Which email forwarding should you choose?

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Email forwarding allows you to automatically transfer messages received at one address to another email address.

However, there are several ways to forward emails. The right choice depends on your needs: create a simple forwarding address, forward an existing mailbox, keep a copy of messages, or send emails to multiple recipients.

This help article explains the differences between the main forwarding methods available at LWS, so you can choose the procedure that fits your needs.

The main types of email forwarding

At LWS, you may encounter several types of forwarding:

• simple forwarding from the LWS Panel;
• forwarding an existing mailbox or forwarding to multiple recipients from Roundcube;
• [PERSON_NAME], when several people need to receive the same messages.

These solutions do not all work the same way. Some create a simple forwarding address, while others rely on a real mailbox.

Simple forwarding from the LWS Panel

Simple forwarding lets you create a forwarding email address, for example [EMAIL], which automatically redirects messages to another address.

This method is suitable if you want to receive messages at an existing address, without creating a new mailbox at LWS.

[PERSON_NAME] :
you create [EMAIL], and all messages sent to this address are [ADDRESS] [EMAIL].

This solution is recommended if:

• you want a professional address that is easy to share;
• you already check your emails on another address;
• you do not need to keep messages in an LWS mailbox.

It is not suitable if:

• the address already exists as a mailbox;
• you want to keep a copy of messages at LWS;
• you want to forward messages to several people.

To set up this solution, see: How do I create a simple email forward with the LWS Panel?

Forwarding an existing mailbox from Roundcube

Forwarding from Roundcube is used when a real mailbox already exists.

[ADDRESS], the forwarding is created from the mailbox itself, using a filter. Messages first arrive in the mailbox, [PERSON_NAME] forwarded to one or more addresses depending on the configured rule.

This method is suitable if you want to forward messages received by an existing address while keeping management of that address through webmail.

Examples:

• you already have the [EMAIL] mailbox and want to forward its messages to [EMAIL];
• you want messages received at [EMAIL] to be sent to several people on your team.

Depending on the configured filter, it may be possible to keep a copy of the messages in the original mailbox.

This solution is recommended if:

• the email address already exists as a mailbox;
• you want to keep a real inbox;
• you want to manage forwarding from webmail;
• you want to forward messages [PERSON_NAME] ;
• you may want to keep a copy of the messages.

It is not suitable if:

• you only want to create a forwarding address without a mailbox;
• you do not need an LWS inbox;
• [PERSON_NAME] group of recipients, with regular addition and removal of members.

To set up this solution, see: How do I create an email forward from Roundcube?

Mailing list

A mailing list lets you send a message to multiple recipients from a single address.

It can be useful when several people need to receive the same messages, for example for a sales team, an administrative department, or a workgroup.

For example, you can create an address like [EMAIL] that forwards messages to several members of your team.

This solution is recommended if:

• several people need to receive the same messages;
• you want to centralize messages sent to a group address;
• you need to manage a list of recipients;
• the need concerns broadcasting to a group of people.

It is not suitable if:

• you only want to forward messages to a single address;
• you want to keep messages in an LWS mailbox;
• you want to check messages from Roundcube;
• you need a standard mailbox with both receiving and sending capabilities.

To set up this solution, see: How do I manage a mailing list with the LWS Panel?

Comparison of the different forwarding options

The table [PERSON_NAME] also compares certain technical elements that can influence whether forwarded emails are properly delivered.

You do not need to configure them manually in most cases, but they help explain why some forwarding types are more reliable than others depending on the destination provider, [PERSON_NAME], Outlook or Yahoo.

SPF and DKIM

SPF and DKIM are two systems that help email services verify that an email is legitimate.

• SPF checks that the server sending the email is authorized to do so for the domain used.
• DKIM adds a signature to the email to prove that it has not been modified during its [PERSON_NAME]>

When SPF and DKIM remain valid, emails [ADDRESS] [PERSON_NAME]

SRS

SRS stands for Sender Rewriting Scheme. This mechanism is used to improve the reliability of email forwarding.

When an email is forwarded, some providers may refuse the message because it no longer comes directly from the original server. SRS makes it possible to properly rewrite the technical sender address so the forwarding is better accepted.

In practice, this reduces the risk of rejection or spam classification during forwarding.

ARC

ARC stands for Authenticated Received Chain. This mechanism helps keep a reliable record of the checks performed on an email before it is forwarded.

It allows the provider receiving the message to better understand that the email has been forwarded, without necessarily considering it suspicious.

ARC can therefore improve the deliverability of forwarded emails, especially when several servers are involved between the sender and the final recipient.

Special case of mailing lists used as forwarding

A mailing list can be used to forward emails to multiple recipients, but it should not replace standard forwarding in all cases.

It is mainly suitable when messages are sent to a clearly identified group.

Before using a mailing list as forwarding, always send a test email from an external address and check that each recipient actually receives the message.

What to know about receiving forwarded emails

An email forward can sometimes be filtered by the provider of the destination address.

For example, if you forward your emails to [PERSON_NAME], [PERSON_NAME], Yahoo, or another external service, some messages may be classified as spam or rejected depending on the provider’s anti-spam checks.

This behavior does not always mean the forwarding is misconfigured on the [ADDRESS] side. It may come from the security rules applied by the service receiving the message.

Common issues

[PERSON_NAME] forwarding or a mailbox

Create a simple forward if you only want to transfer messages to another address, without keeping them at LWS.

Create a mailbox if you want to check messages from Roundcube, keep a copy at LWS, or configure a forwarding filter from webmail.

I want to keep a copy of emails at LWS

Do not use simple forwarding.

Create or use a real mailbox, then configure forwarding from Roundcube. Depending on the filter chosen, messages may be kept [ADDRESS] original.

I want to send emails to several people

If the mailbox already exists, you can use forwarding from Roundcube to multiple recipients.

If you need to manage a group of recipients on a regular basis, a mailing list may be more suitable.

I already created a mailbox with this address

You must not create a simple forward [PERSON_NAME] address.

If you want to keep this mailbox, [ADDRESS] forwarding from Roundcube.

If you do not want [PERSON_NAME], you will first need to delete the [ADDRESS] mailbox, then create a simple forward [PERSON_NAME] address.

I can’t view my forwarding in Roundcube

This is normal if you created a simple forward from the [ADDRESS] Panel.

A simple forward is not [ADDRESS]. [PERSON_NAME] messages to the destination address, but it does not allow webmail login.

My forward to Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo is not working

First check that the destination address is correct.

Then send a test message from an external address, and check the inbox and spam folder.

If the message [PERSON_NAME], the destination provider may filter or reject some forwarded emails. In that case, test with another destination address to see whether the issue comes from the forwarding or from the service receiving the messages.