Email Forwarding and Aliases Explained

What is email forwarding?

Forwarding sends messages received at one address to another mailbox. For example, messages sent to [email protected] can be forwarded to a mailbox you already use. Depending on the service, forwarding may not create a separate inbox or allow you to send from the forwarded address.

What is an email alias?

An alias is an additional address that delivers messages to an existing mailbox. You might use [email protected] and [email protected] as aliases for one mailbox. Aliases generally do not have their own password or storage quota.

Which should you choose?

• Use forwarding when messages should be delivered to another address or service.
• Use an alias when you want multiple public addresses to reach the same mailbox.
• Create a separate mailbox when a person or team needs its own login, inbox and storage.

Setup and troubleshooting

Create the rule or alias in your email control panel and follow your provider's instructions. Test it from an external address. If messages do not arrive, check the destination address, spam folder, forwarding rules and any restrictions on external forwarding. Avoid forwarding loops, where two addresses repeatedly forward messages to each other.