Everything You Need to Know About Domain Forwarding and Email Deliverability

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

If you’ve ever changed your website’s domain or bought additional domains for your business, you’ve probably come across the term “domain forwarding.” It’s an important tool in maintaining a smooth and effective online presence. But, what exactly is domain forwarding, and how can it work for you? How can it affect your email deliverability?

Imagine you’ve launched a new website, or perhaps you have multiple domain names pointing to the same website. Instead of manually telling visitors where to go, domain forwarding does the work for you. It ensures that no matter what address someone types in, they’re sent straight to the right place without hassle.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about domain forwarding, especially in terms of your email deliverability. 

What is Domain Forwarding?

At its core, domain forwarding (or URL forwarding) is a method that directs visitors from one domain to another. When someone types in your old domain name or any other domain you’ve set up, they are automatically redirected to a new site or page. This is particularly helpful when moving to a new website, merging multiple sites, or making sure all your web traffic is consolidated under one domain.

Setting up domain forwarding typically involves configuring DNS settings, either through your domain registrar or hosting provider. Once set up, you won’t have to worry about manually updating all links or telling visitors where to go — they’ll be automatically redirected to the right place.

Types of Domain Forwarding

There are several types of domain forwarding, each serving different needs. Here’s a quick comparison of the most commonly used options:

Type of Forwarding	Description	When to Use
301 Redirect (Permanent Forwarding)	A permanent redirect that passes SEO value to the new domain.	When permanently moving to a new domain.
302 Redirect (Temporary Forwarding)	A temporary redirect, often used for short-term purposes.	When you’re testing a new design.
Meta Refresh	A page-level redirect typically used within HTML to refresh the page to a new location.	For page-to-page redirection or quick internal redirects.

Domain Forwarding and Email Deliverability

While domain forwarding is mainly about web traffic, it can also have an impact on your email system and deliverability. When you set up domain forwarding, you are redirecting visitors from one website (or domain) to another. Think of it as a kind of “address forwarding” that guides people to a new place if they type in your old domain.

Now, email deliverability refers to whether your emails actually make it into someone’s inbox, or if they get stuck in spam or are completely rejected. This is important if you’re using email addresses linked to your domain.

1. Your DNS Settings Are Affected by Domain Forwarding.

When you forward a domain, you change something called DNS records. These are like the instructions on how the internet finds your website and your email. If you don’t update these DNS settings properly, it can affect your emails.

• MX records are the instructions that tell the internet where to send your emails. For example, when someone sends an email to info@yourdomain.com, the MX records say, “Send that to the mail server we’re using to handle email.”
• SPF and DKIM records tell other email servers that the emails you send are really from you and not someone pretending to be you (which is important for avoiding spam filters).

If you forward your domain but don’t update these email-related records in your DNS, it’s like telling people, “Hey, you can forward me to a new address,” but not giving them the correct instructions for your email. The result? Your emails may end up in spam folders or even get blocked.

GlockApps understands the important role of proper email authentication firsthand. In a recent interview, our CEO, Alex Arnaut, shared insights on how SPF records impact spam rates and sender reputation, based on real challenges our company has faced. When adding a new email-sending domain, we forgot to set up SPF record. It led to almost 200 emails ending up in the recipient’s spam folder. Read the full interview to learn more.

2. Reputation and Deliverability.

If your domain forwarding is not properly configured, it can lead to inconsistent behavior across your domains, which may confuse email service providers (ESPs) and hurt your email reputation. Additionally, if your forwarding domain is blacklisted or has a poor reputation, emails sent from that domain could be flagged as spam. Trust your email deliverability to GlockApps — one of the best tools on the market!

3. Email Forwarding Loops.

When you forward emails from one address to another, make sure your setup is correct to avoid forwarding loops — where emails continuously bounce between two addresses. This could result in emails being rejected, which negatively impacts email deliverability.

4. Key Takeaway for Email Deliverability.

Domain forwarding needs to be configured carefully to ensure it doesn’t affect your email deliverability. Make sure your email authentication records (MX, SPF, DKIM) are updated properly after setting up forwarding to avoid issues with email delivery or spam filters.

Conclusion

Domain forwarding is a powerful tool that helps keep your web traffic running smoothly and ensures your visitors end up where they need to be. But it’s not just about redirecting users to the right place on your website — it’s also closely tied to your email deliverability. If you’re not careful enough, setting up domain forwarding incorrectly can cause some serious headaches for your email system.

When you forward a domain, you need to make sure that your email settings — like MX records, SPF, and DKIM — are properly configured. Otherwise, you might find that your emails get stuck in spam folders, don’t get delivered at all, or even get rejected by email servers. And if you rely on email for your business or communication, that can lead to missed opportunities.

The key takeaway is that while domain forwarding is essential for keeping your website in order, it’s equally important to pay attention to how it affects your email system. By making sure your email authentication records are set up right, and avoiding issues like forwarding loops, you can protect your email reputation and ensure your messages reach their destination. Use GlockApps to test your email deliverability today!

So, whether you’re forwarding a domain for your website or email, taking the time to properly configure everything will help keep your online presence running smoothly and your email communications on track.

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