How To Set Default Address (Catch-All Address)

Overview

This interface allows you to set up a default address (catch-all address) that receives any mail that was sent to an invalid email address for the domain. You can also define how the default address handles incoming messages.

• Note: If spammers target your domain, and you forward mail to a default address, that address is likely to receive a large amount of spam.

Set Default Address

To set a default address for your domain, perform the following steps:

1. Select the domain for which you wish to set a default address.

2. Select one of the following options:

• Discard the email while your server processes it by SMTP time with an error message — Select this option to send an error message to the sender. Enter an error message in the The failure message that the sender sees text box.
• Forward to Email Address — Select this option to forward mail to another address. Enter the email address or your cPanel account’s username in the Email Address text box.
• Click Advanced Options to view the following additional options:
  • Forward to your system account — Select this option to forward mail to the system account.
  • Pipe to a program — Select this option to forward messages to a program at the path that you define in the available text box.
    • Note: For more information, read the Pipe to a Program section of our How to Configure Mail Filters documentation.
  • Discard — Select this option to delete incoming messages without a failure notice.
    • Important: We do not recommend this option, because the sender will not know that the delivery failed.
      Click Change.

3. Click Change.