Email Setup in CloudPanel: Send and Receive Email

Email is critical for business communication. CloudPanel includes email server (Postfix/Exim) for sending/receiving email. Setup takes 5 minutes: create account, configure DNS, add SPF/DKIM records. Your email is then ready with webmail access, mobile support, and spam filtering.

Email Overview

How email works:

• Sending: Your app sends email → CloudPanel mail server sends to recipient
• Receiving: Sender sends to your domain → mail server receives, stores in mailbox
• Webmail: Access email from web browser (no client needed)
• IMAP/POP3: Configure in desktop/mobile clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.)

Email security requires three records:**

• MX record: "Email for this domain goes here" (to your server)
• SPF record: "These IPs are allowed to send email for this domain"
• DKIM: Digital signature proving email came from you

Create Email Account

In CloudPanel:

1. Login to CloudPanel (admin or domain owner)
2. Go to Mailboxes → Add Mailbox
3. Enter details:
   • Email address: admin@yourdomain.com
   • Password: Strong password (16+ chars, mixed case, numbers, symbols)
   • Storage quota: 5GB recommended (adjust as needed)
4. Click "Create"
5. Email ready to use immediately

Access email immediately via webmail:**

• yourserver.com:8443/mail (webmail interface)
• Or configure in Outlook/Thunderbird using IMAP

Configure DNS (MX Records)

Your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) → DNS settings:

# Add MX record for email routing
Type: MX
Name: @ (or yourdomain.com)
Value: mail.yourdomain.com
Priority: 10

# Also add A record pointing to your server
Type: A
Name: mail
Value: 203.0.113.25 (your server IP)

Verify DNS propagation (wait 24 hours for full propagation):

nslookup -type=MX yourdomain.com
# Should show: yourdomain.com mail exchanger = mail.yourdomain.com

# Or use online tools: mxtoolbox.com

SPF/DKIM Security Records

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) - prevents email spoofing:

# Add TXT record to DNS
Type: TXT
Name: @ (or yourdomain.com)
Value: v=spf1 mx ~all
# Means: "Servers listed in MX records can send email"

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) - digitally sign emails:

1. CloudPanel → Email → DKIM
2. Click "Generate DKIM Key"
3. Copy the provided DKIM record
4. Add to DNS as TXT record
5. Emails now digitally signed proving authenticity

CloudPanel shows DKIM status:**

• Green = DKIM enabled and valid
• Gray = DKIM DNS record not found yet

WebMail Access

Access webmail without any setup:**

• URL: https://yourserver.com:8443/mail
• Username: admin@yourdomain.com
• Password: your email password

Webmail features:**

• Send/receive email
• Contacts and calendar (limited)
• Spam filtering
• Attachment support
• Mobile-friendly interface

Configure Email Client

Setup in Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail:

Mobile (iPhone, Android):

• Settings → Mail → Add Account
• Choose "IMAP"
• Enter details from table above
• Email syncs automatically to phone

Email Forwarding

Forward emails automatically to another address:**

1. CloudPanel → Mailboxes → [Your Email] → Forwarding
2. Enter forward-to address (e.g., personal@gmail.com)
3. Enable "Keep copy on server" if desired
4. Save
5. All new emails now copied to that address

Create email aliases (multiple addresses, one inbox):**

• CloudPanel → Mailboxes → Add Alias
• Example: support@yourdomain.com → admin@yourdomain.com
• Emails to support@ go to admin's inbox

Troubleshooting

Can't receive email:

• Check MX record: nslookup -type=MX yourdomain.com
• Verify DNS propagation (wait 24 hours)
• Check CloudPanel email account exists
• Check mailbox isn't full

Emails going to spam:**

• Add SPF record to DNS
• Enable DKIM in CloudPanel
• Add DMARC record (optional, advanced)
• Recipient's spam filter may be overly aggressive

Can't send email / SMTP error:**

• Check port 587 or 465 is open (firewall)
• Verify SMTP credentials are correct
• Check server IP isn't blacklisted (rblcheck.com)

WebMail won't load:**

• Clear browser cache (CTRL+SHIFT+DEL)
• Try different browser
• Check firewall isn't blocking port 8443

Related: Email setup | DNS configuration | SPF/DKIM setup | Email security