What problems can redundant email forwarding cause and how to fix it?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Forwards can break stuff especially if it's forwarding spam or spam content.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that forwarding loops often result from misconfigured server settings. They advise checking the forwarding rules on all associated mailboxes and servers and implementing a loop detection mechanism to prevent emails from endlessly circulating.
Email marketer from Reddit says that you should check all the headers and then check who sent the email and if you see more than one, this indicates there is a mail loop problem.
Email marketer from EmailGeekBlog explains that you must check your forwards to see if they are still needed. Remove the old forwards and this can fix issues.
Email marketer from TechHelpNow explains that you need to trace where the loop is occuring, as if you remove one of the forwards involved, there may be another loop present.
Email marketer from LinuxQuestions.org explains that loops can stem from misconfigured mail transfer agents (MTAs). They suggest carefully reviewing the MTA configuration files (e.g., Postfix's main.cf) and ensuring that the relay settings do not create circular routes.
Email marketer from StackExchange responds that a common cause of email loops is incorrect server setup leading to circular forwarding. They advise to ensure that the destination email server is properly configured to accept forwarded emails and that the sender's domain has the correct SPF and DKIM records.
Email marketer from EmailProviderForum answers that redundant email forwarding can cause significant deliverability issues. They recommend checking all forwarding rules for redundancy and ensuring that each forwarder serves a distinct purpose. Additionally, they advise monitoring email logs for signs of looping.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that redundant email forwarding is usually from some other application that needs the forward for some reason, although it may no longer be needed. They suggest ensuring that no other application depends on that forward.
Email marketer from Quora says that to avoid email looping, make sure the mail server isn't forwarding to itself. Remove the forwarding.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, emphasizes the importance of setting up proper bounce processing to prevent mail loops. She explains that when an email is forwarded and bounces, the bounce message can be forwarded as well, creating a loop. Proper bounce processing ensures that these bounces are handled correctly, preventing them from being forwarded indefinitely. This involves configuring your mail server to recognize and handle bounce messages appropriately, avoiding any forwarding of these notifications.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Authentication can break depending on how the forwarding is configured.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that email loops occur when mail server configurations cause messages to be repeatedly forwarded. This can overload the system and prevent delivery. Solutions include identifying the misconfigured server and correcting the forwarding rules to prevent self-referencing or circular routing.
Documentation from cPanel highlights that improper forwarding setups can cause email loops. The documentation advises to carefully review all forwarders to ensure they do not create circular paths (e.g., email@domain1.com forwards to email@domain2.com, which then forwards back to email@domain1.com). Use cPanel's email trace feature to diagnose forwarding issues.
Documentation from MDN Web Docs explains that incorrect MX record configurations combined with forwarding can lead to loops. The guide recommends verifying MX records and ensuring that the forwarding rules do not conflict with the server's DNS settings, which can lead to redirection loops.
Documentation from RFC Editor shares that to avoid email looping problems you should review the Mail Protocols and look for where problems can be introduced. The summary suggests also checking relaying configuration.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help notes that incorrect forwarding settings in Google Workspace can lead to email loops. They recommend reviewing forwarding rules in the admin console and ensuring that no rules forward emails back to the original address or to another address that then forwards back.