A new Forward Opt-In feature has been introduced to Hosted Email to improve security and reduce abuse. It requires recipients to approve email forwards before receiving any forwarded content.
Why the Change?
To combat malicious forwarding abuse, where attackers use forwarding to send spam or scams without consent. This update ensures recipients must opt-in before any forwarded emails reach them.
✅ Key Functionality
| Action | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Adding a forward via MAC/API | Sends opt-in email to the recipient. |
| Recipient clicks approval link | Forwarding begins |
| No approval in 24 hours | Request expires |
| Forward removed | Approval revoked |
| Re-adding a forward | Requires new approval |
| Max pending requests | 20 per mailbox |
| API endpoint | Shows pending and approved forwards |
Email Details
- Cannot be customized for security reasons.
Workflow Example
Scenario: me@mydomain.com forwards to john@example.com
- Add john@example.com via MAC or API.
- John receives opt-in email.
- John clicks “Approve.”
- Forwarding starts.
- No action? Request expires in 24 hrs.
- Forward removed? Approval is revoked.
FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can the opt-in email be customized? | No |
| Can old approvals be reused? | No – new opt-in required after removal |
| What if a recipient never approves? | No mail is forwarded; request expires in 24 hrs |
| What if the limit of 20 is hit? | Must wait for existing to expire or be removed |
| Can support bypass this process? | No – manual override is not possible. The sender needs to re-enter their forwarding email address. |
| Are messages sent before approval delivered? | No – only post-approval emails are forwarded |
| When will this change go live? | Effective September 18th, 2025 |
API Reference
Use the API to:
- View pending approvals via forward_invites
- View approved forwards via forward_recipients in the get_user endpoint
Additional Information
- Feature does not apply to third-party systems.
- Support cannot override or customize the workflow.
Was this article helpful? If not please submit a request here
How helpful was this article?
Thanks for your feedback!
Do you still need help? If so please submit a request here.