that address. Confirm mailbox access, storage, display name and reply-from behaviour separately.

Where Short Mail may fit

If your current public address is awkward to say, print or type—or if your trading name includes * or star imagery and you want a clearer public email identifier—a Short Mail account manager can check whether a shorter matched .au address may fit and forward to the inbox you already use. Fit, availability, .au eligibility, setup requirements and provider compatibility are confirmed manually before anything changes.

The public address, routing, mailbox, access and storage remain separate parts of the setup. Sending permission and the From and Reply-To details customers see also require separate checks for your business.