Skip to main content
Email Routing tells cPanel what to do with mail addressed to your domain. The choice depends on whether you actually want mail handled on this server, on a different server, or by a third-party email provider. Open it from cPanel home → Email → Email Routing. Pick the domain at the top, then one of four options.
Email Routing page showing Automatic, Local, Backup, and Remote MX radio options

​
The four routing options

cPanel inspects your DNS and picks the right behavior based on your MX records. If MX points at this server, it uses Local. If MX points elsewhere, it uses Remote.When to use: for almost every account. The auto-detect is right 95% of the time. Only override when you know your DNS doesn’t match the routing intent.
“I am the only mail server for this domain. Deliver every message addressed to it into a mailbox on this account.”When to use: when your MX record points at this server and you want all mail handled here. The standard setup for accounts using cPanel for both web and email.
“I’m a backup. Hold mail in the queue and try to forward it to the primary mail server elsewhere.”When to use: rare. You’d configure this on a secondary MX server that’s meant to spool mail when the primary is down. Almost no one needs this with modern cloud email providers, since their primary servers don’t go down.
“I am not the mail server for this domain. If a message somehow arrives at this server addressed to this domain, refuse it; it should be delivered to the MX target instead.”When to use: when your domain is hosted with us (DNS or just web hosting) but you use a third-party email provider — Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, Microsoft 365, Fastmail, anything. Switching to Remote prevents cPanel from accidentally swallowing mail because of stale auto-detection.

​
When to set Remote explicitly

This is the most common manual override. Two scenarios:
  1. You use Google Workspace, Zoho, or another external email provider. Your MX records point at their servers (aspmx.l.google.com and friends). Set routing to Remote Mail Exchanger so cPanel knows it’s not in charge of mail for this domain.
  2. You’re transitioning to or from an external provider. During the cutover, auto-detect can be in a temporarily-wrong state. Set routing manually to match your intent and avoid mail being held locally during the change.

​
Common pitfalls

Almost always Email Routing stuck on Local. Set to Remote, and mail flows to the external provider as the MX record dictates.
Routing is set to Local. Even with MX pointing elsewhere, cPanel intercepts mail addressed to a local mailbox and delivers it locally. Switch to Remote.
Run a DNS check (dig MX yourdomain.com from the command line) and confirm what the MX actually says. Sometimes auto-detect runs before your DNS change has propagated. Switch routing manually to match your intended target.

​
Tips

  • Check your MX records first. Email Routing is the cPanel-side decision, but the actual destination of mail is determined by your domain’s MX records. Both have to agree. The Domain Management section handles MX edits.
  • Switching to remote doesn’t delete your existing mailboxes. They stay on the cPanel server, just unused. New mail flows to the external provider.

​
Need a hand?