A catch-all is a feature in e-mail hosting that ensures no incoming e-mail gets “lost,” even if it is sent to an address that does not exist on your domain. For example, the e-mail address oieheujfwo@yourdomain.com will still work, even if it was never set up.
Here’s how it works:
Normally, if someone sends an e-mail to a non-existent address on your domain (for example,
oieheujfwo@yourdomain.com), the message would bounce back to the sender.With a catch-all enabled, all e-mails sent to undefined addresses are forwarded to a specific existing mailbox you choose.
This is useful if you want to make sure you never miss messages sent to mistyped or unofficial addresses on your domain.
Set up catch-all
You can change the catch-all settings yourself. You can choose to forward all e-mail to a specific account or send a bounce-back error to the sender. The latter is highly recommended to reduce spam. You can adjust the settings as follows.
1. Log in to DirectAdmin.
2. In the menu, go to 'Advanced Features' → 'Catch-All E-mail'.
3. You have three options to choose from:
- Disable catch-all (recommended): When disabled, e-mails sent to non-existent addresses are rejected and bounced back to the sender. This helps prevent spam, reduces server load, and protects your domain reputation, making it the best choice for most users.
- Drop all mail sent to a non-existent mailbox: In this mode, the server sends an error message to the sender, letting them know the address does not exist. This can be useful if you want senders to receive immediate feedback, but it may still expose your server to unnecessary traffic from spammers.
- Custom email address: All e-mails sent to non-existent addresses are forwarded to a mailbox of your choice. This ensures that messages aren't lost due to typos, but it can quickly fill your mailbox with spam or unwanted emails.
4. Once you have made your selection, click 'Save' to apply and store the settings.