# Forward inbound email with automations

> Use the Forward received email automation to send every received message, or only matching ones, to another inbox without writing code.

This guide sets up a no-code forwarder: every message that arrives on your inbound subdomain is sent on to another address, such as a shared team inbox. It uses the **Forward received email** automation template. [Automations](/docs/automations/) are in beta.

## Before you begin

- [Inbound is set up](/docs/inbound/set-up/) for a verified domain.
- If your workspace isn't verified yet, the forwarding address must be a workspace member's account email. See [Production access](/docs/workspaces/production-access/).
- Enough credits. Each forwarded message costs 5 credits in total: 1 to receive it, 3 for the automation run and 1 for the forwarded email.

## Create the forwarder

1. **Start a new automation.** Go to **Email Marketing → Automations** and select **New automation**.

2. **Choose the Email context.** In **Choose automation context**, select **Email** ("Trigger automations from any email activity").

3. **Pick the template.** In **Choose a template**, select **Forward received email** ("Forward every received email to a specified address").

4. **Name it.** Enter a name, for example `Forward support mail`, add an optional description, and select **Create**. The automation is created as a draft with two steps: the **Email received** trigger and a **Forward email** action.

5. **Narrow the trigger (optional).** On the **Editor** tab, select the **Email received** step. Under **Filter events (optional)**, add rules on **From**, **To** or **Subject**. For example, **To** equals `support@inbound.acme.com` forwards only mail for that address, and **From** ends with `@example.com` forwards only mail from one sender domain. Choose whether all rules or any rule must match. Without rules, every received message is forwarded.

6. **Set the destination.** Select the **Forward email** step and enter the **Forward to** address, for example `team@acme.com`.

7. **Start the automation.** Select **Start**. Emailit validates the steps and the automation starts running. It only acts on messages received after it starts.

You can edit the steps again only while the automation is a draft or paused. Pause it first, make your changes, then start it again.

## What the forwarded message looks like

The **Forward email** action copies the received message's body and attachments as they are, and builds new envelope headers around them:

| Header | Value |
| --- | --- |
| From | The original sender's address |
| To | Your **Forward to** address |
| Subject | `Fwd: ` followed by the original subject |
| Message-ID | A new ID on your domain |

Other original headers, such as `Reply-To`, `Cc` and `Date`, aren't carried over. The forwarded message is sent through the domain that received it and is DKIM-signed by that domain. It shows up on the **Outgoing** tab of **Email API → Emails** like any other send.

> **Original sender in From:** Because the forwarded message keeps the original sender's address in `From` but is signed by your domain, mailbox providers may treat it as failing DMARC for the sender's domain. Messages from domains with a strict DMARC policy can land in spam or be rejected. The dashboard step only asks for the **Forward to** address. If you need a different `From` or `Subject`, set `from` and `subject` in the `forward_email` step's `config` with the [Automations API](/docs/api-reference/automations/), or use the webhook approach below.

## Verify it worked

1. Send a test message to an address the trigger matches, for example `support@inbound.acme.com`.
2. Open the automation and check the **Runs** tab. A completed run means the forward was queued.
3. Check the destination inbox, and find the forwarded email on the **Outgoing** tab of **Email API → Emails**.

If a run fails, open it on the **Runs** tab to see which step failed and why. Common causes are insufficient credits, a domain that is no longer verified, and a forwarding address that an unverified workspace isn't allowed to send to. See [Automation runs](/docs/automations/runs/).

## Alternatives

| Approach | When to use it |
| --- | --- |
| **Webhook and API.** Subscribe to `email.received`, fetch the message, and send a new email with [Send an email](/docs/api-reference/emails/send/). | You want full control: your own `From` address, `reply_to` set to the original sender, a summary instead of the full message, or routing logic based on content. See [Process with webhooks](/docs/inbound/process-with-webhooks/). |
| **Other automation steps.** Replace or follow the **Forward email** step with **Send email** (a template), **Create contact**, or **Add to suppressions**. | Auto-replies, adding senders to your contacts, or blocking addresses that write in. See [Automation steps](/docs/automations/steps/). |
| **The Forward action on an email.** | Not available for received mail. **Forward** in the dashboard and [Forward an email](/docs/api-reference/emails/forward/) only work for outgoing emails. |

## Related

  - [Automation triggers](/docs/automations/triggers/)
  - [Automation recipes](/docs/automations/recipes/)

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Source: https://emailit.com/docs/inbound/forward-with-automations/