How to Set Up Email Forwarding and Autoresponders

Introduction

Email forwarding and autoresponders are powerful tools for managing your email communication efficiently. This guide covers how to set up email forwarders to automatically redirect emails and autoresponders to automatically reply to incoming messages.

Email Forwarding

What is Email Forwarding?

Email forwarding automatically sends a copy of incoming emails from one address to another. This is useful for:

• Consolidating multiple email accounts
• Routing departmental emails (sales@, support@) to specific team members
• Temporary redirection during vacation or leave
• Backup email delivery to secondary accounts

Creating an Email Forwarder

Step 1: Access Forwarders

1. Log into cPanel
2. Navigate to the "Email" section
3. Click on "Forwarders"

Step 2: Add Forwarder

1. Click "+ Add Forwarder" button
2. Enter the address to forward FROM:
   • Type the email username (e.g., "info", "sales", "support")
   • Select the domain from dropdown if you have multiple domains
3. Choose forwarding destination:
   • Forward to email address: Enter the destination email (can be any email, even external like Gmail)
   • Discard and send an error: Reject emails with error message
   • Advanced Options: Pipe to program or forward to system account
4. Click "Add Forwarder"

Forwarding to Multiple Addresses

To forward one email to multiple recipients:

1. Create the first forwarder as normal
2. Create additional forwarders with the same "FROM" address but different "TO" addresses
3. Each recipient will receive a copy of incoming emails

Example: Forward sales@yourdomain.com to both john@yourdomain.com and mary@yourdomain.com

Forward and Keep Copy

To forward emails AND keep a copy in the original mailbox:

1. First, create the email account (if it doesn't exist)
2. Then create a forwarder from that address to the destination
3. Emails will be delivered to both the original mailbox AND forwarded

Managing Existing Forwarders

• View Forwarders: All forwarders are listed on the Forwarders page
• Delete Forwarder: Click "Delete" next to the forwarder you want to remove
• Trace Forwarder: Click "Trace" to test where emails will be forwarded

Domain Forwarders

Forward all email for an entire domain to another domain:

1. On the Forwarders page, scroll to "Add Domain Forwarder"
2. Select the source domain
3. Enter the destination domain
4. Click "Add Domain Forwarder"

Example: Forward all email from @olddomain.com to matching addresses @newdomain.com

Autoresponders (Out of Office / Vacation Messages)

What are Autoresponders?

Autoresponders automatically send a reply to anyone who emails you. Common uses include:

• Vacation / out-of-office messages
• Acknowledgment of receipt (e.g., "We received your inquiry")
• Temporary business closure notifications
• Automated information delivery

Creating an Autoresponder

Step 1: Access Autoresponders

1. Log into cPanel
2. Navigate to "Email" section
3. Click "Autoresponders"

Step 2: Add Autoresponder

1. Click "+ Add Autoresponder"
2. Configure basic settings:
   • Character Set: Leave as utf-8 (default)
   • Interval: Hours between responses to the same sender (default: 8 hours)
     • Higher interval prevents spam-like behavior
     • 0 = respond to every email (not recommended)

Step 3: Configure Email Details

1. Email: Select or create the email address for autoresponse
2. From: Name that appears as sender (e.g., "Your Name" or "Company Support")
3. Subject: Subject line of the automatic reply
   • Example: "Out of Office: Re: %subject%" (%subject% = original subject)
   • Example: "Thank you for contacting us"
4. Body: The message content (can use HTML or plain text)
   • Available variables:
     • %from% - Sender's email address
     • %subject% - Original email subject
     • %email% - Your email address

Step 4: Set Start and Stop Times

1. Start: When autoresponder becomes active
   • Choose "immediately" or select specific date/time
2. Stop: When autoresponder deactivates
   • Choose "never" for permanent autoresponse
   • Or select specific date/time (recommended for vacation messages)
3. Click "Create/Modify"

Example Autoresponder Messages

Vacation / Out of Office

Subject: Out of Office: Re: %subject%

Body:
Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office with limited access to email from [start date] to [end date].

I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my return.

For urgent matters, please contact [alternate person] at [email/phone].

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Support Acknowledgment

Subject: Support Request Received - Ticket #AUTO

Body:
Dear %from%,

Thank you for contacting our support team. We have received your email regarding: %subject%

Your inquiry is important to us, and our team will respond within 24 hours during business days (Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM EST).

For immediate assistance, you can also:
- Check our knowledge base: https://yourdomain.com/support
- Call us: +1-555-123-4567

Best regards,
Support Team
Company Name

Managing Autoresponders

• View Autoresponders: All active and scheduled autoresponders are listed
• Edit: Click "Edit" to modify message, dates, or interval
• Delete: Click "Delete" to permanently remove autoresponder
• Disable: Edit and set stop time to past date, or delete entirely

Best Practices

Email Forwarding

• Don't create forwarding loops (A forwards to B, B forwards to A)
• Regularly review and remove unused forwarders
• Use forwarders sparingly to avoid spam issues
• Consider using email accounts with filters instead for better control
• Be aware that forwarding to free email services (Gmail, Yahoo) may affect deliverability

Autoresponders

• Set reasonable intervals (8+ hours) to prevent spam-like behavior
• Always set a stop date for temporary messages (vacation)
• Keep messages professional and concise
• Include alternative contact information for urgent matters
• Test autoresponders before activating (send yourself a test email)
• Disable immediately upon return to avoid confusing correspondents
• Don't use autoresponders on mailing lists or discussion groups

Combining Forwarders and Autoresponders

You can use both features simultaneously for complete email management:

Example Scenario: You're on vacation

1. Set up autoresponder: "I'm out of office until [date]"
2. Set up forwarder: Forward your email to a colleague who will handle urgent matters
3. Result: Senders receive automatic notification, and urgent emails still get handled

Advanced: Email Filters vs. Forwarders

For more complex routing, consider using Email Filters instead:

• Forwarders: Simple, automatic, forwards ALL emails
• Filters: Conditional, can forward based on sender, subject, content, etc.

Access Email Filters: cPanel > Email > Email Filters

Troubleshooting

Forwarded Emails Not Arriving

• Check destination mailbox isn't full
• Verify forwarder is set up correctly (trace it)
• Check destination spam folder
• Some email providers (Gmail, Outlook.com) may reject forwarded emails - test with alternative address

Autoresponder Not Working

• Verify start/stop dates are correct
• Check that autoresponder is active (not expired)
• Send test email from external address
• Check interval settings - may not respond immediately if recently sent
• Some spam filters may block autoresponders

Too Many Autoresponses Sent

• Increase interval setting (e.g., 24 hours instead of 1 hour)
• Check if email is subscribed to mailing lists (unsubscribe or disable autoresponder)
• Verify stop date is set correctly

Forwarding Loop Error

• Remove circular forwarders immediately
• Check the entire forwarding chain for loops
• Simplify forwarding structure

Security Considerations

• Privacy: Forwarders may send emails to third-party servers - ensure GDPR/privacy compliance
• Spam: Excessive forwarding can trigger spam filters
• Autoresponder Leaks: Autoresponders may confirm email address validity to spammers - use reasonable intervals
• Sensitive Information: Be cautious about including sensitive information in autoresponder messages

Need Help?

If you need assistance setting up forwarders or autoresponders, or if they're not working as expected, please contact our support team for personalized help.