Alias, forwarding, and mailbox compared
A mailbox provides a password, storage, folders, and direct sign-in. An alias maps a source address to one or more destinations and has no Inbox or password of its own. Forwarding describes sending an incoming message onward and can be implemented with an alias. A catch-all captures every local part under the domain that has not been defined explicitly.
| Requirement | Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A person signs in and keeps an independent history | Mailbox | Password, quota, and folders are required |
| info@ should reach an existing employee | Alias | No separate storage or password is needed |
| An old address temporarily moves to a new one | Alias/forward | Delivery continues during transition |
| Accept every misspelling | Usually do not enable | Catch-all increases spam and unwanted traffic |
An alias can target a local or external address. The recipient's spam policy and original authentication can affect forwarded delivery. Do not base critical archives only on an external forward.
Create an alias in Corporate Email
- Sign in to the EuroVDC client area and open Corporate Email.
- Open Aliases and choose the command for a new alias.
- Enter the address people will mail in source address, or choose its local part and domain.
- Enter the real recipient in Goto/target. If multiple targets are supported, use the separator requested by the interface and verify every address.
- Set enabled or catch-all options only when required, review the summary, and save.
- Return to the list and recheck source, goto destination, and enabled state.
Review current source-to-target mappings. If the limit is exhausted, the interface may report “Tüm alias hakkınızı kullandınız…”; inspect duplicate and obsolete entries.
Source is the address people contact; goto is the real delivery destination. Reversing them can create unexpected delivery or a loop.
Verify external spelling. Enable catch-all only after accepting its risk. Do not mistake goto null, spam, or ham for ordinary forwarding.
Read the enabled state, domain, and every target, then test from both a local and an external sender.
Understanding goto destinations
For normal use, goto points to a real mailbox or external address. The interface may also provide special destinations such as null, spam, or ham. Null deliberately discards delivery, while spam and ham support classification or training workflows. Selecting one in place of a user destination can keep mail out of the user's Inbox. Do not create a special destination without a documented purpose.
Safe external forwarding
- After pasting the target, check for invisible spaces and spelling mistakes.
- Send a small message without attachments first, followed by a realistic subject and attachment test.
- If a local copy must remain, include that local address among targets in the format supported by the product.
- Inspect Junk/Spam and complete headers at the external provider.
- Forwarding can change SPF evaluation; read DKIM and DMARC results alongside it.
- Update the alias inventory immediately when an employee leaves or an external account closes.
An alias does not automatically grant its destination permission to send reliably using the source address. If users must send with that From address, plan client identity, server permission, and domain authentication separately. Do not confuse a receiving test with a send-as authorization test.
When not to enable catch-all
Catch-all accepts undefined addresses such as never-created@example.com. It can look attractive when trying not to miss old or unpredictable addresses, but dictionary attacks and spam sent to random local parts are then accepted instead of rejected by the receiving server. The result is more junk, quota consumption, filtering load, and time spent finding real messages.
Consider catch-all only for a short domain migration, an auditable campaign, or a documented business rule requiring every possible address. Set an end date, use a separate monitored destination with strict filtering, and observe volume. In routine business use, explicit aliases for required addresses are safer and measurable.
Create and test catch-all
- Select the correct domain in Aliases and enable the catch-all option.
- Choose a monitored mailbox capable of handling the volume as goto.
- List known mailboxes and aliases before saving; their normal delivery must remain intact.
- Send a test to a random local part that has never existed.
- Confirm arrival at the catch-all target while existing addresses continue to reach their own targets.
- Monitor spam and quota growth; disable catch-all when it is no longer required.
Alias quota and troubleshooting
The product quota limits alias count. “Tüm alias hakkınızı kullandınız…” does not indicate a password or DNS failure; it means no alias allowance remains. Review duplicate mappings, former employee addresses, and expired campaign aliases. If the business need continues, contact support about appropriate product capacity. Using catch-all to evade the limit expands spam exposure.
| Symptom | Check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Alias cannot be saved | Quota, duplicate source, address syntax | Remove obsolete entry or verify capacity |
| Local target receives, external does not | External Spam, bounce, headers | Review target policy and authentication |
| Message disappears | Goto null/spam/ham and filters | Restore a normal target and retest |
| Unexpected high volume | Catch-all state | Disable if unnecessary; use explicit aliases |
| Loop or duplicates | Source-target chain | Remove mappings that point back to each other |
Verify after every change
- Send a uniquely titled message to the source alias from the same domain.
- Send a second test from an independent external provider.
- Confirm one copy at each goto destination, measure delay, and inspect Spam.
- Test an undefined address only when catch-all is intentionally enabled.
- Record To, Delivered-To, and authentication results from the test headers.
Product distinction, connectivity, and DNS
Corporate Email (Mailcow) and Hosting email are different products. These client-area steps apply to Corporate Email. For Hosting email, use DirectAdmin at https://SERVER:2222: mailboxes are under Email Accounts, while aliases and forwarding are under Email Forwarders.
Corporate Email uses securemail.eurovdc.eu and the full address as username. Secure options are IMAP 993 SSL/TLS, SMTP 587 STARTTLS or 465 SSL/TLS, and POP3 995 SSL/TLS if required. Webmail is https://mail.YOURDOMAIN.com/user.
See connection settings for clients and SPF, DKIM, DMARC and deliverability for DNS. MX/SPF must be ready and DKIM correctly published; DNS caches can delay changes.
Quick checklist
- Product, domain, quota, and MX/SPF/DKIM were checked.
- Webmail, IMAP, and SMTP were tested separately.
Use the Email Setup Card PDF under Help Files. If needed, send the product type, test time, complete error, and a safe screenshot to support@eurovdc.eu. Infrastructure is in Sofia, EU; never send a password.