3 min read · Beginner · Related: Business Email & Security
Updated October 2026 · Tampa Bay–tested steps
Switching Email Addresses? Forward the Old One Right
Keep every message during a move — forwarding, auto-replies, and the 6-month sunset plan.
1. Forward, don't just abandon
In the old account: settings → Forwarding → forward everything to the new address AND keep a copy for 90 days. Every provider supports this; nobody's mail should vanish in a move.
2. Auto-reply with the new address
Set a vacation-style auto-reply on the old address: 'We've moved — please use newaddress@...' Run it 6 months. Contacts update themselves; you chase nobody.
3. Hunt down the stragglers, then sunset
Search the old inbox monthly for bank, government, and subscription mail — update those senders directly. After 6 quiet months, convert to an alias or close it.
Switching Email Addresses? Forward the Old One Right — When to Call a Pro
- Domain migration with history, rules, and archives that must survive intact.
- Old provider holds you hostage (looking at you, legacy hosts) — we extract everything.
- Business move needing zero-downtime cutover with rollback plan.
Guide FAQ
Six months minimum, a year for businesses. Tax agencies and old clients surface on their own schedules, not yours.
Add the old address as a send-as alias in the new account so replies come from the right identity while contacts transition.
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