A catch-all (default address) receives any email sent to your domain that does not match an existing mailbox. For example, if someone writes to typo@yourdomain.com and that mailbox does not exist, the catch-all handles it.
Configure the catch-all address
- Log in at https://tpc-hosting.com/login and open cPanel.
- Under Email, click Default Address.
- Select your domain from the dropdown.
- Choose one of the following actions:
- Forward to email address — sends unmatched emails to the address you specify. Enter the destination address in the field.
- Discard and send an error to the sender — rejects unmatched emails with a "User does not exist" bounce message. This is the recommended default for most domains.
- Pipe to a program — passes the email to a custom script (advanced).
- Click Change.
Which option should I choose?
- Discard (recommended) — prevents your inbox from filling with spam directed at random addresses on your domain. Spammers often send to common guesses like admin@, info@, sales@.
- Forward — useful if your domain receives legitimate email at unpredictable addresses, or if you are migrating addresses and do not want to miss email during the transition.
Note on spam
Enabling a catch-all that forwards to a real inbox often results in a significant increase in spam, because spammers send to hundreds of guessed addresses. Use the Discard option unless you have a specific reason to collect all mail.
