The default address, or catch-all, handles messages sent to a nonexistent address on your domain. It does not receive a real mailbox's messages simply because that mailbox is empty.

Choose the behavior

You can forward messages to an address you control or reject them with a failure response. Forwarding can recover messages with mistyped addresses, but may also attract considerable spam.

Configure it in cPanel

  1. Open Email > Default Address.
  2. Select the relevant domain.
  3. Choose forwarding to the required address or rejection with an error message.
  4. Save the settings.

Check the rule

From an external mailbox, send a message to a deliberately nonexistent address on the domain. Check the expected result, then test a real mailbox to ensure it works normally.

Limit unwanted effects

Monitor storage usage and message volume. A default address does not protect against spam or replace a mailbox. Avoid silent deletion if you want senders to know that the address is incorrect.

Interface illustrations

These screenshots show the versions used when the original article was written. Labels may differ in your current version; follow the written procedure and your account settings.

Setting the default email address in cPanel
Choosing a destination for messages received by the default address

Reference documentation:

Sources accessed on October 11, 2026. Available features depend on your hosting version and options.