Wix Email Forwarding: How To Set It Up (Step-by-Step)

Wix email forwarding redirects messages sent to your custom domain address (like [email protected]) to an existing inbox such as Gmail or Outlook. It is included free with any Wix Premium plan, takes about five minutes to set up, and does not require you to manage a separate mailbox. Below you will find the full setup steps, how it differs from Wix domain forwarding, troubleshooting advice for SPF and DKIM issues, and guidance on when to upgrade to Google Workspace instead.

If you run a website on Wix and want a professional email address without paying for a separate mailbox, Wix email forwarding is the simplest way to get started. Instead of managing another inbox, every message sent to your domain email gets automatically redirected to the email account you already use every day.

How Wix Email Forwarding Works

Wix email forwarding is a feature included with Wix Premium plans that lets you create a professional email address on your custom domain (like [email protected]) and have all incoming messages automatically sent to another email account. It works at the mail server level, meaning Wix's MX records handle the routing before you ever see the message.

Here is what happens behind the scenes when someone sends you an email:

1. A visitor or client sends an email to your custom domain address (e.g., [email protected]).
2. The sender's mail server looks up your domain's MX records, which point to Wix's mail servers.
3. Wix receives the message and immediately redirects it to the destination address you specified (e.g., your personal Gmail account).
4. You read and manage the email in your existing inbox, just like any other message.

The key thing to understand about Wix email forwarding is that it is a one-way process. It handles incoming emails only. You cannot send outgoing emails from your domain address using forwarding alone. If you need to both send and receive from your custom domain, you will need a full mailbox solution like Google Workspace, which Wix offers as a paid add-on.

To use Wix email forwarding, you need two things: an active Wix Premium plan and a domain connected to your Wix site. If you have not yet connected a domain, that is the first step before setting up any email features. If you are transferring from another domain and need to update your address, our guide on how to change your domain name on Wix covers the process in detail.

Wix Email Forwarding vs Domain Forwarding

People often confuse Wix email forwarding with Wix domain forwarding because the terms sound similar. They are entirely different features that serve different purposes.

Wix email forwarding redirects email messages. When someone sends a message to your custom domain email address, it gets rerouted to another inbox. The web address (URL) of your site stays the same. Email forwarding operates through MX records and mail servers.

Wix domain forwarding redirects web traffic. When someone types a domain into their browser, domain forwarding sends them to a different URL entirely. For example, you might forward olddomain.com to newdomain.com so visitors land on your current site. Domain forwarding operates through DNS settings, not mail servers, and has nothing to do with email.

Here is a quick breakdown of the differences:

• What gets redirected: Email forwarding redirects mail messages. Domain forwarding redirects website visitors.
• Where to set it up: Email forwarding is configured in Wix's Mailboxes dashboard. Domain forwarding is configured in your domain registrar's DNS settings or Wix's Domains section.
• Use case: Use email forwarding to receive business emails in your personal inbox. Use domain forwarding when you own multiple domains and want them all pointing to one website.
• Can you use both at once: Yes. You can forward your domain's web traffic to one site while forwarding emails from that domain to a completely different inbox.

If you searched for "wix domain forwarding" but actually need to redirect your email, you are looking for the email forwarding feature covered in this guide. If you need to redirect your domain's web traffic, that is handled through your domain connection settings instead.

How To Set Up Wix Email Forwarding (Step-by-Step)

Setting up email forwarding on Wix is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. Follow these steps to configure Wix email forwarding for your domain.

Step 1: Log Into Your Wix Account

Go to Wix.com and sign in with your account credentials. You will be taken to your site dashboard where you manage all your Wix settings.

Step 2: Open the Mailboxes Section

In your Wix dashboard, look for the Mailboxes option in the left-hand sidebar. Click on it to access your email management settings. If you have a connected domain, you will see it listed here along with any existing email configurations. If you do not see a domain listed, you will need to connect your domain first.

Step 3: Select Email Forwarding

On the Mailboxes page, you will see options for different email solutions. Choose the Email Forwarding option. This is the free option included with your Wix Premium plan, as opposed to the paid Google Workspace mailbox.

Step 4: Create Your Forwarding Address

Enter the email alias you want to use. This is the part before the @ symbol. Common choices include info@, hello@, contact@, or support@. The domain part will automatically be your connected domain name. You can create multiple aliases if you want different addresses for different purposes.

Step 5: Enter the Destination Email Address

Type in the external email address where you want forwarded messages delivered. This can be any email account you already use, such as a Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or any other email provider. Make sure you enter the address correctly, as any typo will mean lost emails.

Step 6: Save and Verify

Click Save to activate your Wix email forwarding. The forwarding becomes active almost immediately. To verify everything works, send a test email from a different account to your new domain email address and confirm it arrives in your destination inbox. If the test email does not arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder first, then review the troubleshooting section below.

After completing these steps, every email sent to your custom domain address will be automatically forwarded. You can repeat this process to create additional forwarding addresses for different purposes or team members.

Wix Email Forwarding vs Google Workspace

One of the most common questions about Wix email forwarding is whether it is enough or if you should upgrade to Google Workspace. Here is a direct comparison to help you decide.

Wix Email Forwarding is best for solopreneurs, small websites, or anyone who simply needs a professional-looking email address without managing another inbox. It costs nothing beyond your existing Wix Premium plan. The tradeoff is that you can only receive emails - you cannot send from your domain address through Wix alone.

Google Workspace through Wix gives you a full email mailbox with your domain name. You can send and receive emails, access Google Calendar, Google Drive, and all other Google productivity tools under your domain. If you want to take this a step further, our guide on how to connect Gmail to Wix walks you through the full setup process. Pricing starts at around $6 per user per month.

Here is when to choose each option:

• Choose Wix email forwarding if you only need to receive messages at your domain address and are comfortable replying from your personal email. This works well for portfolio sites, small business websites, and blogs.
• Choose Google Workspace if you need to send professional emails from your domain, collaborate with a team, or require business-grade email features like shared calendars and large storage. This is the better choice for client-facing businesses and growing teams.

If you are weighing Wix's email tools against dedicated email marketing platforms, our comparison of Wix Email Marketing vs Mailchimp breaks down the differences for newsletter and campaign use cases.

Many Wix users start with email forwarding and later upgrade to Google Workspace as their business grows. Wix makes the transition easy since both options are managed from the same Mailboxes dashboard. If you are unsure about the costs involved, check out our detailed guide on how much a Wix domain costs, which also covers email-related pricing.

Understanding MX, SPF, and DKIM Records for Wix Email

When Wix email forwarding is not working correctly, the root cause is often a DNS record misconfiguration. Three types of DNS records matter most for email delivery: MX, SPF, and DKIM. Understanding what each one does will save you hours of troubleshooting.

MX Records

MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet which mail server should receive emails for your domain. For Wix email forwarding to work, your domain's MX records must point to Wix's mail servers. If you connected your domain through Wix and let Wix manage your DNS, these records are set automatically. If you manage DNS through a third-party registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Cloudflare, you need to add Wix's MX records manually. You can find the correct values in your Wix dashboard under Domains > DNS Settings.

SPF Records

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records tell receiving mail servers which servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. When Wix forwards an email to your Gmail or Outlook, the receiving server checks the SPF record to decide whether the forwarded message is legitimate or spam. If your SPF record does not include Wix's mail servers, forwarded emails are more likely to land in spam. Your domain's SPF record should include Wix's sending servers. A typical SPF record for a Wix domain looks like a TXT record with a value that includes Wix's SPF directive.

DKIM Records

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to outgoing emails that proves the message was not altered in transit. Email forwarding can sometimes break DKIM signatures because the message passes through an intermediate server. When DKIM fails, spam filters become suspicious of the forwarded message. If you are seeing forwarded emails consistently landing in spam, a broken DKIM alignment is a likely cause. Wix handles DKIM configuration automatically for domains it manages, but third-party DNS setups may need manual DKIM record entries.

How to Check Your DNS Records

To verify your email-related DNS records are correct:

1. Log into your Wix dashboard and go to Domains.
2. Click on your domain and select DNS Settings.
3. Look for your MX, TXT (SPF), and CNAME (DKIM) records.
4. Compare them against the values Wix recommends in their setup guide.
5. If you manage DNS externally, log into your registrar and check the same records there.

Changes to DNS records can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to take effect worldwide. If you just updated your records, give them time to propagate before testing your email forwarding again.

Wix Email Forwarding Limitations

While Wix email forwarding is a convenient feature, it comes with several limitations you should be aware of before relying on it for your business communications.

No outgoing email capability. The biggest limitation of Wix email forwarding is that it only forwards incoming messages. You cannot send emails from your custom domain address using this feature. Any replies you send from your personal inbox will show your personal email address, not your domain address.

Potential delivery delays. Forwarded emails pass through an additional server before reaching your inbox. While delays are typically minimal (a few seconds to a couple of minutes), during high-traffic periods or server maintenance, messages may take longer to arrive.

Spam filter issues. When emails are forwarded, they can sometimes be flagged by your destination email provider's spam filter. This happens because the forwarding process changes certain email headers and can break SPF and DKIM alignment. You should regularly check your spam folder to make sure legitimate forwarded messages are not being filtered out.

No email storage on Wix. Wix does not store forwarded emails. If your destination inbox is full or your email provider rejects the forwarded message for any reason, that email may be lost. There is no backup copy on the Wix side.

Limited branding control. When someone receives a reply from your forwarded email, they see your personal email address rather than your professional domain address. This can undermine the professional image you are trying to build with a custom domain email.

Requires an active Premium plan. Wix email forwarding only works while your Wix Premium subscription is active. If your plan expires or you downgrade to the free Wix plan, your forwarding addresses will stop working and you will miss incoming messages.

No catch-all option. Wix does not offer a catch-all email address that captures messages sent to any address at your domain. You must create a specific forwarding alias for each address you want to receive mail at. If someone sends an email to an alias you have not set up, that message will bounce back to the sender.

Troubleshooting Common Wix Email Forwarding Issues

If your Wix email forwarding is not working as expected, here are the most common problems and how to fix them.

Forwarded Emails Going to Spam

This is the most frequent issue with Wix email forwarding. When emails are forwarded, the sender's authentication (SPF and DKIM records) may not align with the forwarding server, causing spam filters to flag the message. To fix this:

• Add your Wix forwarding address to your contacts in Gmail or Outlook.
• Create a filter rule in your email client that marks messages forwarded from your domain as "not spam."
• Check that your domain's SPF record includes Wix's mail servers (see the DNS section above).
• Verify your DKIM records are properly configured for your domain.

Not Receiving Any Forwarded Emails

If no emails are coming through at all, check these items in order:

• Confirm your Wix Premium plan is active and has not expired.
• Verify your domain is properly connected to Wix. Visit the Domains section in your dashboard to check the connection status.
• Double-check the destination email address for typos in your Mailboxes settings.
• Make sure your domain's DNS records (specifically the MX records) are pointing to Wix. If you recently connected your domain, DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate.
• If you manage DNS through a third-party registrar, confirm the MX records match the values Wix provides in the dashboard.

Emails Arriving with a Delay

Small delays of a few seconds to a minute are normal with email forwarding. If you are experiencing longer delays, it is usually related to your destination email provider's processing queue rather than Wix itself. Gmail and Outlook occasionally batch-process incoming mail, which can add a delay. If delays are consistent and significant, consider upgrading to Google Workspace for direct email delivery without the forwarding step.

Forwarding Stopped Working Suddenly

If your Wix email forwarding was working and suddenly stopped, check whether your Wix Premium plan renewed successfully. Failed payment can cause your plan to lapse, disabling all premium features including email forwarding. Also check if someone accidentally changed or deleted the forwarding rule in the Mailboxes dashboard. Another common cause is a DNS change at your registrar that overwrote your MX records - if you recently updated any DNS settings, verify the MX records are still pointing to Wix.

Forwarding Works for Some Senders but Not Others

If you receive forwarded emails from some senders but not others, the issue is almost always on the sender's side. Some email providers apply stricter outbound filtering, and their messages may be rejected during the forwarding step. Ask the missing sender to check their sent folder for a bounce-back error message. If the bounce mentions SPF or DKIM failures, the problem is with your DNS configuration rather than the sender.

Advanced Tips for Wix Email Forwarding

Once your basic Wix email forwarding is set up, there are several strategies to get more out of this feature.

Create Department-Specific Addresses

Take advantage of the ability to create multiple forwarding addresses by setting up different aliases for different purposes. For example, use [email protected] for purchase inquiries, [email protected] for customer service, and [email protected] for general questions. Each alias can forward to a different person or team inbox.

Set Up Gmail "Send Mail As" for Replies

Although Wix email forwarding does not let you send from your domain directly, you can work around this limitation using Gmail's "Send mail as" feature. This lets you reply to forwarded emails showing your domain address instead of your Gmail address. Here is how to set it up:

1. In Gmail, go to Settings > Accounts and Import > Send mail as.
2. Click "Add another email address."
3. Enter your domain email address (e.g., [email protected]).
4. Gmail will ask for SMTP server details. Use smtp.gmail.com with port 587 and your Gmail credentials.
5. Verify the address by clicking the confirmation link Gmail sends to your forwarding email.

Once configured, you can choose which "From" address to use when composing or replying to emails. This effectively gives you two-way email capability using just Wix email forwarding and Gmail.

Create Filters for Forwarded Messages

In your destination email account, set up filters to automatically label, categorize, or prioritize emails that arrive through forwarding. For example, in Gmail you can create a filter for messages delivered to your forwarding address and have them automatically starred, labeled, or moved to a specific folder. This keeps your forwarded business emails organized and separate from your personal messages.

Use a Catch-All Workaround

Since Wix does not offer a true catch-all email, you can approximate one by creating forwarding aliases for the most common prefixes people might try: info@, contact@, hello@, admin@, support@, sales@, and your own name. This reduces the chance of missing messages sent to addresses you did not explicitly set up.

Integrate with Wix Contact Forms

Connect your Wix website contact forms to your forwarding email addresses. When visitors fill out a contact form on your site, the submission can be sent to your domain email, which then gets forwarded to your regular inbox. This creates a smooth communication flow between your website visitors and your email.

When to Move Beyond Wix Email Forwarding

Wix email forwarding is a solid starting point, but there are clear signs that it is time to move to a full email hosting solution:

• Clients or partners comment on your personal email address showing up in replies instead of your domain address.
• You need shared mailboxes for a team, where multiple people manage the same inbox (e.g., support@ handled by three staff members).
• Email deliverability issues persist despite correct DNS settings, because forwarding inherently adds a layer where SPF and DKIM can break.
• You need calendar and file sharing tied to your domain, which Google Workspace provides out of the box.
• Your email volume has grown beyond what a forwarding-based setup can handle reliably.

When you are ready to upgrade, Wix makes it simple to switch from email forwarding to Google Workspace without losing your domain email addresses. The transition happens within the same Mailboxes dashboard, and your existing aliases carry over. Our guide on connecting Gmail to Wix walks through the full Google Workspace setup.

Conclusion

Wix email forwarding is a practical, no-cost way to receive professional emails at your custom domain address without managing a separate mailbox. It works best for individuals and small businesses who want a professional appearance and are comfortable replying from their existing email account. If forwarded emails are landing in spam, check your MX, SPF, and DKIM records before anything else. For those who need full send-and-receive capability from their domain, upgrading to Google Workspace through Wix is the logical next step. Whatever you choose, having a domain-based email address builds credibility with visitors and customers.