How to Forward Your Custom Domain Email to Gmail Using Cloudflare

If you own a domain and want a professional email address like contact@yourdomain.com, you don’t need a paid email hosting service to receive messages. Using Cloudflare Email Routing, you can forward emails from your custom domain directly to your Gmail account — all for free.

This guide will walk you through setting up email forwarding, verifying your email, adding MX records, testing the setup, and creating a Gmail filter to keep your inbox organized.

Step 1: Add Your Email in Cloudflare

1. Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain.

   

2. Navigate to Email → Email Routing.

   

3. Click Get Started to enable email routing for your domain.

4. Add your Gmail address as the destination address (the inbox where emails will arrive).

   

   

5. Cloudflare will then send a verification email to confirm your ownership. Open your Gmail inbox and click the verification link.

   

Make sure you check your Spam folder if the verification email doesn’t arrive in your inbox.

Step 2: Add MX Records Suggested by Cloudflare

After verifying your email, Cloudflare will suggest MX records to configure in your domain’s DNS settings.

1. Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider.

2. Add the MX records exactly as Cloudflare specifies.

   

3. Remove any old MX records to avoid conflicts.

These MX records tell the internet that Cloudflare will handle incoming emails for your domain.

Step 3: Test Email Forwarding

Once your MX records are live, send a test email from another account to: contact@yourdomain.com

Check your Gmail inbox to confirm it arrives. Sometimes forwarded emails may land in your spam folder initially — don’t worry, this can be fixed with a Gmail filter.

Step 4: Optional — Create a Gmail Filter for Organization

To keep forwarded emails organized and prevent them from going to Spam:

1. Open Gmail and go to Settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter.

2. In the To field, enter: contact@yourdomain.com

3. Click Create filter.

4. Choose Apply the label (e.g., Contact) and Never send it to Spam.

5. Save the filter.

   
   

Now all emails to your custom domain will appear under a dedicated label, making it easier to manage your inbox.

Additional Note: Sending Emails from Your Domain

Previously, Gmail allowed free accounts to “Send as” your custom domain. This feature has been disabled for free Gmail accounts.

You can receive emails at Gmail through Cloudflare forwarding

You cannot send emails from contact@yourdomain.com without a paid service, such as:

• Google Workspace

• ProtonMail

• Zoho Mail

  
  

This limitation applies only to free Gmail accounts; upgrading to a paid plan restores full “Send as” functionality.

Conclusion

Using Cloudflare Email Routing with Gmail is a reliable and free way to receive emails from your custom domain. While sending as your domain is no longer available on free Gmail accounts, this setup is perfect for:

• Personal websites

• Portfolio contact forms

• Small projects or side businesses

  
  

With proper Gmail filters, forwarded emails can be organized efficiently, keeping your inbox clean and professional.