Postdirect is an email forwarding service that allows you to separate where you read your email from your email identity. It lets you own your email address, regardless of which email provider you use.
Postdirect forwards emails sent to any address under a domain you own to any address of your choosing. It also allows you to send emails from your domain.
With Postdirect, you have full control over email routing for your domain, and complete transparency into how emails for your domain are handled, both for receiving and sending.
Postdirect is a flexible, feature-rich email forwarding service that lets you use the domains you own with your favorite email provider, at an affordable annual cost.
Postdirect is ideal for:
- Families and groups who want to bring all their members under a single domain while keeping their own individual accounts
- Freelancers and small businesses who want to use a personalized domain with a free email provider
- Tech enthusiasts who like to run their own technology stack
While many domain and DNS providers offer basic email forwarding, very few also support sending email from your domain. On the other hand, most email-sending services are geared toward bulk marketing and often associate your domain with spam, leading to silent discards or delivery failures.
Postdirect offers both email forwarding and sending capabilities, with no compromise. For Gmail users, Postdirect goes further: when a forwarded email would otherwise be rejected by Gmail, Postdirect uses Gmail's official API to deliver it directly to your inbox, guaranteeing delivery where other services give up.
We maintain a zero tolerance policy with regards to unsolicited commercial emails and work tirelessly to protect the reputation of our mail servers.
Postdirect offers the following features for all users:
- Unlimited domains
- Unlimited forwarding and sending addresses per domain
- 7 days of detailed email delivery logs
- Catch-all email forwarding
- Strong privacy protections
You must own your own domain name and be able to configure its DNS records. Postdirect is not a domain registrar and does not sell domain names, but it works with any domain that you already own.
The free trial allows you to use Postdirect with any domain for 30 days. You'll have access to all paid features, with sending limits of 20 emails per day and 100 emails in total over the 30-day period.
We do not offer a free plan, but our yearly pricing is affordable, and we hope you’ll find the value compelling.
Yes, you can customize the delimiter and configure overrides for specific addresses (e.g., [email protected]).
Yes. Postdirect supports the following methods for two-factor authentication:
- Authenticator App
- Security Key
- Backup Codes
Yes, Postdirect is specifically designed to work well with Gmail. You can both forward your domain's emails to Gmail and send emails from your domain via Gmail, using Gmail's web interface or apps. Your Gmail address will not appear in the emails sent from your Gmail account.
To configure your Gmail account to send emails from your domain, see Google's support article on sending emails from a different address or alias .
Yes, you can both forward your domain emails to Outlook.com and use Outlook.com to send emails from your domain.
To configure your Microsoft account to send emails from your domain, see the following support articles from Microsoft:
Note: Outlook.com does not support using other SMTP servers to send email and does fully impersonate your alias. Emails will be sent from [email protected], which
- Passes the SPF check, and includes a valid DKIM signature
- Does not pass DMARC checks, due to unaligned SPF & DKIM addresses (which are for your [email protected], not for you@yourdomain).
If this is a concern, we recommend using an email client that supports Postdirect SMTP servers directly.
Yes, you can both forward your domain emails to Yahoo Mail and use Yahoo Mail to send emails from your domain.
To configure your Yahoo Mail account to send emails from your domain, see Yahoo's guide to add, delete, or edit a send-only address in Yahoo Mail .
You should also add include:_spf.mail.yahoo.comCopyCopy to your domain's SPF record so that SPF checks pass (and DMARC should as well) and to improve deliverability. While Yahoo signs emails with DKIM, the signature won't be aligned with your domain, and will therefore be unaligned from the DMARC perspective.
All sales are final and Postdirect does not offer refunds. However, we provide a fully functional 30-day trial so you can evaluate the service before committing.
Gmail will display "via forwarder.postdirect.net" next to the sender's name for emails which aren't authenticated by the sender. Emails that are forwarded can only be authenticated if the sender has signed the email with DKIM, as forwarding emails prevents SPF authentication due to the use of the Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS). For more details, you can also see Gmail's Extra info next to sender’s name support article.
Postdirect follows industry best practices for forwarding emails (as described here), so Gmail accepts forwarded emails for over 99% of senders. That sounds great, but what about the rest? When a forwarded email is rejected by Gmail, Postdirect (with the recipient's permission) uses the Gmail API to deliver the email directly to their Gmail inbox.
If the recipient has not granted permission, Postdirect falls back to resending the email as an attachment, ensuring it passes SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks. This works reliably in most cases, but not always.
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a standard email authentication method that adds a digital signature to outgoing messages. Receiving mail servers that get messages signed with DKIM can verify that messages actually came from the sender, and aren't from someone impersonating the sender. DKIM also verifies that message contents haven't been tampered with after the message has been sent.
The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a standard email authentication method. SPF helps protect your domain against spoofing, and helps prevent your outgoing messages from being marked as spam by receiving servers. SPF specifies the mail servers that are allowed to send email messages for your domain. Receiving mail servers use SPF to verify that incoming messages that appear to come from your domain were sent by servers authorized by you.
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) is a standard email mechanism that lets you tell receiving servers what to do with messages from your domain that don't pass SPF or DKIM. It helps prevent hackers and other attackers from spoofing email messages from your domain.
Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) is an email authentication system designed to allow an intermediate mail server like a mailing list or forwarding service (such as Postdirect) to sign an email's original authentication results. This allows a receiving service to validate an email when the email's SPF and DKIM records are rendered invalid by an intermediate server's processing.
The Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) is a scheme for bypassing the Sender Policy Framework's (SPF) methods of preventing forged sender addresses. Using the SRS protocol will fail the SPF alignment check on DMARC by design, but emails can still pass the DKIM alignment check.
To configure your domain, you must set up DNS records to
- direct email for your domain to Postdirect mail servers
- allow Postdirect to DKIM sign the emails it sends from your domain
- allow Postdirect mail servers to send emails from your domain
Detailed setup instructions are available in your Postdirect console.
Once your domain is configured, you can check the logs in the console to verify that emails are flowing through Postdirect mail servers.
You can also verify that mails sent via Postdirect mail servers are properly configured by using a test service such as AboutMy.email . In particular, the you want to confirm that both the SPF and DKIM checks pass and are aligned.
Please note that if you are using Gmail to send a test email to an [email protected] which itself forwards to the same Gmail address, Gmail will not show that email in your inbox, as Gmail already has a copy of that email message.
Postdirect was built following security best practices:
- Data is encrypted at rest
- All network protocols (SMTP, HTTP) support and enable TLS encryption
- Postdirect supports two-factor authentication
When Postdirect accepts an email it is stored on an encrypted disk until delivery, which typically happens in a few seconds. Postdirect does not retain a copy once delivery has been completed.
Postdirect retains traffic logs for 60 days. For emails, this includes metadata such as sender and recipient addresses.
Beyond 60 days, we retain anonymized email delivery records to help us monitor and improve our service. These records do not include any personally identifiable information such as your domain name or your email addresses.
The email specification (RFC 5321 ) requires the existence of the reserved email address [email protected]. This address may be used to reach the responsible email administrators in case of email delivery troubles. In addition, the address [email protected] is also commonly used to report abusive usage of an email address or domain.
Postdirect monitors both postmaster@ and abuse@ addresses for all the domains that it manages, and will receive a copy of emails sent to either of these addresses.
Postdirect will add a DKIM signature to emails that you send with our SMTP servers, and is configured to send these emails from mail servers that are configured correctly for SPF. This means that the receiving mail server will pass the DMARC check with both DKIM and SPF being aligned.
When forwarding emails sent to your domain, Postdirect adds ARC headers before sending the emails to their destination. In addition, as Postdirect sends emails for domains it is unauthorized to send for, Postdirect uses the Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) to ensure that the envelope sender is one that Postdirect is authorized to send emails from. This means that the receiving mail servers will pass the SPF check, although the domain used will no longer be aligned with the From: header from the DMARC perspective.
The combination of the additional ARC signed headers, a passing SPF check, and ideally a valid DKIM signature (if the original sender provided one) ensure that the email is accepted by the destination mail server.
When an email for your domain is accepted by Postdirect, it is considered "delivered" from the sender's perspective, and no bounce message will be generated if it is later rejected by the destination you have configured for the [email protected] it was sent to. This is to ensure that the destination address is not leaked to the sender.
Spam filtering is an essential part of providing an email service, and Postdirect will reject messages that are likely to be spam. In the event that a legitimate email is rejected, the sender will receive a bounce message indicating that their email was not delivered.
Postdirect accepts email messages that are up to 50MB in size.
In addition, the following limits are placed on usage to prevent abuse of the service:
- Maximum number of emails sent per day: 500
- Maximum number of emails sent per month: 5000
- Maximum number of recipients per email message: 50
In addition to the usage limits documented above, Postdirect also employs a variety of rate-limiting mechanisms to prevent abuse. These are unlikely to be triggered by any legitimate use of the service, and an alert will be raised to us before you come close to these limits, allowing us to intervene early and avoid any service disruption.
- Customer inquiries: [email protected]
- Mail server operators: [email protected] or this form
- AUP violations: [email protected] (see below)
Effective: November 1st, 2023
We do not sell your personal data.
- Account Data: Username, encrypted password hash, multi-factor authentication tokens, email address, account creation date and last login date.
- Service Data: Metadata required for mail delivery and forwarding.
- Website Metrics: Anonymized traffic data only from public pages (e.g., homepage, documentation).
- Logs: Minimal server logs (IP, timestamp, URL, device/browser info) retained for 60 days for security.
- Operation: To send, receive and forward email, and to maintain your account.
- Security: To prevent abuse, spam, and unauthorized access.
- Website Improvement: To understand how visitors find our public site and read our documentation.
We do not share your personal data with third parties except as needed to provide the service, comply with the law, protect our systems.
For the execution of credit card payments, your credit card data will be directly sent to our payment service provider Stripe. For details on their policies, see the Stripe Data Privacy Framework Policy . We do not retain any data related to payments, except the date of successful transactions.
We only use "strictly necessary" cookies to manage login sessions.
We do not make use of any other kind of cookies.
- Deletion: You may delete your account at any time. Data is erased from our servers and backups within 60 days.
- Opt-out: You may block analytics on our public pages without affecting your ability to use our services.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].
Effective: November 1st, 2023
Welcome to Postdirect LLC ("we", "us", or "our"). By using our website and services ("Services"), you agree to be bound by these simple Terms of Service ("Terms").
You agree to use our Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms and our Acceptable Use Policy. You must not misuse or interfere with the proper functioning of our Services.
You are responsible for your account and any activity under it. Please keep your information accurate and your credentials secure.
You can stop using the Services at any time. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services at our sole discretion, with or without cause, and with or without notice, especially if you violate these Terms or our Acceptable Use Policy.
We provide the Services “as is” without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for indirect or consequential damages resulting from your use of the Services.
We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Services means you accept the updated Terms.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].
These services are operated by Postdirect LLC, registered in Albany, New York.
Effective: November 1st, 2023
This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP" or "Policy") outlines the rules and guidelines for using the email services ("Services") provided by Postdirect LLC ("we," "us," or "our"). The purpose of this AUP is to ensure the security, reliability, and integrity of our Services for all users and to comply with applicable laws. By using our Services, you agree to abide by this Policy.
You may not use our Services to engage in, promote, or facilitate any of the following activities:
Engaging in any activity that is illegal under local, state, national, or international law.
Transmitting, storing, or distributing any material that violates any applicable law or regulation, including but not limited to, laws regarding copyright, trademark, trade secret, defamation, and child pornography.
Sending, or assisting in the sending of, unsolicited bulk email (spam). This includes, but is not limited to, commercial advertising, promotional materials, chain letters, and phishing schemes.
Using our Services to collect responses from unsolicited messages sent from other providers.
Using purchased, rented, or third-party lists of email addresses.
Transmitting viruses, malware, trojan horses, worms, or any other malicious code.
Distributing content that is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading.
Sending messages that harass, threaten, defame, or abuse others.
Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any account, system, or network.
Probing, scanning, or testing the vulnerability of our systems or networks without authorization.
Interfering with or disrupting the Services for other users, hosts, or networks. This includes denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, mail-bombing, or other flooding techniques.
Forging email headers or otherwise misrepresenting the origin of any message.
You are responsible for all content transmitted through your account. While we do not monitor all email content, we reserve the right to investigate and remove content that violates this Policy. You agree not to send content that is:
- Obscene, indecent, or pornographic.
- Defamatory, libelous, or invasive of another's privacy.
- Infringing on the intellectual property rights of others.
Violations of this AUP may result in one or more of the following actions, at our sole discretion:
- Temporary suspension of your account.
- Permanent termination of your account without notice.
- Cooperation with law enforcement authorities if the violation involves illegal activity.
- Civil and/or criminal liability.
We will investigate all reported violations and reserve the right to make the final determination on what constitutes a violation of this Policy.
To report a violation of this AUP, please send a detailed message to [email protected]. Please include the full email headers of the offending message, if applicable, and a description of the alleged violation.
We reserve the right to modify this AUP at any time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on our website or by sending an email notification. Your continued use of the Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Policy.
If you have any questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, please contact us at [email protected].
- RFC 5321 : Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
- RFC 6376 : DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures
- RFC 7208 : Sender Policy Framework (SPF) for Authorizing Use of Domains in Email, Version 1
- RFC 7489 : Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)
- RFC 8617 : Authenticated Received Chain (ARC)
- SRS : Sender Rewriting Scheme