Hosted Email requires recipients of forwarded mail to confirm they want to receive forwarded messages before delivery begins. This opt-in step protects recipients from unwanted forwarding, reduces the risk of spam complaints against your domains, and improves overall deliverability of forwarded mail.
How forward opt-in works
When you (or one of your end users) add a forwarding address to a Hosted Email mailbox, the system sends an opt-in confirmation email to that recipient. The recipient must click the confirmation link in the message before Hosted Email starts delivering forwarded mail to them. Until they confirm, the forwarding address shows as pending and no mail is forwarded to that address.
Forward opt-in applies to all forwarding configured in Hosted Email, including forwards set up through the Mailbox Administration Center (MAC), Webmail, and any reseller control panels that integrate with Hosted Email.
Note: Opt-in confirmation emails can take several minutes to arrive. Ask recipients to check their spam or junk folder if the message does not appear in the inbox.
Why opt-in is required
- Recipient consent: Forwarding can send mail to people who never agreed to receive it. Opt-in ensures every forwarded address has actively confirmed they want the messages.
- Deliverability: Mail providers treat unsolicited forwarded mail as spam. Confirmed recipients reduce spam complaints and protect the sending reputation of Hosted Email infrastructure.
- Compliance: Opt-in aligns with anti-spam regulations such as CAN-SPAM, CASL, and GDPR.
Manage forwarding addresses
Add a forwarding address
- Sign in to the Mailbox Administration Center or the relevant reseller control panel.
- Open the mailbox or alias you want to configure.
- In the Forwarding section, enter the destination email address and save.
- Hosted Email sends an opt-in email to the destination address. The forwarding address remains in a pending state until the recipient confirms.
Confirm a forwarding address (recipient steps)
- Open the opt-in email sent from the Hosted Email no-reply address.
- Click the confirmation link in the message.
- After confirmation, forwarded mail begins flowing to the address.
Tip: If a recipient cannot find the opt-in email, you can remove and re-add the forwarding address to trigger a new confirmation message.
Remove a forwarding address
Remove a confirmed or pending forwarding address from the same screen where you added it. Removing a confirmed address stops mail forwarding immediately. If you re-add the same address later, the recipient must opt in again.
Source of truth and syncing
The Mailbox Administration Center is the authoritative source for the forwarding list on each mailbox. Forwarding addresses can be created in either the MAC or in Webmail, so the list you see in any third-party control panel should be refreshed from the MAC on each load to stay accurate.
Warning: Do not delete and recreate the entire forwarding list when editing a single entry. Doing so re-triggers opt-in confirmation for every confirmed recipient and interrupts forwarding for all of them. Edit each forwarding address individually.
Troubleshoot opt-in issues
- Recipient did not receive the opt-in email: Confirm the destination address is spelled correctly, ask the recipient to check spam or junk folders, and verify their mail provider is not blocking mail from the Hosted Email no-reply sender.
- Opt-in link no longer works: Confirmation links expire. Remove the forwarding address and re-add it to send a fresh opt-in message.
- Forwarding shows as pending after the recipient confirmed: Refresh the page to sync the latest status from the MAC.
Next steps
- Communicate the change to your end users. Let mailbox owners know that anyone they forward mail to will need to confirm the forwarding request before delivery starts.
- Review existing forwarding addresses. Audit current forwards in the MAC to identify which addresses are confirmed and which are pending.
- Set expectations for delivery time. Remind users that opt-in emails can take several minutes to arrive and may need to be retrieved from a spam folder.
Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.
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