The path of a forwarded email

Mailyoto receives email for your domain and passes each message on to the inbox you choose. It has no mailbox of its own: you read and reply to email where you already do, such as Gmail or Outlook.

In this example, Diego sends a message to hello@lunavera.com, and Mailyoto forwards it to amina.kone@gmail.com.

1. The sender’s server looks up your MX records#

Diego’s mail server asks DNS which servers accept email for lunavera.com. DNS returns your MX records: mx1.mailyoto.com with priority 10 and mx2.mailyoto.com with priority 20. The server tries the lower number first and falls back to the other.

The domain’s Forwarding pill shows a tick once Mailyoto finds both MX records and the SPF record. Add your domain covers the records.

2. Mailyoto checks the message while it arrives#

Before Mailyoto accepts the message, it checks it with SpamAssassin. Mailyoto refuses a message that scores 4.5 or more, and Diego’s server gets the refusal. See spam checks for the details.

Mailyoto also refuses the message when the alias has blocked Diego’s address. It asks the sender to try again later when the account has forwarded its monthly allowance: 5,000 emails on Free, 60,000 on Pro and 180,000 on Max.

3. Mailyoto finds the alias#

Mailyoto looks for an alias that matches hello, in this order:

1. an alias with exactly that address, such as hello
2. the address without its tag: hello+shop matches hello (plus-addressing)
3. a pattern alias that matches the address without its tag
4. the catch-all, which takes email for any address with no alias of its own

The first match decides where the message goes. With no match and no catch-all, the sender gets the message back.

On a domain with routing rules, Mailyoto tests the rules first. Only email that no rule matches goes through this order.

The alias’s own settings apply next. A paused alias returns, holds or discards the message. An alias set to keep only important email drops newsletters and promotions.

4. Mailyoto delivers a copy to each destination#

Mailyoto sends the message on to every destination of the alias, here amina.kone@gmail.com. Each forwarded message carries an ARC seal, which records the checks the message passed on its way in.

When the destination’s server asks Mailyoto to try later, Mailyoto retries after about 6, 15 and 40 minutes, then 1½ and 3 hours, then every 4 hours. If the message is still undelivered after an hour, its log entry shows a delay warning. After 5 days Mailyoto stops, and Diego receives a “Message not delivered” notice. When the destination refuses the message permanently, Diego gets the same notice.

5. The log records each step#

Each message Mailyoto forwards or refuses appears in Logs with its sender, subject and status, such as Delivered, Retrying or Failed. When something goes wrong, the log entry shows the response from the server that refused it.

Your first steps#

1. Add your domain and its DNS records.
2. Every address already forwards through the catch-all. Create aliases for the addresses that need their own destination.
3. Confirm that an alias forwards, with a test from another email account.
4. On Pro and Max, reply from your alias.