Create Custom Email with Own Domain Using Cloudflare¶

Learn how to create a professional email address using your own domain with Cloudflare Email Routing - it's free and easy to set up!

Prerequisites¶

A domain added to Cloudflare Dashboard
An existing email address (like Gmail) to receive forwarded emails

Part 1: Setting Up Email Routing¶

Go to Cloudflare Dashboard and log in to your account.

Step 2: Select Your Domain¶

Choose the domain you want to configure for email routing.

Step 3: Activate Email Routing¶

In your domain dashboard, look for Email in the sidebar (or use the search feature)
Click Set up under Email Routing
Follow the prompts to activate the feature

Step 4: Create Custom Email Address¶

Click Create Address
Fill in the form: - Custom Address: Your desired email (e.g., [email protected]) - Destination Address: Your existing email to receive forwarded emails (e.g., [email protected])
Click Save

Step 5: Update DNS Records¶

Cloudflare will automatically add the required MX Records and TXT Records.

Warning

Make sure DNS Records are set to DNS Only (gray cloud), not Proxied (orange cloud).

Step 6: Test the Setup¶

Send an email to your new custom address (e.g., [email protected]) and verify it forwards to your destination address.

Part 2: Sending Emails from Custom Address¶

Cloudflare Email Routing only supports email forwarding. To send emails from your custom address, you need an SMTP service.

Option 1: Gmail SMTP (Free & Easy)¶

Step 1: Configure Gmail¶

Open your Gmail account
Go to Settings (gear icon) > See all settings
Navigate to Accounts and Import tab
Under Send mail as, click Add another email address

Step 2: Enter SMTP Details¶

Field	Value
Name	Your display name
Email Address	Your custom email (e.g., `[email protected]`)
Treat as an alias	Check this option

Click Next Step and fill in:

Field	Value
SMTP Server	`smtp.gmail.com`
Port	`587` (TLS) or `465` (SSL)
Username	Your Gmail address
Password	App Password (not your regular password)

Step 3: Create App Password¶

If you use 2-Step Verification with SMS, you need an App Password:

Go to myaccount.google.com
Navigate to Security
Under Signing in to Google, click App Passwords
Select Mail > Other (Custom name) > Enter name like "SMTP Cloudflare"
Click Generate
Copy the 16-character password (you'll only see it once)

Step 4: Verify¶

Gmail will send a verification code to your custom email address. Since it's forwarded to your Gmail, check your inbox and enter the code.

Option 2: Zoho Mail (Free & More Professional)¶

Go to Zoho Mail and sign up for Business Email
Register your domain

Step 2: Configure DNS in Cloudflare¶

Add the MX Records, SPF, and DKIM records provided by Zoho. Make sure all are set to DNS Only.

Step 3: Verify Domain¶

Click Verify in Zoho dashboard after adding all DNS records.

Step 4: SMTP Configuration¶

Field	Value
SMTP Server	`smtp.zoho.com`
Port	`465` (SSL) or `587` (TLS)
Username	Your custom email
Password	Your Zoho password

Comparison¶

Feature	Gmail SMTP	Zoho Mail
SMTP Server	`smtp.gmail.com`	`smtp.zoho.com`
DNS Changes	Not required	MX, SPF, DKIM needed
Daily Limit	500 emails (free)	5,000 emails (free)
Interface	Gmail	Zoho Mail
Professional Look	Moderate	High

Managing Email Routing¶

Delete Email Routing¶

Go to Email in Cloudflare Dashboard
Find the address you want to remove
Click the Delete icon
Optionally remove related MX and TXT records from DNS

Change Destination Address¶

Go to Email in Cloudflare Dashboard
Click the Edit icon next to the address
Update the Destination Address
Click Save

Important Notes¶

!!! warning - Cloudflare Email Routing only supports forwarding, not sending - For sending emails, you need an SMTP service like Gmail or Zoho - DNS records must be set to DNS Only (gray cloud), not proxied

Conclusion¶

With Cloudflare Email Routing, you can create professional-looking email addresses for free. Choose Gmail SMTP if you want simplicity, or Zoho Mail for a more professional standalone email service.