Email Routing tells the hosting server how to handle mail for a domain. It is related to MX records but is not a substitute for configuring DNS at the authoritative provider.
Identify where mail belongs
- Confirm the organisation’s intended mail provider. Do not assume it is the same provider as the website.
- Check the domain’s authoritative MX records and the provider’s setup instructions.
- Open Email Routing for the exact domain and record its current choice.
- Use the host-recommended setting for local cPanel mail or a remote service. Ask support before choosing a backup-exchanger role.
- Test delivery from outside the server and from the website itself.
Why website-generated mail can fail differently
If routing treats a remotely hosted domain as local, an application may try to deliver to a local mailbox instead of the external provider. External senders may behave differently because they follow public MX records.
Avoid creating competing local mailboxes during an external-mail migration unless the migration plan requires them. Record old DNS and routing values before changes. Allow for cached DNS, and use Track Delivery with a timestamp to distinguish authentication, routing and recipient problems. Changing PHP versions is not a fix for an incorrect mail destination.
Official references
Reviewed 2026-10-22. Menus and availability depend on your hosting plan and server configuration.