Guide

How to set up email forwarding for your domain

Email forwarding lets mail sent to an address on your own domain — like [email protected] — land in an inbox you already check, such as Gmail or Outlook. You don't run a mail server and you don't pay for a full mailbox. Here's how it works and how to set it up in about fifteen minutes.

What email forwarding actually does

When someone emails an address on your domain, their mail server looks up your domain's MX record to find where to deliver the message. Point that MX record at a forwarding service and every message is received on your behalf, then relayed to the personal inbox you nominate. The subject, body, and attachments arrive unchanged.

Forwarding is different from a hosted mailbox like Google Workspace. There's no separate inbox to log into and no per-seat fee — mail simply flows into the account you already use. Pair it with SMTP reply-as and you can also send from your domain, so recipients never see your personal address.

The DNS records you need

Three kinds of DNS record make forwarding work reliably:

  • MX — routes incoming mail to the forwarding service. This is what makes forwarding happen at all.
  • TXT (ownership) — a verification token that proves you control the domain before any mail is accepted.
  • DKIM (CNAME records) — cryptographic signing so forwarded mail and your replies pass authentication checks and stay out of spam. SPF and DMARC round out deliverability.

Step by step

  1. Add your domain. Create a free account and enter the domain you own.
  2. Add the MX and TXT records at whoever manages your DNS (your registrar or DNS host). The setup wizard shows the exact values and has per-provider instructions for Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Porkbun, and Amazon Route 53.
  3. Add the DKIM CNAME records from the same screen so your mail is signed.
  4. Wait for verification. DNS is checked automatically every few minutes; most domains verify within about fifteen minutes. You can close the page — you'll get an email when it's ready.
  5. Create your aliases. Add addresses like hello@ or support@ and point each at the inbox that should receive it, or turn on catch-all to capture everything.

Tips for reliable delivery

  • Remove any old MX records from a previous mail setup so mail routes to one place.
  • If you already have an SPF record, don't add a second one — merge the forwarding service's include: into your existing record.
  • Keep the DKIM records in place permanently. Removing them later breaks signing and can send mail to spam.

Free vs Pro

The free plan covers one domain with five aliases, catch-all, SMTP reply-as, and 7-day logs — no credit card. Pro ($4.99/mo) raises limits to five domains and unlimited aliases, extends logs to 30 days, and adds webhook, Slack, and Telegram delivery.

Related guides

Start for Free