How to set up Email forwarding in cPanel: Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up email forwarding in cPanel lets you automatically redirect emails from one address to another. It’s especially useful when managing multiple inboxes, consolidating communications, or migrating between domains. If you’re wondering how to set up email forwarding in cPanel, this guide walks you through each step — from basic setup to advanced features — to ensure you never miss an important message.

I once had to manage several email addresses for different departments, like sales@, support@, and billing@. By setting up email forwarding in cPanel, I could send all messages to a single inbox. It not only saved time but also made it easier to respond quickly and keep everything organized.

Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is email forwarding in cPanel, and why is it useful?

1. What is email forwarding in cPanel?

Email forwarding in cPanel is a feature that automatically sends incoming emails from one address to another. This allows users to consolidate emails, reduce inbox monitoring time, and improve communication flow. Forwarders can be created at the individual account level or across an entire domain.

When you learn how to set up email forwarding in cPanel, you gain better control over email management, especially useful for small businesses, domain migrations, or consolidating departmental communication. There are two types of forwarding available in cPanel:

• Account-level forwarding: Redirects emails from a specific address (e.g., support@example.com) to another (e.g., team@example.com).
• Domain-level forwarding: Sends all emails from one domain to another (e.g., all@example1.com → all@example2.com).
  

This is especially useful for:

• Centralizing messages across departments
• Managing role-based emails (e.g., info@, sales@, contact@)
• Creating automatic backups by forwarding copies to a secure archive

Example: Imagine your company has a shared address like sales@company.com for incoming customer requests. Instead of having just one person log in and check it, you can set up email forwarding so that every message sent to sales@company.com is automatically redirected to alice@company.com and bob@company.com. Both can respond quickly without missing anything, and there’s no need to log into the sales inbox separately.

According to cPanel documentation, “Email forwarders allow a copy of every email sent to one address to be automatically sent to another address.” This means you can manage multiple addresses without logging in separately to each inbox.

In one of my early consulting projects, I used this feature to redirect inquiries from multiple department aliases into a single shared inbox. This not only reduced missed emails but also made task delegation smoother for a lean team.

By understanding how cPanel handles email redirection, you can design a more efficient email workflow for both individual and business use.

Let’s now explore how to set up email forwarding for a single address in cPanel.

2. How to set up email forwarding in cPanel for a single email account

If you’re wondering how to forward a single email address in cPanel, the process is simple and only takes a few minutes. Setting up email forwarding allows you to redirect messages from one address to another—useful for consolidating communication without switching accounts.

Here’s how to do it step by step:

Step 1: Log in to your cPanel dashboard

Use your hosting provider’s link or go to yourdomain.com/cpanel and enter your login credentials.

Step 2: Access the “Forwarders” tool

Once logged in:

• Scroll down to the Email section 
• Click on “Forwarders”

This tool manages all forwarding rules for your domain.

Step 3: Click “Add Forwarder”

In the Forwarders interface, click on “Add Forwarder” to create a new rule.

Step 4: Enter source and destination email addresses

You’ll be prompted to fill in:

• Address to forward: Enter the user portion of the email (e.g., “info” for info@yourdomain.com) 
• Domain: Select the domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com) 
• Destination: Enter the full email address where the messages should be forwarded (e.g., yourname@gmail.com)
  

Step 5: Choose whether to keep a copy on the server

You can choose to:

• Keep a copy of the original address (useful for backup)
• Or discard the original message after forwarding

For most users, keeping a copy ensures nothing gets lost during delivery issues.

Step 6: Click “Add Forwarder” to save

Once confirmed, cPanel will begin forwarding all new emails sent to that address immediately.

Example scenario:
Let’s say you’ve created team@yourdomain.com for project collaboration. Instead of asking everyone to log into that shared inbox, you forward all incoming mail to millie@yourdomain.com, bobby@yourdomain.com, and yourself. This keeps your team in sync without needing to manage another login.

In one project, I used a personal domain email (e.g., john@freelancerportfolio.com) and forwarded it to my main Gmail address. This saved time and made it easier to manage client responses in one place, especially while working on the go.

Setting up a forwarder for one email account is a small change that can make a big impact on how efficiently you manage communication.

Next, let’s look at how to forward all emails for an entire domain in cPanel.

3. How to forward all emails for a domain in cPanel

If you’re wondering how to set up email forwarding in cPanel for an entire domain, the process is simple using the domain forwarder feature. This allows you to redirect all emails from one domain (e.g., @oldcompany.com) to another (e.g., @newcompany.com) without configuring each account individually.

This is especially useful during rebranding or domain transitions.

Step 1: Log in to cPanel and open “Forwarders”

From the cPanel dashboard, scroll to the Email section and click on Forwarders.

Step 2: Choose “Add Domain Forwarder”

Navigate to the Domain Forwarders tab and select Add Domain Forwarder.

Step 3: Set the source and destination domains

• Source domain: Choose the domain you want to forward from (e.g., oldcompany.com)
• Destination domain: Enter the domain to forward to (e.g., newcompany.com)

Every address under the source domain will now forward to its counterpart at the destination domain (e.g., support@oldcompany.com → support@newcompany.com).

When I helped migrate a client from an older domain to a new one, setting up domain-wide email forwarding in cPanel saved us hours of manual setup. Instead of re-creating dozens of email accounts, we redirected everything in minutes. I also enabled SPF and DKIM on the new domain to prevent spoofing and made sure to monitor spam filters for a few days post-switch.

Step 4: Save the configuration

Click Add Domain Forwarder to activate the rule.

Step 5: Tip: Use caution with catch-all forwarding

Catch-all forwarding can attract high volumes of spam. Always use email authentication tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to protect your domain.

According to CISA, unauthenticated email forwarding can increase the risk of phishing and domain spoofing. Secure your configuration accordingly.

Next, let’s explore how to forward an email to multiple recipients, especially useful for teams or shared responsibilities.

4. How to forward email to multiple recipients in cPanel

If you want to send incoming emails to several people at once, cPanel allows you to forward email to multiple addresses by creating individual forwarders for each recipient. This is ideal for team inboxes, project groups, or shared responsibilities.

There’s no built-in “group forwarder” in cPanel, but setting up multiple forwarders achieves the same result.

Step 1: Go to Forwarders in cPanel

Log in to your cPanel account and click on Forwarders under the Email section.

Step 2: Create a forwarder for each recipient

Click Add Forwarder, then:

• Enter the source email address (e.g., projects@yourdomain.com) 
• Enter the first destination address (e.g., alice@example.com) 
• Click Add Forwarder

Repeat the process for each additional recipient (e.g., bob@example.com, carol@example.com, etc.)

Each forwarder uses the same source but sends to a different destination.

Step 3: Consider using a distribution list

If you’re managing a large group, consider using mailing list software or an external service like Google Groups. cPanel isn’t ideal for managing or editing large recipient lists.

I used this method to keep a small team of developers in sync. All updates sent to dev@ourdomain.com were forwarded to each team member’s personal inbox. It was simple to manage and ensured no one missed critical announcements. To prevent server strain, I avoided forwarding to more than 10 recipients and monitored mail queue performance regularly.

Step 4: Best practices for multi-recipient forwarding

• Keep the recipient list short to avoid delivery delays
• Avoid looping forwarders (e.g., forwarding back to the sender)
• Test with a small email to confirm all recipients receive it

Up next, let’s look at how to manage or delete email forwarders to keep your setup clean and secure.

5. How to manage or delete existing email forwarders

Over time, you may need to manage email forwarders in cPanel to update addresses, remove outdated ones, or reduce clutter. Keeping your forwarders clean helps avoid misrouted emails, spam buildup, and forwarding loops.

Here’s how to view, edit, and delete them easily.

5.1. Access your list of email forwarders

Log in to cPanel and click on Forwarders in the Email section.
You’ll see two sections:

• Email Account Forwarders for individual addresses 
• Domain Forwarders for domain-wide rules 

5.2. Delete or edit a forwarder

Find the forwarder you want to change, then:

• Click Delete next to a forwarder to remove it
• To change the destination, delete the current one and create a new forwarder with the updated address 

There’s no direct “edit” button, so you’ll need to recreate forwarders when making changes.

5.3. Regularly audit your forwarders

• Remove any that point to outdated or unused accounts 
• Check for any forwarders that duplicate delivery unnecessarily 
• Ensure no forwarders send mail to suspicious or untrusted domains 

After a few months of running a team inbox, I realized several old forwarders were still active—some were pointing to team members who had already left the company. Cleaning them up helped cut down spam and ensured messages only reached the right people. I now set a monthly reminder to review and audit our cPanel forwarders.

A clean forwarding setup makes email delivery faster, more secure, and easier to troubleshoot.

Next, let’s go over common issues with email forwarding in cPanel and how to fix them.

6. Troubleshooting issues with email forwarding in cPanel

If your cPanel email forwarding is not working, several factors could be causing the issue. This section will help you identify and fix the most common problems quickly and effectively.

6.1. Common problems and how to fix them

• Forwarder is not working at all
  → Double-check that the forwarder is correctly configured in cPanel under Forwarders. Make sure there are no typos in the source or destination address. 
• Emails are going to spam
  → This is often due to missing SPF or DKIM records. These DNS settings help verify that forwarded emails are legitimate. 
• SPF/DKIM conflicts
  → If the original domain uses strict SPF/DKIM settings, the forwarded email might be flagged as spoofed. Adjust the SPF policy to allow forwarding or use SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) if supported. 
• Forwarding loop detected
  → Avoid forwarding to an address that eventually redirects back to the original sender. This can create loops and result in message rejection. 
• Emails not received by the destination
  → Test delivery using cPanel’s built-in Track Delivery tool or by sending test emails and checking the server logs under Email Trace. 
• Mailbox full or blacklisted
  → Ensure the destination inbox isn’t over quota or blacklisted by spam filters.

I once helped a client troubleshoot an issue where forwarded emails were being marked as spam. After reviewing their DNS settings, I noticed they had no SPF or DKIM records in place. Once we added proper authentication records via their DNS zone editor in cPanel, the deliverability improved significantly. This small change made a big impact on their lead management workflow.

6.2. Tools for troubleshooting

Use the following tools in cPanel:

• Email Trace: Shows delivery logs and routing paths
• MX Entry: Verify mail routing setup
• Email Authentication: Enable or confirm SPF/DKIM settings
• Webmail access: Check if the email is received at the source inbox before forwarding

When in doubt, contact your hosting provider’s support—they can help analyze log files and suggest server-level fixes.

In the next section, I’ll cover best practices for setting up email forwarding in cPanel to prevent these issues from happening in the first place.

7. Best practices for email forwarding setup in cPanel

Here are the key best practices when using email forwarding in cPanel to maintain security, avoid errors, and improve deliverability.

7.1. Avoid forwarding loops

Never set up a forwarder that routes emails back to the original sender or creates circular routes between accounts. This leads to delivery failures and server strain.

7.2. Enable SPF and DKIM authentication

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are DNS records that verify the legitimacy of your email. Enabling them helps prevent your forwarded emails from being flagged as spam.

You can manage these settings in cPanel by navigating to Email → Email Deliverability and checking for errors or missing records.

In my own setup, adding SPF and DKIM records significantly reduced the number of forwarded emails ending up in junk folders. It also improved our domain’s overall reputation with receiving servers like Gmail and Outlook.

7.3. Avoid using catch-all forwarders unless necessary

Catch-all forwarders receive all emails sent to non-existent addresses under a domain. While useful in some cases (e.g., during domain migrations), they often attract a large amount of spam.

Use them temporarily, and always combine with spam filtering rules or CAPTCHA-protected forms.

7.4. Forward to reliable, secure inboxes

Use verified, secured addresses as forwarding destinations—preferably under your control or organization domain. Avoid forwarding sensitive content to free public email services unless absolutely necessary.

7.5. Regularly audit forwarders

Old or forgotten forwarders can lead to lost messages or unauthorized access. Make it a habit to review your Forwarders list monthly to clean up unused entries.

Following these best practices will help you maintain a clean, secure, and effective email forwarding system in cPanel.

Up next: we’ll explore an advanced option, email piping to a program, and when it makes sense to use it.

8. Advanced option – Piping email to a program

If you need more than simple forwarding, email piping in cPanel lets you route incoming emails directly to a script or application—perfect for automation.

8.1. What is email piping?

Email piping is a process where messages sent to a specific email address are delivered to a server-side script instead of a mailbox. This script can then process the content, trigger workflows, or store data.

It’s commonly used in:

• Helpdesk and ticketing systems (e.g., WHMCS, osTicket) 
• CRMs 
• Custom auto-reply or content parsing tools

Unlike standard forwarding, email piping gives you full control over how the message is handled.

8.2. When to use it (and when not to)

Piping is ideal when:

• You want to automate email handling (e.g., open support tickets) 
• You need to trigger internal scripts on message arrival 
• You trust and maintain your server environment 

Avoid it if:

• You’re unfamiliar with scripting or command-line interfaces 
• Your hosting provider restricts script execution 
• You prefer GUI-based tools 

I once configured email piping for a small customer support team using osTicket. Instead of checking multiple inboxes, the team received structured tickets instantly in the dashboard, streamlining response time and eliminating email clutter.

8.3. How to set up email piping in cPanel

To pipe an email to a program:

1. Log in to cPanel 
2. Go to Email → Forwarders 
3. Click Add Forwarder 
4. In the destination section, choose Pipe to a Program 
5. Enter the absolute path to your script (e.g., /home/username/public_html/scripts/parse.php) 
6. Ensure the script has execute permissions (chmod 755) and the correct shebang line
   

Always test thoroughly to ensure your script is receiving and processing data as expected.

This method is powerful but should be used carefully. Up next, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about email forwarding in cPanel.

9. FAQs about How to set up email forwarding in cPanel

This section addresses common questions about how to set up email forwarding in cPanel, especially for users who want clarity before making changes.

10. Conclusion

Learning how to set up email forwarding in cPanel is a powerful step toward simplifying how you manage your inboxes and streamlining communication across domains and departments.

Here’s a quick summary of what you’ve learned:

• Forward individual emails by adding account-level forwarders 
• Redirect all domain emails using domain-level (catch-all) forwarding 
• Send emails to multiple recipients by creating layered forwarders 
• Manage or delete unused forwarders to reduce clutter and errors 
• Enable SPF/DKIM to improve email deliverability and security 
• Use advanced tools like email piping for automation

From my own experience managing multiple websites and team inboxes, properly setting up email forwarders in cPanel saved hours of manual checking and helped avoid missing client leads.

If you’re ready to take control of your inbox, understanding how to set up email forwarding in cPanel is a great place to start. Want more guides like this? Visit Safelyo — where we make Tech How-To Simplified.