How to Set Up Email Autoresponders and Forwarders

cPanel makes it straightforward to configure autoresponders (automatic replies) and forwarders (redirecting messages to another address). Both are managed from the Email section of cPanel. To read your email in a browser instead, see How to Access Webmail.

Setting up an autoresponder

An autoresponder sends an automatic reply whenever someone emails your address, useful for out-of-office or vacation messages.

1. Log in to the cPanel control panel.
2. Under the Email section, click Autoresponders.
3. Click Add Autoresponder.
4. Fill in the fields:
   • Character Set: Leave as utf-8.
   • Interval: Number of hours between repeat replies to the same sender.
   • From / Subject / Body: Enter the sender name, subject line, and message body.
   • Start / Stop: Set optional date boundaries for the autoresponder.
5. Click Create/Modify.

Setting up a forwarder

A forwarder redirects all incoming mail from one address to another, without changing the original recipient's inbox.

1. Log in to the cPanel control panel.
2. Under the Email section, click Forwarders.
3. To forward a single address, click Add Forwarder. To forward all mail for a domain, click Add Domain Forwarder.
4. Enter the source address and the destination address.
5. Click Add Forwarder.

Note: Forwarding to a third-party address (such as Gmail) may affect spam reputation. Check your mail server settings if deliverability issues arise after enabling forwarding.

Tip: You can combine a forwarder with an autoresponder on the same address. The autoresponder replies to the sender while the forwarder copies the message to another inbox.