Email routing & catch-all
How to set up email routing rules and a catch-all address in Google Workspace — so email reaches the right person and nothing falls through the cracks.
Email routing rules let you control what happens to email before it reaches a user's inbox. A catch-all address receives any email sent to addresses that don't exist on your domain. Together, these two features make your email setup more resilient.
Quick summary
A catch-all address receives any email sent to your domain that doesn't match a real user. For example, if someone emails typo@yourcompany.com, the catch-all receives it instead of bouncing. Routing rules let you redirect or forward email to specific people or groups. Both are set up in the Admin console.
What is a catch-all?
A catch-all receives email sent to any address at your domain that doesn't exist. Without a catch-all, those emails bounce (get returned to the sender with an error). With a catch-all, they land in a mailbox where someone can see and respond to them.
Common uses:
- Catch typos or old email addresses
- Catch email from people who guess your address wrong
- Receive all incoming email to a shared inbox
Setting up a catch-all
Go to admin.google.com and sign in.
Click Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Default routing.
Click Configure or Add another rule.
Under "Email messages to affect", choose Inbound.
Under "For the above types of messages, do the following", choose Change envelope recipient and enter the email address (user or group) that should receive unmatched email.
Set the envelope filter. For a catch-all, choose "Only affect specific envelope senders/recipients" and set the recipient to your domain — this means all unmatched email at your domain goes here.
Click Save.
Catch-all can attract spam
A catch-all receives email to any address at your domain — including random addresses that spammers send to. Monitor the catch-all mailbox and don't make it a primary inbox. A group address (like catchall@yourcompany.com) that only a few people receive is better than directing it to someone's main Gmail.
Email routing rules
Routing rules let you redirect, forward, or transform email based on conditions. Common uses:
| Use case | Rule setup |
|---|---|
| Forward all sales@ email to a Slack integration or CRM | Redirect to another address |
| BCC every email from a particular user to a manager | Add BCC to matching messages |
| Route email by subject line keyword | Match subject, then change recipient |
| Forward to an external system (like a ticketing tool) | Change envelope recipient to external address |
To create a routing rule:
Go to Admin console → Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Routing.
Click Configure in the "Routing" section (not "Default routing").
Set your conditions — which emails the rule applies to (all email, specific users, certain keywords, etc.).
Set the action — redirect to another address, add BCC, change recipient, etc.
Click Save. The rule is active immediately.
Simple email forwarding for a single user
To forward a specific user's email to another address (useful when someone leaves):
Open the user's account in Admin console → Users → click the user's name.
Look for Email forwarding or go to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → End User Access → Mail forwarding.
Enter the forwarding address and save.
Alternatively, individual users can set up their own forwarding from Gmail Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Common questions
Related guides
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