If you have set up email forwarding for your domain, but forwarded emails are not reaching the destination address, there are a few possible causes.
If a forwarded email fails, you may receive a bounce-back message. Check the error and description in the message, as this will usually indicate what went wrong. For example, the destination email address may have been misspelled.
If the bounce-back does not indicate an obvious problem, try the following test.
Create a mailbox for the email address you are using as the forwarder. This allows you to check whether the messages are reaching our mail server successfully.
Send a test email to the address and check whether it arrives in the mailbox.
There are two separate stages of email filtering:
1. Our mail server receives the original email. Our forwarding system scans incoming messages for spam and other unwanted mail before forwarding them.
Our forwarding system processes emails in batches. If a batch contains messages identified as spam, legitimate messages in the same batch may also be blocked. The filtering rules are intentionally strict and can sometimes be triggered by legitimate messages. These rules apply across the platform and cannot be adjusted for individual accounts.
2. The destination mail provider receives the forwarded email. Once we forward the message, the destination provider may scan it again using its own spam-filtering rules.
The second stage can also cause legitimate forwarded emails to be rejected or delayed. Unfortunately, the destination mail provider controls its own filtering, so we cannot change or override its rules.
You can improve the chances of forwarded emails being accepted by the destination mail provider by setting up an SPF record for your domain.
An SPF record helps receiving mail providers verify that messages sent from your domain are authorised. This can reduce the likelihood of forwarded messages being rejected during the destination provider’s spam filtering.
Article ID: 236
Created On: Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 11:31 AM
Last Updated On: Tue, Sep 8, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Online URL: https://www.heartinternet.uk/support/article/why-are-the-email-forwards-for-my-domain-failing.html