Create a "catchall" type address

This guide explains how to create a "catchall" email address on a paid Mail Service.

Preamble

• A "catchall" email address retrieves all emails sent to non-existent email addresses on the domain
• It is ideal if you want to receive all messages for which there is no specific address on your domain
• The email address must be precisely titled "catchall" and listed as an address created on the Mail Service of the relevant domain

Also, read the important recommendations at the end of this guide.

Create a catchall address

To access the Mail Service and create the catchall address:

1. Log in to the Infomaniak Manager (manager.infomaniak.com) from a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Click on the icon at the top right of the interface (or navigate through the left sidebar menu, for example)
3. Choose Mail Service (collaborative tools universe)
4. Click directly on the name of the relevant object in the displayed table
5. Click on the chevron to the right of the blue button Create an email address
6. Click on Create a generic email address
7. Choose Catchall
   
8. Click on Continue

Example

• You use the email address joni.smith@domain.xyz, which works and exists on the Mail Service domain.xyz
• You have created a catchall@domain.xyz address on the Mail Service domain.xyz
• An email is sent to smith.johnny@domain.xyz because the sender misspelled the recipient's address
• The email will still arrive at the catchall@domain.xyz mailbox, which you can configure in the Mail interface of your choice

Important Recommendations

Creating this type of account is not recommended:

• Catchall addresses receive all emails sent to any domain address; this means they are often flooded with spam, which can be difficult to manage and filter
• Due to the high volume of spam, legitimate messages may be drowned out and lost in the mass, leading to the loss of important communications
• Catchall addresses can potentially be used by attackers to target your domain with brute force attacks or other methods, as they provide an easy target for testing different address combinations

Furthermore, if you configure the "Autoresponder" function on a catchall@ address of your domain, no automatic response will be sent to people sending a message to a non-existent address of the domain.