What is a Catch-All Email Address?

Never miss an email again! Catch-all addresses receive emails sent to any non-existent address on your domain.

How Catch-All Works

Without Catch-All:

Someone emails: sales123@yourdomain.com (doesn't exist)

Result: ❌ Email bounces back - "Address not found"

With Catch-All:

Someone emails: sales123@yourdomain.com (doesn't exist)

Result: ✅ Email goes to your catch-all mailbox

When to Use Catch-All

Good Use Cases:

• 📝 Business cards: Printed wrong email? Catch-all saves you!
• 🔍 Testing: Use different addresses for different services
• 👥 Small teams: Don't want to create mailbox for everyone
• 📊 Tracking: See which address a sender used

When NOT to Use:

• ❌ Large public-facing domains (too much spam)
• ❌ If you want strict email control
• ❌ When mailbox storage is limited

Set Up Catch-All

Step 1: Open Email Catch-All

1. Log into system.atriomail.com
2. Go to "Email Catch-All" in the sidebar
3. Click "Add Catch-All"

Step 2: Choose the Domain and Destination

1. Domain: select the domain the catch-all is for
2. Forward to: choose the address that should receive the mail
3. Recommended: create a dedicated mailbox first, such as catchall@yourdomain.com

Step 3: Save

1. Check the preview of the catch-all address
2. Leave the status active
3. Save

Catch-All Strategies

Strategy 1: Dedicated Catch-All Mailbox

Best for: Most businesses

• Create: catchall@yourdomain.com
• Check it regularly
• Forward important emails to correct person
• Delete spam

Strategy 2: Send It to Your Main Mailbox

Best for: Small businesses, solopreneurs

• All catch-all emails go to you@yourdomain.com
• Use filters in your mail app to organise them
• Watch for storage limits

Managing Catch-All Emails

Create Filters

1. Set up filters in your mail app or webmail to organise catch-all emails
2. Example filters:
   • If "To" contains "sales" → Move to Sales folder
   • If "To" contains "support" → Move to Support folder
   • If the sender is junk → Delete

Regular Cleanup

• Check catch-all mailbox daily (at first)
• Delete obvious spam
• Create real mailboxes or aliases for frequently used addresses
• Update your contact information if needed

Catch-All + Aliases

Smart combination:

1. Create aliases for known addresses
2. Use catch-all for everything else
3. Best of both worlds!

Example Setup:

• ✅ sales@domain.com (alias → you@domain.com)
• ✅ support@domain.com (alias → you@domain.com)
• ✅ info@domain.com (alias → you@domain.com)
• ✅ Catch-all: everything else → catchall@domain.com

Spam Considerations

The Spam Problem

Catch-all addresses receive MORE spam because:

• Spammers use random addresses
• Dictionary attacks (trying common names)
• All invalid addresses = your mailbox

Reduce Spam:

• ✅ Incoming mail is filtered for spam, so check the spam folder as well as the inbox
• ✅ Create aliases for public-facing addresses
• ✅ Don't advertise that you have catch-all
• ✅ Regularly review and delete spam
• ✅ Consider switching it off if spam is overwhelming

Turn Catch-All Off

1. Go to Email Catch-All
2. Select the catch-all for your domain in the list
3. Use Deactivate, or delete it
4. Emails to non-existent addresses will now bounce

Alternatives to Catch-All

Option 1: Create Specific Aliases

Instead of catch-all, create aliases for addresses you need:

• sales@domain.com
• support@domain.com
• info@domain.com
• contact@domain.com

Option 2: Use Forwarders

A forwarder passes mail on to another address, including an outside one such as Gmail. Like aliases and catch-alls, a forwarder needs a mailbox on the same domain, and it is not billed.

Option 3: Catch-All on a Subdomain

You can keep the catch-all away from your main domain by using a subdomain (for example test.domain.com). The subdomain has to be added as its own domain in Email Domains, with its own mailbox, before it can have a catch-all.

Best Practices

• ✅ Create dedicated catch-all mailbox
• ✅ Set up filters in your mail app
• ✅ Check catch-all mailbox regularly
• ✅ Create real mailboxes for frequently used addresses
• ✅ Monitor storage usage
• ✅ Document your catch-all strategy
• ❌ Don't use your main mailbox as catch-all
• ❌ Don't ignore the catch-all mailbox
• ❌ Don't advertise that you have catch-all

Troubleshooting

Not Receiving Catch-All Emails

• Verify the catch-all is active in Email Catch-All
• Check the destination address is correct
• Make sure the mailbox isn't full
• Check spam folder

Too Much Spam

• Filter or block the worst senders in your mail app
• Create aliases for legitimate addresses
• Consider switching the catch-all off
• Use a catch-all on a subdomain instead

Need Help?

Questions about catch-all setup? Contact support through the live chat in the control panel.