> ## Knowledge Base Index
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> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How do I create an email forward on a Faaaster domain?

An **email forward** passes the messages received at an address on your domain on to an existing mailbox, without creating a mailbox at Faaaster. It is set up in your domain's **Email forwarding** tab.

> **Not to be confused** with Faaaster's **Emails** service, which provides real mailboxes. A forward only passes messages on to an existing address — you can't reply from the forwarding address.

## Creating a forward

1. Open the domain from the **Domains** section of the left menu.
2. Go to the **Email forwarding** tab.
3. Click **New forward**.
4. Fill in the **Email address** on your domain (the part before the `@`) and the **Target email**.
5. Click **Validate**.

The forward briefly shows "Mailbox being created" while it is being processed, then appears in the **Mailbox / Target** table.

![A domain's Email forwarding section: here, an Email service is active, so forwards are managed from Emails.](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/9/d/2/d/9d2d3e0b7134b800/act-domaine-redirections-en_1xqg1jm.png)

## The prerequisite: MX records

> ⚠️ **Your MX records must point to Gandi.** Otherwise, the interface warns you: "The MX records for this domain do not point to Gandi. The mail forwards below will not work until MX records are properly configured."

This is the #1 cause of a forward that forwards nothing; as long as your MX records point elsewhere, the **New forward** button is grayed out anyway. If your emails are with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or another provider, your MX records point to them: create the forward **with that provider**, not here.

## If you have a Faaaster Email subscription

Forwards then go through the Email service. The interface shows this with a banner: "A Faaaster email service is active on this domain. Mail forwards are managed directly from the email service", with a **Manage emails** button that takes you there.

> **The New forward button is then grayed out**: go through the Email service so that your aliases and mailboxes stay consistent.

## Forward or mailbox?

| | Forward | Mailbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Receive messages | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Reply from the address** | ❌ | ✅ |
| Dedicated storage | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cost | Included with the domain | Email subscription |

> **A forward is enough for a `contact@` that lands in your personal mailbox.** As soon as you need to reply *from* that address — which is the case for any professional activity — you need a real mailbox.

👉 [How do I subscribe to an Email plan?](https://help.faaaster.io/en-us/article/subscribe-to-an-email-plan-wo0ebc/) · [How do I manage a domain's DNS?](https://help.faaaster.io/en-us/article/manage-dns-19ueorh/)