1. How Webnames email forwarding works
When someone sends a message to your Webnames address, our system can automatically redirect it to another inbox such as Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or your work email.
To make forwarding more reliable:
Webnames keeps the original sender address, so you can see who the message really came from.
Behind the scenes, our system uses a mechanism called SRS to help other email providers trust mail that has been forwarded.
This happens automatically and requires no setup on your part.
2. Why forwarded messages may not always arrive
Modern email systems use strong security checks to prevent spam and phishing. These checks were designed for direct delivery, not forwarding, and sometimes forwarded messages are treated more strictly — even when they are legitimate.
Here are the main reasons forwarding still has limitations:
Reason 1: Some providers distrust messages that have passed through a forwarding service
Large providers (like Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo) examine whether an email looks “authentic.” When forwarding occurs, the path the message takes is more complicated, and some providers treat that as a reason to be cautious.
This can lead to forwarded messages being delayed, sent to Spam, or occasionally rejected.
Reason 2: The original sender’s domain controls certain security checks
Modern providers check whether an email is permitted to be delivered by looking at security information published by the sender’s domain.
If the sender’s domain has very strict rules, those rules may fail when a message is forwarded — even if the message is real.
You cannot change or fix these checks unless you control the sender’s domain.
3. What you can do as a Webnames customer
While you cannot control how a sender’s domain configures its email security checks, or how the receiving provider chooses to filter forwarded messages, you can choose the method that best fits your needs.
Forwarding works well when:
You want messages delivered quickly into another inbox
Your address receives a small or moderate amount of mail
You’re forwarding into Gmail now that Gmail no longer retrieves external mail
You may want to switch to another method if:
Forwarded messages frequently go to Spam
You depend on reliable delivery for business or time‑sensitive messages
You want consistent syncing across multiple devices
4. Alternatives to forwarding (recommended when reliability is important)
A) Use IMAP in an email app
IMAP connects your email app directly to your Webnames mailbox. It avoids the forwarding‑related issues described above.
Apps that work well:
Gmail app on Android and iOS (IMAP support is unaffected by Gmail’s POP changes) [greengeeks.com]
Outlook app
Apple Mail
Thunderbird
IMAP keeps your messages, folders, and read/unread status in sync across all devices.
B) Use a Webnames‑hosted mailbox instead of forwarding
This is the best option if:
You need high deliverability
You want to send from your domain reliably
You need archiving or retention
You need the most predictable performance
5. Summary
Webnames forwarding keeps the original sender visible and uses smart behind‑the‑scenes handling to improve trust.
Forwarding can still occasionally fail because large email providers use strict filtering that sometimes treats forwarded mail cautiously.
Gmail no longer supports POP3 “fetch” or Gmailify, so forwarding or IMAP are now the preferred ways to receive mail from other providers.
For the most reliable experience — especially across multiple devices — IMAP or a Webnames‑hosted mailbox is recommended.
If you’re unsure which option is best for your setup, Webnames Support is always happy to help.