Knowledgebase

This feature allows you to set up a default address that receives any mail sent to an invalid email address for the domain. The default address is also commonly called a “catch-all address.” You can also define how the default address handles incoming messages.

Set Up a Default Address

To set up your default address:

1. Select the domain for which you wish to set up a default address.

2. Select one of the following options:

   • Discard with error to sender
     • Sends an error message to the sender when an email is sent to this address.
     • After you select this option, enter an error message that will be emailed to the sender.
   • Forward to email address
     • Enter the address to which to forward emails in the text box.
     • You do not need to type “@” and the domain name.
   • Select Advanced Optionsfor the following options:
     • Forward to your system account

       • Allows you to forward incoming messages to the system account.

         Note: To check the default email account for your cPanel account, click the appropriate Access Webmail  link in the  Default Email Account  box in the  Email Accounts  interface ( Home >> Mail >> Email Accounts ).

     • Pipe to a Program
       • Automatically forwards messages to a program at the path that you define in the Pipe to a Program text box.
         • For example, /home/$utility
       • For more information about this option, see the documentation below.
     • Discard

       • Deletes incoming messages without an automatic response.

         Note: This option is not recommended since the sender will be unaware that the delivery failed.

3. Click the Change button.

Pipe to a Program

This option routes mail to any executable script within the cPanel user's home directory. This includes executable scripts such as bash scripts, Perl scripts, and PHP scripts.

• The Pipe to a Program feature in cPanel is not typically used to filter email. Instead, it is often used to parse and enter email information into a different system.
  • For example, the Pipe to a Program feature can allow you to pipe the email information to a program that enters email information into a ticket system.
• The email and headers are piped to the program via STDIN
• Memory limit issues depend on the language or environment that you use.
• Any output, even a blank line, that is created by the script, will create a bounce message that contains that output.
• Make sure that your script uses the proper file permissions (rwxr-xr-x). To change your script's file permissions, chmod to 755 myscript.php, where myscript.php is meant to stand for your script's location and file name.
• Your script must contain the correct hash bang:
  • #!/usr/bin/php -q — For PHP.
  • #!/usr/bin/perl — For Perl.
• Pipes can accept variables from the $_SERVER array.
• Pipes can accept variables on the command line.