✉️ How to Create an Email Forwarder in cPanel
An email forwarder automatically sends a copy of any incoming mail from one email address (the source) to one or more other email addresses (the destination). This is useful for combining multiple accounts into one inbox or ensuring group aliases function correctly.
Step 1: Accessing the Forwarders Tool
- Log in to your cPanel control panel.
- In the cPanel dashboard, navigate to the Mail category and click on the Forwarders link.
Step 2: Starting the New Forwarder Process
- On the Email Forwarders page, click the Add Forwarder button to begin the configuration.
Step 3: Configuring the Forwarder Details
- Enter the email address prefix you want to forward in the Address to Forward field (e.g., enter support if you want to forward support@yourdomain.com). Select the domain from the dropdown menu.
- Under Destination, choose Forward to Email Address and enter the full email address where you want the mail delivered (e.g., mypersonalemail@gmail.com).
- You also have alternative options, such as discarding the email or piping it to a program, but the standard setting is to forward to an email address.
Step 4: Finalizing the Forwarder
- Click the Add Forwarder button to complete the process. The system will confirm the forwarder has been successfully created.
Troubleshooting and Forwarding Advice ????
Common Issues:
- **Forwarded Mail is Not Arriving:** The most frequent cause is that the destination email service (like Gmail or Yahoo) is flagging the forwarded mail as spam or junk. You should check the spam folder of the destination account.
- **Mail Loops:** If you forward account A to account B, and account B then forwards back to account A, it creates an infinite loop. The server will detect this and stop delivery. Always ensure your forwarding paths are one-way.
- **Missing Original Mail:** If you only set up a forwarder and the source address is NOT an existing email account in cPanel, the mail will only be forwarded and not saved locally. If you want a local copy, ensure an email account exists first, then create the forwarder.
Best Practices Advice:
- **Use an Existing Account:** If you need to keep a copy of the forwarded mail on the server for archiving or backup, create the email account (e.g., info@yourdomain.com) before setting up the forwarder. This ensures the mail lands in the cPanel mailbox first, then a copy is sent to the destination.
- **Spam Filters:** When forwarding mail to external providers, sometimes the spam scoring is carried over. If you receive legitimate mail from the source account, consider temporarily disabling spam filtering on the destination email or marking the forwarded mail as "Not Spam" to train the filter.
- **Delete Old Forwarders:** Regularly review your forwarder list. Remove any addresses that are no longer in use to reduce server load and unnecessary email traffic.
