{"id":3400,"date":"2020-11-23T23:39:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T23:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shopthemedetector.com\/blog\/?p=3400"},"modified":"2026-06-09T07:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T07:06:18","slug":"how-to-setup-email-forwarding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shopthemedetector.com\/blog\/how-to-setup-email-forwarding\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up Email Forwarding on Shopify"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shopify lets you create unlimited email-forwarding addresses on your store domain for free, as long as you bought or transferred the domain through Shopify. The setup takes about 5 minutes once you know where to click. The catch: forwarding only works inbound (you can\u2019t send from the domain), and if your domain is registered with a third-party provider, the steps live on the registrar side, not on Shopify\u2019s. This post walks the full setup, what to do for third-party domains, the DNS records involved, and the common troubleshooting reasons forwarding doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/div>
1<\/div>
Email forwarding on Shopify is free and unlimited if your domain is registered through Shopify. You can create help@yourdomain.com, sales@yourdomain.com, and so on, all forwarded to a single personal inbox.<\/div><\/div>
2<\/div>
Forwarding is inbound only. You receive emails sent to the domain address, but replies go out from your personal inbox (Gmail, etc.), not from the domain. To send FROM your domain, you need a third-party email service like Google Workspace or Zoho Mail.<\/div><\/div>
3<\/div>
For Shopify-managed domains the path is: Settings > Domains > pick the domain > Add forwarding email address.<\/div><\/div>
4<\/div>
For third-party domains (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.), forwarding is configured on the registrar side, not in Shopify. Each registrar has its own steps but the concept is the same.<\/div><\/div>
5<\/div>
If forwarding stops working, the cause is almost always a missing or wrong MX record on the domain DNS, or a typo in the destination address. Both are checkable in 30 seconds.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Setting Up Email Forwarding for a Shopify-Managed Domain<\/h2>\n

This is the simpler path. If you bought the domain through Shopify or transferred it in, follow these steps:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Open Domain Settings<\/h3>\n

From your Shopify admin, click Settings (bottom-left), then click Domains in the left nav. You\u2019ll see a list of every domain attached to your store.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Pick the Domain You Want to Forward From<\/h3>\n

Click the domain (not the primary store URL, the actual domain name like yourstore.com). This opens the domain detail page.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Add a Forwarding Email Address<\/h3>\n

Scroll to the Email forwarding section and click Add forwarding email address. A modal opens with two fields: the store email (the address you\u2019re creating, like help) and the destination address (where forwarded emails should land, like you@gmail.com).<\/p>\n

Step 4: Fill in the Two Fields<\/h3>\n

For the store email field, just type the prefix you want. Shopify auto-appends @yourdomain.com so you don\u2019t need to type the full address. For the destination, type the full email address you want forwards delivered to.<\/p>\n

Step 5: Save<\/h3>\n

Click Save. The forwarding is live within 1-2 minutes. Send a test email from a different account to verify; it should land in the destination inbox within 30 seconds. If nothing arrives in 5 minutes, check spam, then check the troubleshooting section below.<\/p>\n

Setting Up Email Forwarding for a Third-Party Domain<\/h2>\n

If your domain is registered with GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or any other registrar (not Shopify), the steps live on the registrar side. Shopify does not control forwarding for domains it doesn\u2019t host.<\/p>\n

GoDaddy<\/h3>\n

Go to GoDaddy account > My Products > Email & Office > Email Forwarding. Add a forwarding entry with the source (info@yourdomain.com) and destination. GoDaddy includes 100 free forwards per domain.<\/p>\n

Namecheap<\/h3>\n

From your Namecheap account > Domain List > Manage > Advanced DNS, set the MX record per Namecheap\u2019s instructions, then go to Domain List > Manage > Redirect Email and add the forwarding rule.<\/p>\n

Cloudflare<\/h3>\n

Cloudflare Email Routing is free and surprisingly clean. From the Cloudflare dashboard, select your domain, click Email > Email Routing, follow the setup wizard. Cloudflare configures the MX and SPF records automatically.<\/p>\n

The DNS Records That Make Forwarding Work<\/h2>\n

Forwarding needs an MX record (mail exchange) on the domain pointing to the forwarding provider\u2019s mail servers. For Shopify-managed domains this is set automatically when you add a forwarding address. For third-party domains, the MX record lives on whichever DNS provider hosts your nameservers, and the registrar\u2019s forwarding wizard usually sets it for you.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve manually changed your MX record (e.g., you tried Google Workspace, set it up, then cancelled but didn\u2019t restore the original MX), forwarding will silently break. The fastest check: use a free MX lookup tool (Google \u201cmxtoolbox\u201d) and confirm your domain has the expected MX record. If it points somewhere unexpected or is missing, that\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n

Why You Probably Want a Real Email Service Eventually<\/h2>\n

Forwarding is great for low-volume stores. Once you have any meaningful customer-service load, you start hitting the limits:<\/p>\n