Cloudflare Email Routing

TL;DR

Cloudflare Email Routing is a free email forwarding service that lets clients use professional email addresses (like info@theirbusiness.com) without paying for email hosting. Emails sent to their domain get forwarded to any existing email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).

Perfect for: Startups without business email, small businesses migrating from shared hosting webmail/forwards, or anyone who wants name@domain.com without monthly email hosting fees.

What it does: contact@clientdomain.com → forwards to → client@gmail.com

What it doesn't do: Host mailboxes, provide webmail, or let clients send from their domain email (without additional setup).

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Setup Guide (Internal)

Prerequisites

• Domain must be on Cloudflare (using Cloudflare nameservers)
• Client needs a destination email address (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.)

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Access Email Routing

   • Log into Cloudflare dashboard
   • Select the client's domain
   • Navigate to Email → Email Routing

2. Enable Email Routing

   • Click Get Started or Enable Email Routing
   • Cloudflare will automatically add the required MX and TXT records
   • If existing MX records conflict, you'll need to remove them (warn client this disables any current email)

3. Add Destination Address

   • Go to Destination addresses
   • Add the client's personal/existing email
   • Client must click verification link sent to that address

4. Create Routing Rules

   • Custom addresses: Route specific addresses like info@, support@, sales@ to designated inboxes
   • Catch-all: Route ALL emails to the domain to one inbox (useful for small businesses)

5. Verify DNS Records Cloudflare should auto-create these, but verify:

   • MX records pointing to Cloudflare's mail servers
   • SPF record (TXT) for email authentication

Common Configurations

Scenario	Setup
Single owner, wants all email	Catch-all → owner's Gmail
Small team, shared inbox	Catch-all → shared inbox or multiple custom addresses
Multiple departments	sales@ → sales lead, support@ → support inbox, etc.

Important Limitations

• Receiving only: Email routing handles inbound mail. Clients cannot send FROM their domain address without additional setup.
• Reply-from workaround: Gmail and Outlook allow "Send mail as" configuration using SMTP, but this requires a separate SMTP service.
• No mailbox storage: There's no webmail interface—emails only exist in the destination inbox.
• Cloudflare required: Domain must use Cloudflare nameservers.

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Explaining to Clients

Non-Technical Explanation

"Right now, when someone emails info@yourbusiness.com, that email has nowhere to go. Email routing is like setting up mail forwarding at the post office—we tell the internet to deliver any emails for your business domain straight to your personal Gmail (or whatever email you already use).

You'll see emails arrive in your regular inbox, from your regular email app. It's free, and you don't need to learn any new software or check another inbox.

The one catch: when you reply, it'll show your personal email address as the sender, not your business address. There are ways around this, but the basic forwarding is the simplest starting point."

For Clients Coming from Shared Hosting

"Your old web host included basic email forwarding or webmail with your hosting package. Since we're moving your site to modern hosting that doesn't bundle email, we need to set up email separately.

The good news: Cloudflare offers free email forwarding that does exactly what your old setup did—sends emails to your business address straight to your personal inbox. You won't lose any functionality, and it doesn't cost anything extra."

Addressing "Can I Send From My Business Email?"

"The free forwarding only handles emails coming IN to your business address. To send emails that show 'from info@yourbusiness.com,' you have a few options:

1. Gmail/Outlook workaround — With some setup, you can configure your email app to send using your business address (requires an SMTP service)
2. Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 — Full business email hosting (~$6-12/user/month) with your own inbox, calendar, and the ability to send from your domain
3. Keep it simple — Many small businesses just reply from their personal email and it's fine

For most startups and small businesses, we recommend starting with the free forwarding. You can always upgrade to full email hosting later if you need it."

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Troubleshooting

Emails Not Arriving

1. Check Email Routing → Activity for delivery status
2. Verify destination address is confirmed
3. Check spam/junk folder at destination
4. Confirm MX records are correct (no conflicting records from old host)

"MX Record Conflict" Warning

Old hosting MX records must be removed. This will break any existing email on that domain—confirm with client before proceeding.

Client Wants to Send From Domain Address

Options to discuss:

• Free: Configure Gmail "Send mail as" with a third-party SMTP relay (Mailgun, SendGrid free tier)
• Paid: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for full hosted email

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Quick Reference

Feature	Cloudflare Email Routing
Cost	Free
Receive email at domain	Yes
Send email from domain	No (forwarding only)
Webmail interface	No
Mailbox storage	No (uses destination inbox)
Multiple addresses	Yes (unlimited)
Catch-all support	Yes
Requires	Cloudflare nameservers