What is the difference between an alias and forwarding?

An alias is an extra address that arrives in a mailbox you already have, without a separate inbox. Forwarding instead sends incoming email to another address, which may also be external. An alias keeps everything in one place; forwarding takes the mail to a different place.

Does a catch-all attract more spam?

Yes. Spammers often send to random, non-existent addresses on a domain. A catch-all collects all of those messages, so you receive more unwanted mail. Only use a catch-all if you really need it, and otherwise choose Reject.

Can I forward email to a Gmail or Outlook address?

Yes, forwarding to an external address is possible. Keep in mind that forwarded mail is sometimes checked more strictly by the receiving provider and can end up in the spam folder. For a reliable solution, an alias into a real mailbox is often steadier.

Can I also set up aliases and forwarding in the customer portal?

No. In the customer portal you create mailboxes, change passwords and delete addresses. Aliases, forwarding and a catch-all are set up in Plesk, which you open from the customer portal with a single click.

How to set up email forwarding and aliases in Plesk

Set up email forwarding, an alias or a catch-all? Here is how to configure forwarding and aliases step by step in Plesk, and which to choose.

Do you want to forward email to another address, bring several addresses such as info@ and sales@ into one mailbox with an alias, or use a catch-all to collect all mail sent to addresses that do not exist? Those are three separate options, each with its own purpose. Email forwarding, an alias and a catch-all are all set up in Plesk, not in the customer portal. This article explains the difference and gives you a clear step-by-step guide for each.

Alias, forwarding or catch-all: what is the difference?

These three options look similar, but they behave differently. Pick the wrong one and your email ends up in the wrong place. Here is what each option does.

Alias: an extra address in the same mailbox

An alias is an extra email address that arrives in a mailbox you already have. There is no new inbox and no separate password to remember. If you let sales@yourcompany.com arrive as an alias in your main mailbox, you simply read those messages among the rest. An alias is meant for receiving.

Forwarding: mail to another address

With forwarding, the server automatically sends incoming email on to one or more other addresses. That can be an address on your own domain, but also an external address such as a Gmail or Outlook account. You decide whether to keep a copy in the original mailbox or not.

Catch-all: a safety net for non-existent addresses

A catch-all collects all email sent to an address that does not exist on your domain. If someone accidentally types inof@ instead of info@, that message would normally be lost. With a catch-all it still arrives at an address you choose. You set this at domain level, so for the whole domain at once.

Alias, forwarding and catch-all compared
Option	Separate mailbox needed?	Main purpose	Typical use
Alias	No, uses an existing mailbox	Receive several addresses in one inbox	info@ and sales@ in your main mailbox
Forwarding	No	Send incoming mail to another, sometimes external address	You read your mail at a different provider
Catch-all	No, set at domain level	Collect mail to non-existent addresses	Catch typos in addresses

Before you start

First check these two things:

You already have at least one mailbox on your domain. If you do not, first read how to create an email address.
You have access to Plesk. Aliases, forwarding and a catch-all are not in the customer portal; there you only create mailboxes, change passwords and delete addresses.

Open Plesk from the customer portal: go to the detail page of your website and click Log in to Plesk. You are signed in automatically and do not need a separate Plesk password.

Create an alias in Plesk

An alias lets an extra address arrive in an existing mailbox. Handy if you want to read both info@ and sales@ in your main mailbox without creating a separate mailbox for each address.

In Plesk, open the Mail tab.
Click the email address of the mailbox where the alias should arrive.
Go to the Email Aliases tab.
Type the new address in the Email alias box, for example sales@yourcompany.com.
Click OK. From now on, email to sales@ arrives in the same mailbox.

You can link several aliases to the same mailbox. If an alias starts attracting a lot of spam, you simply remove that alias without touching your mailbox.

Sending from an alias

An alias is mainly meant for receiving. If you also want to send email from, say, sales@, add that address as an extra sender identity in your email program. For help configuring your program, see set up email on your phone and computer. If sending does not work, contact support.

Forward email to another address

With forwarding, incoming email is automatically sent on to one or more other addresses. This also works to an external address, for example if you prefer to read your mail with one central provider.

In Plesk, open the Mail tab and click the email address you want to forward.
Go to the Forwarding tab.
Tick Switch on mail forwarding.
Enter one or more addresses to forward to. Separate multiple addresses with a space, comma or semicolon, or put each on its own line.
Click OK.

Keeping a copy or not

By default, a copy stays in the original mailbox. If you want to forward only, without keeping a copy, go to the Mail tab, open the address and clear the Mailbox checkbox. Then click OK. The address now only forwards and stores nothing itself.

Watch out when forwarding to an external provider

If you forward to an external address, for example at Gmail or Outlook, our server resends the message. The receiving provider may judge such a forwarded message more strictly, because the sender check through your SPF record points to our server. Forwarded mail therefore sometimes lands in the spam folder, and you also forward any spam along with it. If you want to keep your mail reliably in one place, an alias into a real mailbox is often steadier than forwarding to the outside.

Set up a catch-all in Plesk

A catch-all collects all email to addresses that do not exist on your domain, so a message to a mistyped address is not lost. You set this at domain level, not per mailbox.

In Plesk, go to Websites & Domains and open your domain.
Click the Mail tab and then Mail Settings.
Under Mail for non-existent users, choose Forward to address.
Enter the address this mail should go to, for example info@yourcompany.com.
Click OK.

Instead of forwarding, you can also choose Reject, which cleanly refuses mail to non-existent addresses, or Bounce with message. The catch-all forwarding address usually has to be on your own domain. If you want to collect mail at an external address, contact support. If you do not see this option, it may be switched off and support can help you.

A catch-all attracts more spam

A catch-all sounds convenient, but it has a downside. Spammers often try random addresses on a domain, such as sales@, john@ or test@. With a catch-all, all of that mail still comes in. So only turn on a catch-all if you really need it, and otherwise choose Reject. You can read more about limiting unwanted mail in email security.

Which option should you choose?

Choose an alias if you want to receive several addresses such as info@ and sales@ in one existing mailbox. You keep everything in one place and do not have to manage an extra inbox.
Choose forwarding if you actually read your email somewhere else, for example at an external provider, or if you want to send mail to a colleague temporarily.
Choose a catch-all only if you want to catch typos in addresses and accept the extra spam. For most domains, Reject is a calmer choice.

Still stuck? Feel free to contact support and we will help you further.