Email forwarding sends mail that arrives at one address on to another, such as [email protected] to your own inbox. On Domain India Windows hosting you set it up in Plesk, on the email address itself, in a couple of minutes.
In Plesk, open Mail, click the address, open the Forwarding tab, switch forwarding on and add one or more destination addresses, then click OK. Keep the mailbox switched on if you also want a copy stored on the server. For extra addresses that should land in the same mailbox, an alias is simpler than a forward.
Forwarding is a setting on an email address in Plesk. If the address doesn't exist yet, create it first: see setting up email accounts in Plesk, which also has the webmail address and mail app settings for Windows hosting.
1. Forward an address to another inbox
- Open the address.Log in to Plesk (client area, Hosting › My hosting, then the Plesk button), click Mail and click the address you want to forward.
- Open Forwarding.Go to the Forwarding tab and tick the option to switch mail forwarding on.
- Add destinations.Enter the address to forward to. Add more addresses if several people should get a copy.
- Save.Click OK, then send a test message from an outside account such as Gmail.
If you can't find a tab named exactly this, the Plesk version may label it slightly differently; ask support and we will point you to it.
2. Keep a copy, or forward only
- Forward and keep a copy: leave the mailbox switched on. Mail is stored on the server and also forwarded.
- Forward only: switch the mailbox off on the address's mailbox settings, so nothing is stored and no storage is used. Anyone sending to the address still reaches the destination.
3. Aliases: several addresses, one mailbox
If info@, contact@ and hello@ should all land in the same mailbox, add them as email aliases on that mailbox instead of creating separate forwarding addresses. The person reads everything in one place and replies from the one account.
4. Mail for addresses that don't exist
Plesk has a domain-level setting for mail sent to addresses that don't exist (a "catch-all"), under the domain's mail settings, if your plan exposes it. We don't recommend forwarding it: spammers try random addresses, and a catch-all passes all of it to you. Rejecting unknown addresses is the safer default.
5. Why forwarded mail sometimes goes to spam
When the Windows mail server forwards a message to Gmail or Outlook.com, it passes on mail that someone else sent. The receiving service may check the original sender's SPF and DMARC against our server and mark it as spam or reject it. To reduce this:
- forward to as few outside addresses as possible;
- where you can, read the mail in Plesk webmail or connect your phone to the mailbox directly with IMAP instead of forwarding;
- never create a loop, where address A forwards to B and B forwards back to A.
How do I forward email in Plesk?
In Plesk, open Mail, click the email address, go to the Forwarding tab, switch forwarding on, add the destination address and click OK.
Can I forward one address to several people?
Yes. Add each destination address on the Forwarding tab of the same email address. Each of them receives a copy.
Does forwarding keep a copy on the server?
Only if the mailbox is still switched on for that address. Switch the mailbox off if you want to forward only and store nothing.
What is the difference between an alias and a forward?
An alias is another address that delivers into the same mailbox. A forward sends the mail on to a different address, often at another provider.
Why are my forwarded emails going to spam?
The receiving service sees our server passing on mail sent by someone else, and it may fail their SPF or DMARC checks. Connect to the mailbox directly with IMAP where possible instead of forwarding.
Ready to finish your mail setup? Read setting up email accounts in Plesk, the Windows hosting guide, or open a ticket if a forward isn't arriving.
Tell us the address, the destination and when you sent the test message, and we will trace it on the mail server.
Open a support ticket