What is catch-all email?
A catch-all configuration receives messages sent to undefined addresses within a domain and delivers them to a designated mailbox.
For example, even if abc@yourcompany.com does not exist, a catch-all configuration can accept the message instead of rejecting it.
It can protect against typing mistakes
Customers sometimes enter an employee’s address incorrectly. Catch-all email can prevent those messages from being completely lost.
It can capture mail sent to old addresses
Messages sent to former employees or discontinued departmental addresses may also be received by the catch-all mailbox.
It may increase spam
The main disadvantage is that randomly generated addresses can also receive mail. Spam systems frequently try large numbers of possible usernames at a domain.
Server resources should be considered
Accepting unnecessary messages increases processing by mail queues, spam filters and storage systems. Organizations should therefore evaluate whether catch-all functionality is really necessary.
Aliases can be a safer alternative
If a company only needs to preserve several specific addresses, defining those addresses as aliases is generally more controlled than accepting every possible address within the domain.