HowTo - Figure out what your User Principal Name (UPN) is
Understanding the Difference Between Your UPN and Email Aliases
When working with Microsoft 365 accounts, it’s important to understand the difference between your User Principal Name (UPN) and the email aliases associated with your account. These terms are often confused, but they serve different purposes.
What Is a UPN?
- A User Principal Name (UPN) is your unique sign‑in identity.
- Think of it as the root address of your Microsoft account—the one identity that the system always uses to authenticate you.
What Is an Email Alias?
- An alias is an additional email address tied to the same mailbox.
- You can receive messages at an alias, but you do not sign in with an alias.
Example of difference:
- BTAA staff's UPN = name@illinois.edu
- BTAA staff's email alias = firstname.lastname@btaa.org
Steps on finding UPN:
1. Open internet browser
2. Navigate to office.com
3. Sign into institutional Microsoft account
4. Click on profile icon in bottom left corner
5. Look for email address in popup menu (this address is your UPN)
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