How to set up email forwarders in cPanel

Email forwarders redirect incoming messages from one address to another automatically. This allows you to consolidate multiple email addresses into a single inbox or manage contact addresses for different parts of your business without creating separate mailboxes.

You will set up a forwarder in cPanel by specifying a source address and destination. Once configured, all messages sent to the source address arrive in the destination inbox immediately.

Before you begin

You need access to your cPanel control panel.
The destination email address must already exist or be external (such as Gmail).

Access the forwarders tool

The forwarders tool in cPanel manages all email forwarding rules for your domains. You need to open this tool before creating a new forwarder.

Log in to cPanel.
Access your control panel at yourdomain.co.uk/cpanel using your cPanel username and password.
Open the forwarders tool.
Scroll to the Email section and click Forwarders. This opens the forwarder management page.

cPanel Email section showing the Forwarders icon — The Forwarders tool in the Email section.

Create a new forwarder

You will now configure the source address and destination for your forwarder. cPanel splits the source address into two fields: the local part (before the @) and the domain.

Click Add Forwarder.
This button appears at the top of the forwarders page and opens the configuration form.

cPanel Forwarders management page with Add Forwarder button highlighted — Click Add Forwarder to create a new forwarding rule.

Enter the source address.
In the Address to Forward field, type the local part of the email address (the part before @). Select the domain from the dropdown menu. For example, to forward contact@yourdomain.co.uk, enter contact in the first field and select yourdomain.co.uk from the dropdown.
Specify the destination.
Under Destination, select Forward to email address and enter the address where messages should arrive. This can be another address on your domain or an external address like Gmail.

cPanel Add Forwarder form showing source address and destination fields — Configure the source address and destination for your forwarder.

Save the forwarder.
Click Add Forwarder at the bottom of the form. cPanel creates the forwarding rule immediately and returns you to the forwarders management page.

Your forwarder is now active. Test it by sending an email to the source address and confirming it arrives at the destination inbox.

Wrapping up

You have configured an email forwarder in cPanel that redirects messages automatically. All emails sent to your source address now arrive at the destination inbox without requiring a separate mailbox.

You can create multiple forwarders for different addresses or set up your custom domain email in Outlook if you prefer direct mailbox access.