Managing E‑mail Forwarders in DirectAdmin
Summary
This guide explains how to create and manage e‑mail forwarders in DirectAdmin. Forwarders automatically send incoming messages from one address to another, allowing you to receive mail in multiple inboxes or consolidate accounts.
Overview
E‑mail forwarders do not store messages. Instead, they redirect incoming mail to another address. You can forward mail to internal addresses on your domain or external addresses such as Gmail or Outlook.
Requirements
- DirectAdmin user-level access
- A domain with e‑mail enabled
- Proper DNS configuration (MX records)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Access E‑mail Forwarders
- Log in to DirectAdmin
- Go to E‑mail Manager → Forwarders
- Select the domain you want to manage
2. Create a New Forwarder
- Click “Create New E‑mail Forwarder”
- Enter the source address (example: sales@yourdomain.com)
- Enter the destination address (example: yourname@gmail.com)
- Click “Create”
3. Forward to Multiple Addresses
To forward to more than one destination:
- Create additional forwarders using the same source address
Example:
- sales@yourdomain.com → john@yourdomain.com
- sales@yourdomain.com → support@yourdomain.com
4. Forward All E‑mail (Catch‑All)
- Go to Forwarders
- Click “Create New E‑mail Forwarder”
- Set the source to: *
- Enter the destination address
Warning: Catch‑all addresses may attract large amounts of spam.
5. Delete a Forwarder
- Go to Forwarders
- Find the forwarder in the list
- Click “Delete”
- Confirm deletion
Troubleshooting
Forwarder Not Working
- Ensure the destination address is valid
- Check MX records for your domain
- Verify the domain is not using external mail routing (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
Forwarded Mail Going to Spam
- Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
- Avoid forwarding to free providers that aggressively filter spam
Duplicate Messages
- Check for multiple forwarders pointing to the same destination
- Ensure the mailbox itself is not also receiving mail
Catch‑All Receiving Too Much Spam
- Disable the catch‑all forwarder
- Create only the specific addresses you need
Related Articles
- E‑mail Accounts
- Autoresponders
- Vacation Messages
- SpamAssassin Setup
- MX Records