How to Set Up Automatic Email Forwarding

Why forward email automatically?

Automatic email forwarding is a handy feature that sends incoming messages to another email address automatically. This is useful in several situations: you want to receive all your business emails at your personal address as well, you are moving to a new email address but don't want to miss messages sent to the old one, or you want certain emails to end up with a colleague automatically. In this article we explain step by step how to set up automatic forwarding in popular email programs.

Important things to consider first

Before you set up automatic forwarding, there are a few important points to consider.

Privacy and security

Forwarded emails may contain sensitive information. Make sure the destination account is well protected with a strong password and preferably two-factor authentication. Also check whether forwarding business email to a personal account is allowed within your organization.

Storage limits

If you forward email to an account with limited storage, it can fill up quickly. Consider forwarding only specific emails instead of everything, or make sure the destination account has enough space.

Replying from the right address

If you reply to a forwarded email from the destination account, your reply may be sent from that address instead of the original one. This can cause confusion. Many email programs let you reply from the original address by using aliases.

Automatic forwarding in Gmail

Gmail offers flexible options for forwarding email, both for all messages and selectively through filters.

Forward all email

Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right. Select "See all settings". Go to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Click "Add a forwarding address". Enter the email address you want to forward to. Gmail sends a verification email to this address. Open the verification email and click the confirmation link, or enter the code in Gmail. Back in the settings, select "Forward a copy of incoming mail to" and choose your address. Choose what should happen to the original message: keep it in the inbox, archive it, mark it as read, or delete it. Click "Save Changes".

Forward selectively with filters

If you don't want to forward all email, only specific messages, you can use filters. Click the gear icon and go to "See all settings". Go to "Filters and Blocked Addresses". Click "Create a new filter". Set the criteria for the emails you want to forward (for example, from a specific sender). Click "Create filter". Check "Forward it to" and select the forwarding address. Click "Create filter" to confirm.

Turn off Gmail forwarding

To stop forwarding, go back to "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" in the settings and select "Disable forwarding". Don't forget to click "Save Changes".

Automatic forwarding in Outlook

Outlook offers several methods for forwarding email, depending on whether you use the web version, the desktop app or a Microsoft 365 account.

Outlook on the web (outlook.com / Office 365)

Sign in to outlook.com or your Office 365 webmail. Click the gear icon and select "View all Outlook settings". Go to "Mail" and then "Forwarding". Check "Enable forwarding". Enter the email address you want to forward to. Optional: check "Keep a copy of forwarded messages" to keep the original emails in Outlook as well. Click "Save".

Outlook desktop with Exchange

If you use an Exchange account, forwarding is usually set up through webmail or by the IT department. In Outlook desktop you can, however, create rules to forward email. Go to "File" > "Manage Rules & Alerts". Click "New Rule". Select "Apply rule on messages I receive". Click "Next" to select all messages, or set criteria. Under actions, select "forward it to people or public group". Enter the forwarding address. Complete the wizard and give the rule a name.

Microsoft 365 admin settings

In some organizations, automatic forwarding to external addresses is blocked by the IT department. This is a security measure to prevent company information from leaking. If you need forwarding but it doesn't work, contact your IT department.

Automatic forwarding in other email services

Other popular email services support automatic forwarding too.

Yahoo Mail

Click the gear icon and select "More Settings". Go to "Mailboxes". Select your email account. Scroll to "Forwarding" and enter the forwarding address. Confirm with your Yahoo password.

Apple iCloud Mail

Sign in at icloud.com and go to Mail. Click the gear icon and select "Preferences". Go to "General". Check "Forward my email to" and enter the address. Optional: keep a copy in iCloud.

Email through your hosting (cPanel)

If you use email through a web hosting provider, you can usually set up forwarding in cPanel. Log in to cPanel and look for "Forwarders" (called "Doorstuurders" in the Dutch interface). Click "Add Forwarder" (or "Toevoegen", meaning "Add"). Enter your email address and the forwarding address. Choose whether you want to keep or delete the original.

Advanced forwarding scenarios

Sometimes your forwarding needs are more complex. Here are some advanced scenarios.

Forwarding to multiple addresses

In Gmail you can forward directly to only one address, but you can use filters to send email to different addresses based on criteria. In Outlook you can create rules that forward to multiple addresses.

Forwarding while keeping the original sender

By default, a forwarded email shows you as the forwarder. If you want to keep the original sender, you can use "redirect" instead of forwarding. This is available in Outlook through rules.

Temporary forwarding

If you want to forward email temporarily (for example, while you are on vacation), don't forget to turn it off again afterward. Set a reminder in your calendar.

Troubleshooting common problems

Here are solutions to problems you may run into when setting up forwarding.

The verification email doesn't arrive

Check the spam or junk mail folder of the destination account. If the email doesn't arrive, wait a few minutes and try again. Check that the email address is spelled correctly.

Forwarding doesn't work

If forwarding is set up but doesn't work, check that there are no conflicting rules or filters. In business environments, the IT department may have blocked forwarding to external addresses.

Forwarded email ends up in spam

Add the original forwarding address to your contacts in the destination account. Mark forwarded messages as "Not spam" to train the filters.

Best practices for email forwarding

Follow these guidelines to use automatic forwarding safely and effectively.

Secure both accounts

Both your original account and your destination account should be well secured. Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Inform the relevant people

If you forward business email, inform your IT department or manager if needed. Transparency prevents problems later on.

Check regularly

Periodically verify that forwarding still works correctly and that emails arrive in the destination account. Technical changes can disrupt forwarding settings.

Consider alternatives

In some cases, setting up POP/IMAP access or adding your account to an email client is a better alternative to forwarding. This gives you access to all your emails without duplication.

Conclusion

Automatic email forwarding is a powerful feature that helps you handle your email more efficiently. Whether you want to consolidate your messages in one place, let a colleague read along, or catch email sent to an old address, forwarding offers the solution. Follow the steps in this article to set up forwarding in your favorite email program, and keep in mind the security and privacy aspects we discussed. With the right settings, you will never miss an important email again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I forward email to multiple addresses at once?

By default, Gmail only lets you forward to one address, but you can use filters to send specific emails to different addresses. In Outlook you can forward to multiple addresses by using rules.

Is the original email kept when I forward it?

That is up to you. In Gmail and Outlook you can choose whether to keep, archive or delete the original message after forwarding. It is a good idea to keep a copy in case something goes wrong.

Does forwarding also work for emails I have already received?

No, automatic forwarding only works for new incoming emails. Existing emails in your inbox are not forwarded. You have to forward or export those manually.

Can my employer see that I forward email?

If you use a business email account managed by your employer, they may be able to see that forwarding rules have been set up. Many organizations actively monitor this, and some block forwarding to external addresses to prevent data leaks.