What this is and when you need it
Create mailboxes such as info@yourdomain.co.za for your business, and optionally forward copies to Gmail or another address. This is one of the first tasks most 3l3vate Hosting clients complete after pointing a domain.
Prerequisites
- Domain added in DirectAdmin
- MX records pointing to this hosting (or the correct external mail host — skip local mailboxes if mail is fully external)
- Enough email accounts and disk quota on your plan
- DirectAdmin access from https://client.3l3vatehosting.co.za
Create an email account (click path)
- Open https://client.3l3vatehosting.co.za and sign in.
- Open Services / My Services → select your hosting package → click Login to DirectAdmin.
- In Evolution, open E-mail Manager in the left menu (or use Search: type
email). - Click Email Accounts.
- Click + Create Account (or Create Account).
- Fill the form field by field:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Username | Local part only — for example info (not info@domain) |
| Domain | Choose yourdomain.co.za from the dropdown if you have more than one domain |
| Password | Strong unique password; store it in a password manager |
| Password (again) | Confirm if asked |
| Quota | Mailbox size limit in MB, or unlimited if offered and wise for your disk plan |
| Send limit / other options | Leave defaults unless you know you need changes |
- Click Create.
- Confirm the new address appears in the Email Accounts list as
info@yourdomain.co.za.
[Screenshot 1: Client area → My Services → Login to DirectAdmin]
[Screenshot 2: DirectAdmin Evolution → E-mail Manager → Email Accounts list]
Email Accounts list in DirectAdmin Evolution. DirectAdmin Evolution demo — your panel may look similar.
[Screenshot 3: Create Account form — Username, Domain, Password, Quota]
Create Email Account form. DirectAdmin Evolution demo — your panel may look similar.
Expected result: The account is listed. From the same row you can open Webmail, change the password, or adjust quota.
Verify with Webmail
- On the Email Accounts list, click Webmail for the new address (or open Roundcube/SnappyMail from the email menu if shown separately).
- Sign in with the full email address and the password you set (if Webmail does not SSO automatically).
- Compose a test message to a personal Gmail/Outlook address.
- Reply from the personal address back to
info@yourdomain.co.za. - Confirm the reply appears in Webmail Inbox (and check Spam if missing).
[Screenshot 4: Webmail inbox after successful test send/receive]
Expected result: Send and receive both work in the browser before you configure a phone or Outlook.
Create a forwarder
- Still under E-mail Manager, click Forwarders (Search:
forwarder). - Click Create Forwarder / Add Forwarder.
- Fill:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Forwarder address / Username | sales (or full address depending on form) |
| Domain | yourdomain.co.za |
| Destination email | team@gmail.com or info@yourdomain.co.za |
- Click Create / Save.
- Send a test to the forwarder address and confirm it arrives at the destination.
[Screenshot 5: E-mail Manager → Forwarders → Create Forwarder]
Expected result: Mail to the forwarder appears in the destination inbox (check spam).
Mailbox vs forwarder — which should you use?
- Mailbox: Needed when staff must send as that address from Outlook/phone (SMTP login).
- Forwarder: Fine for aliases (
hello@→info@) or copying into Gmail. Prefer a real mailbox if you need professional send-as with authentication.
Good practice for small businesses
- Use unique passwords per mailbox — never reuse your DirectAdmin password.
- Name addresses clearly (
accounts@,bookings@) so staff know who owns them. - Avoid catch-all forwarders into a personal inbox unless you understand the spam trade-offs.
- Monitor quota — full mailboxes stop receiving mail without much warning.
- When staff leave, change the password or forwarders immediately.
Naming conventions that scale
For a typical South African small business:
info@— public contact form destinationaccounts@— invoices and suppliers- Personal mailboxes for staff who need private folders
Forwarders are fine for aliases like hello@ → info@, but staff who send mail professionally should each have a real mailbox so authentication works.
Quotas and attachments
Large PDFs and WhatsApp image dumps into email fill quotas quickly. If a mailbox stops receiving, check quota on the Email Accounts list before assuming DNS failure. Delete old mail or raise quota if your disk plan allows.
If something goes wrong
Cannot create account. Quota or account limit reached — free space, delete unused mailboxes, or upgrade. WhatsApp +27 66 222 1346 if limits look incorrect.
Forwarder works but cannot send as that address. Create a full mailbox and authenticate as that user in the mail app.
Messages delayed. Check the spam folder and our “email not sending or receiving” checklist.
Webmail opens but looks empty. Confirm you created the account on the correct domain and that MX points here (especially if Cloudflare is grey-cloud for MX).
Create button missing / E-mail Manager empty. Confirm you opened the correct hosting package via SSO; email features follow your plan.
Related articles
- Set up email on phone, Outlook, Apple Mail
- Catch-all, autoresponders and aliases
- Email not sending or receiving checklist
