Key facts
- Catches mail sent to any address at your domain, including misspellings
- Included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT
- Spammers guess addresses, and a catch-all accepts every guess
- Named aliases or forwarders are usually the safer choice
- Useful for a short period after changing address formats
- Set-up on other providers: £45 an hour + VAT
What a catch-all does
Normally, mail sent to an address that does not exist bounces back to the sender with an error. A catch-all, sometimes called a default address, changes that: anything sent to your domain that does not match a real mailbox, alias or forwarder lands in one chosen mailbox instead.
So mail to sales@, jon@ and jhon@ all arrive somewhere, whether or not you created those addresses.
A catch-all is a setting on your mail server, not a DNS record. Your MX record already sends all mail for the domain to the server; the catch-all only decides what the server does with addresses it does not recognise. That means switching one on or off has no effect on your website or other DNS records.
Why people want one
- Typos. A customer misspells a name and the message still arrives.
- Old addresses. Staff who left years ago still get the odd message from long-standing contacts.
- Per-site sign-ups. Some people give each website its own address, like
shopname@, to see who shares their details. - Fear of missing something. Business owners worry a lead might be lost to a bounce.
The spam problem
The trouble is that spammers do not need to know your real addresses. They send to common names and random strings at your domain, a technique known as a dictionary attack. Without a catch-all, those bounce or are refused. With one, every guess is accepted and delivered.
- Volume. The catch-all mailbox can fill with junk, burying the genuine mail you set it up to catch.
- Filtering is harder. Spam filters learn from patterns; mail to hundreds of made-up addresses is noisy.
- Phishing looks more convincing. A fake message to
accounts@arrives even though you never created that address. - No feedback to senders. Someone who mistypes an address never learns they got it wrong, because nothing bounces.
- Forwarding makes it worse. A catch-all that forwards to Gmail passes all that spam on, which can harm the forwarding server's reputation.
Safer alternatives
- Named aliases. Create the role addresses you actually use, such as info@, sales@, accounts@ and support@, and point them at the right mailboxes. Anything else bounces, as it should.
- Common misspellings. If one name is often mistyped, add an alias for the usual mistake rather than accepting everything.
- Leaver addresses. When someone leaves, keep their address as an alias to a colleague for a few months, then remove it.
- A temporary catch-all. After changing address formats, a catch-all for a few weeks can show which old addresses are still in use. Then replace it with aliases.
- Plus addressing. Some providers let you add a tag, such as name+shop@, which delivers to your normal mailbox. Check your service supports it.
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 handle catch-all routing through their own admin settings. If you use either, we check what your plan allows; see Google Workspace setup and Microsoft 365 email setup.
How dijitul helps
Catch-alls, aliases and forwarders are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT, with 10 POP3/IMAP mailboxes. Tell us what you are trying to catch and we will suggest the lightest option. On other providers, set-up is £45 an hour + VAT. Call 01623 650333 or email info@dijitul.uk.
How it works and what it costs
Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.
Tell us what you have
Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.
Plan the change
We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.
Make the switch
Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.
Check it works
We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.
Look after it
Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a catch-all email address?
A catch-all accepts any email sent to your domain that does not match a real mailbox, alias or forwarder, and delivers it to one mailbox you choose. Without it, mail to non-existent addresses bounces back to the sender with an error.
Does a catch-all increase spam?
Usually, yes. Spammers send to guessed and random addresses at your domain. Without a catch-all those are refused; with one, every guess is delivered. The catch-all mailbox can fill with junk and hide the genuine mail you hoped to catch.
What should I use instead of a catch-all?
Create named aliases for the addresses you actually use, such as info@, sales@ and accounts@, plus any common misspellings. Keep leavers' addresses as aliases for a while. Everything else bounces, so senders know they have the wrong address.
Is a catch-all ever a good idea?
For a short period, yes. After changing address formats or merging domains, a temporary catch-all shows which old addresses still receive genuine mail. Once you know, replace it with specific aliases and switch the catch-all off.
Can I set up a catch-all with dijitul email hosting?
Yes. Catch-alls, aliases and forwarders are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. dijitul will usually suggest aliases first, because they give you the addresses you need without accepting every spammer's guess.
Related
Get domains, DNS and email sorted
Set up properly, records checked, and real people to call. DNS and email are included with dijihost hosting.