Set up email forwarding: guide

What is email forwarding?

Email forwarding automatically sends incoming messages to another email address. Useful if you want to manage multiple addresses from one inbox, or temporarily receive email at a different address.

When to use forwarding?

Managing multiple domains

If you have multiple domains, you can forward all email to a central address:

• info@domain1.com → mainmail@gmail.com
• info@domain2.com → mainmail@gmail.com

Department addresses

Forward department mail to the right person:

• sales@company.com → john@company.com
• support@company.com → mary@company.com

Temporary redirect

During vacation or illness, you can temporarily forward email to a colleague.

Setting up forwarding

Via cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to Email > Forwarders
3. Click Add Forwarder
4. Enter source address (e.g., info@)
5. Enter destination address
6. Choose whether to keep a copy
7. Click Add Forwarder

Via DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin
2. Go to E-mail Manager > Forwarders
3. Add new forwarder
4. Configure source and destination

Via Microsoft 365

1. Go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
2. Users > Active users
3. Select user
4. Mail > Email forwarding
5. Enable forwarding
6. Enter destination address

Via Google Workspace

1. Go to Gmail settings
2. Forwarding and POP/IMAP
3. Click Add a forwarding address
4. Verify destination address
5. Choose when to forward

Important considerations

Keep a copy

Choose whether to keep a copy in the original mailbox. This is useful for:

• Backup purposes
• Compliance requirements
• Retaining access to original

SPF and deliverability

Forwarded email can cause SPF verification issues. Forwarded mail comes from your server, not the original sender. Consider:

• SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) if your provider supports it
• Monitor DMARC reports

Prevent loops

Never forward email in a circle (A → B → A). This causes a mail loop and can overload your mail server.

Alternatives to forwarding

Aliases

An alias is an extra address that delivers directly to the same mailbox. No forwarding needed.

Shared mailbox

For team addresses like support@, a shared mailbox is often better than forwarding.

POP3/IMAP fetch

You can fetch email from other accounts into your main mailbox, instead of forwarding.

Troubleshooting

Email not arriving

• Check spam folder of destination address
• Verify forwarding is active
• Check destination address is spelled correctly

Duplicate emails

• You probably have forwarding AND fetching active
• Choose one method