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How to Migrate Email Forwarding to DNSimple

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To migrate email forwarding to DNSimple, list your current email forwards, recreate them in DNSimple, check that the domain’s MX records now point to DNSimple, test, and then cancel the old service. DNSimple changes the MX records for you when you create the first email forward, as long as the domain’s DNS is hosted at DNSimple.

Warning

After the MX records change, some email may still be delivered to the old provider until the old MX records’ TTL runs out in resolver caches. For records created in DNSimple with the default TTL, that is 1 hour. Keep the old service running until you have finished testing.

Prerequisites

Before migrating email forwarding to DNSimple:

  1. Plan subscription: You must be subscribed to a plan. Email forwarding costs $2 per domain per month, and your plan sets how many email forwards each domain can have. See Email Forwarding Limits and Quotas.
  2. DNS at DNSimple: The domain must be in your DNSimple account with a primary (forward) zone, and delegated to DNSimple’s name servers. If your old email forwarding came with your DNS provider or registrar, move the domain’s DNS to DNSimple first, and copy over its other DNS records. See Pointing a Domain to DNSimple.
  3. Current configuration: A list of your current email forwards from the old provider

Step 1: Document your current configuration

Before making any changes, document your current email forwarding setup:

  1. List all email forwards:
    • Write down each forwarded address and its destination
    • Note any catch-all email forwards
    • Document any special configurations
  2. Note current MX records:
    • Check what MX records your current provider uses
    • You can use dig +short yourdomain.com MX to see current MX records
    • This helps verify the migration later
  3. Identify dependencies:
    • Note any services or applications that depend on your current email forwarding
    • Plan for updating those services after migration

Tip

Create a spreadsheet or document listing each forwarded address, its destination, and any special requirements. An address with more than one destination needs one email forward per destination in DNSimple.

Step 2: Set up email forwarding in DNSimple

Once you have documented your current configuration:

Set up email forwarding in DNSimple
  1. Use the account switcher to select the appropriate account.
  2. On the header, click the tab, and click the domain’s name.
  3. Click on the left side of the domain page. If the domain has MX records, the tab lists the ones that will be deleted.
  4. For each email forward from your list:
    • Click for the first email forward, or for the next ones
    • Under , keep selected
    • Enter the part of the address before the @ (e.g., hello for hello@yourdomain.com)
    • Enter the full destination email address in the field
    • Click
  5. If you need a catch-all, click , select under , enter the destination email address in the field, then click .

Note

When you create your first email forward, DNSimple turns on email forwarding for the domain, adds the forwarding MX records, deletes the domain’s other MX records at the root, and adds the forwarding service to the SPF record.

Step 3: Verify DNS configuration

After setting up email forwarding in DNSimple:

  1. Check MX records:
    • Use dig +short yourdomain.com MX to verify new MX records
    • The MX records should match the ones in the domain’s zone in DNSimple
    • The old provider’s MX records should be gone
  2. Check what resolvers see:
    • Use online tools like whatsmydns.net to check the MX records resolvers return
    • Resolvers that cached the old MX records keep using them until their TTL runs out. If you also recently moved the domain’s DNS to DNSimple, the old delegation can be cached for up to 48 hours for .COM and .NET. See How DNS Caching and TTL Affect DNS Changes

Warning

If the old provider’s MX records are still in the zone, some or all email goes to the old provider. The domain’s tab shows a warning when this happens. See Email Forwarding Not Working.

Step 4: Test email forwarding

Before canceling your old service, thoroughly test the migration:

  1. Send test emails:
    • Send test emails to each forwarded address
    • Verify emails arrive at the correct destination
    • Check that emails are being forwarded correctly
  2. Test catch-all (if applicable):
    • Send test emails to addresses that do not have specific forwards
    • Verify catch-all forwarding works if configured
  3. Check email headers:
    • Review the headers of a forwarded test email
    • Check that the old provider’s servers no longer appear in them
  4. Monitor both services:
    • During the transition period, check both old and new email forwarding
    • Forward any emails that arrive at the old provider
    • Monitor for a few days to ensure everything is working

Step 5: Update dependent services

If you have services or applications that depend on email forwarding:

  1. Update configurations:
    • Update any applications that send emails to forwarded addresses
    • Update any services that depend on email forwarding
    • Test these services after updating
  2. Notify users:
    • If others use your email forwarding, notify them of the migration
    • Provide any necessary updates or instructions

Step 6: Cancel old service

Once you have verified everything is working:

  1. Wait for full propagation:
    • Wait at least a day after the MX records change, or 48 hours if you also moved the domain’s DNS to DNSimple
    • Verify email is consistently forwarded by DNSimple
  2. Cancel old service:
    • Cancel your email forwarding service with the old provider
    • Follow their cancellation process
    • Keep any necessary records or confirmations
  3. Final verification:
    • After canceling, send final test emails
    • Verify everything still works correctly
    • Monitor for any issues

Common migration scenarios

Scenario 1: Simple migration (few email forwards)

If you have just a few email forwards:

  1. Document your current forwards
  2. Set them up in DNSimple
  3. Test thoroughly
  4. Cancel old service

Timeline: Can typically be completed in a few hours to one day.

Scenario 2: Complex migration (many email forwards)

If you have many email forwards or complex configurations:

  1. Document everything carefully
  2. Set up email forwards in DNSimple (consider using the API for bulk operations)
  3. Test each email forward individually
  4. Monitor for an extended period
  5. Cancel old service after thorough verification

Timeline: May take several days to ensure everything is working correctly.

Scenario 3: Migration with catch-all

If you are using catch-all email forwarding:

  1. Document your catch-all configuration
  2. Set up catch-all in DNSimple
  3. Test with various email addresses
  4. Verify catch-all behavior matches expectations
  5. Cancel old service

Timeline: Similar to simple migration, but requires more testing.

Troubleshooting migration issues

Emails still going to old provider

Problem: After migration, emails are still being delivered to the old provider.

Solutions:

  1. Check MX records: Use dig +short yourdomain.com MX to check that resolvers return DNSimple’s forwarding MX records
  2. Check the delegation: If the domain does not use DNSimple’s name servers yet, the forwarding records in DNSimple are not used. See Pointing a Domain to DNSimple
  3. Wait for cached records to expire: Sending mail servers keep the old MX records until their TTL runs out
  4. Verify old MX records removed: Check that the old provider’s MX records are no longer in the zone

Emails not being forwarded

Problem: Emails are not being forwarded after migration.

Solutions:

  1. Check the Email Forwarding tab: Open the domain, and click . If it shows a warning about MX records, follow its instructions
  2. Check email forwards: Verify all email forwards are configured correctly
  3. Test DNS: Use dig to verify MX records point to DNSimple
  4. Check spam folders: Check if forwarded emails are going to spam
  5. Contact support: If issues persist, contact DNSimple support

Some emails work, others do not

Problem: Some email forwards work, but others do not.

Solutions:

  1. Check each forward individually: Test each email forward to identify which ones have issues
  2. Verify configuration: Ensure each forward is configured correctly
  3. Check for typos: Verify there are no typos in email addresses
  4. Test from different senders: Some email providers may have different delivery behavior

Best practices

Plan ahead: Document everything before starting the migration.

Test thoroughly: Do not cancel your old service until you are confident everything is working.

Monitor during transition: Keep an eye on both services during the migration period.

Have a rollback plan: Keep a copy of the old provider’s MX records. Deleting your email forwards in DNSimple does not restore them, so to go back you would add them to the zone again.

Communicate changes: Notify anyone who might be affected by the migration.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance with migrating email forwarding, contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about email forwarding at DNSimple.