Introduction
A custom email address like hello@yourname.is-pro.dev signals professionalism and brand ownership. It tells recipients that you take your online presence seriously. With is-pro.dev's Cloudflare DNS integration, you can set up custom email forwarding at no cost using Cloudflare Email Routing or other free forwarding services. This guide covers everything from configuring MX records to setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for reliable email delivery.
Prerequisites
- An is-pro.dev subdomain with DNS managed through Cloudflare
- A Cloudflare account (free tier) with access to Email Routing
- A personal email inbox (Gmail, Outlook, ProtonMail) to receive forwarded messages
Step 1: Enable Cloudflare Email Routing
Log into your Cloudflare account and select your is-pro.dev zone. Navigate to "Email → Email Routing" and click "Get started". Cloudflare Email Routing is free for up to 100 email addresses per zone. It forwards incoming emails to your destination inbox without storing messages on Cloudflare's servers. The setup requires adding specific MX records and optionally SPF and DKIM records. Cloudflare walks you through each step with a guided setup wizard. Once Email Routing is enabled, you can create custom email addresses that forward to any existing inbox.
Step 2: Configure MX Records
Cloudflare Email Routing requires specific MX records to function. In the Email Routing dashboard, Cloudflare will show you the required MX record values. Typically, these are: route1.mx.cloudflare.net with priority 10 and route2.mx.cloudflare.net with priority 20. In the is-pro.dev DNS dashboard (which is your Cloudflare DNS), these records may be added automatically when you enable Email Routing. Verify they exist in the DNS settings. If not, add them manually. Ensure the MX records are set to DNS-only (gray cloud) — proxied MX records break email delivery. The priority 10 route is the primary mail server; the priority 20 route serves as a backup if the first is unavailable.
Step 3: Create Email Addresses and Set Up Forwarding
Back in Cloudflare Email Routing, go to the "Addresses" tab. Click "Create address". Enter your desired email prefix (e.g., hello for hello@yourname.is-pro.dev). Then enter the destination email address where forwarded messages should arrive — this can be a Gmail, Outlook, or any other email address. Click "Save". Repeat for any other addresses you need (support@, admin@, etc.). You can set up catch-all forwarding (all anything@yourname.is-pro.dev addresses) from the settings, but use catch-all sparingly as it increases spam volume. Test forwarding by sending an email to your new custom address — it should arrive in your destination inbox within seconds.
Step 4: Add SPF Record to Prevent Spoofing
An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) TXT record tells receiving email servers which servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Without SPF, spammers can forge emails that appear to come from your subdomain. In your DNS dashboard, add a TXT record for your subdomain with the value: v=spf1 include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net ~all. The include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net authorizes Cloudflare's mail servers, and ~all marks unauthenticated email as "soft fail" (receiver can quarantine it). For stricter security, use -all (hard fail) which tells receivers to reject unauthenticated email. However, test with ~all first to avoid accidentally blocking legitimate email.
Step 5: Add DKIM and DMARC Records
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing emails, allowing receivers to verify the email was not tampered with. In Cloudflare Email Routing, go to "Settings → DKIM". Generate a DKIM key and Cloudflare will provide a TXT record to add to your DNS. This record has a selector name (e.g., cloudflare._domainkey) and a long public key value. Add it to your DNS and enable DKIM signing. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM. Add a DMARC TXT record for _dmarc.yourname.is-pro.dev with a value like: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourname.is-pro.dev. This tells receivers to quarantine emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks and send aggregate reports to your email.
Step 6: Test Email Delivery
After configuring DNS records, test your email setup thoroughly. Send emails to your custom address from different providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and confirm they arrive. Check the email headers of received messages to verify SPF (Received-SPF: Pass), DKIM (dkim=pass), and DMARC (dmarc=pass) are all passing. Use online email testing tools like Mail-tester.com to get a comprehensive score (aim for 10/10). If you send emails from your subdomain (not just receive), configure your email client to send through a service that supports your custom domain, such as Gmail's "Send mail as" feature, which requires SMTP configuration.
Best Practices
- Create separate email addresses for different purposes:
hello@for general inquiries,security@for security reports,abuse@for abuse complaints - Monitor DMARC reports to detect unauthorized email sending attempts
- Avoid catch-all forwarding unless necessary — it reduces spam filtering accuracy
- Register a separate subdomain just for email if you want to keep email infrastructure isolated from your main site
Conclusion
Setting up custom email on your is-pro.dev subdomain is free and straightforward with Cloudflare Email Routing. MX records route incoming mail, SPF prevents spoofing, DKIM provides cryptographic verification, and DMARC ties everything together with a reporting policy. The result is a professional email address that enhances your brand credibility without ongoing costs.
FAQ
Can I send email from my custom subdomain, or just receive?
Cloudflare Email Routing only handles incoming email (forwarding). To send from your custom address, configure Gmail, Outlook, or another email client to send through an SMTP server that supports your domain.
How many emails can I forward per day on the free tier?
Cloudflare Email Routing free tier forwards up to 100 emails per day. For higher volumes, consider an email forwarding service or a paid email hosting solution.
Why are my forwarded emails going to spam?
This is usually an SPF or DKIM configuration issue. Verify your TXT records are published correctly and use an email testing tool to check your email authentication score.
FAQ
Is Email setup free on is-pro.dev?
Yes, all subdomains on is-pro.dev include free DNS management and SSL certificates.
How long does DNS take to propagate?
Cloudflare typically propagates DNS changes within seconds to a few minutes globally.
Can I use this for commercial projects?
Yes, is-pro.dev subdomains can be used for personal and commercial projects within our fair use policy.