I own a domain called myshop.net and need customers to email [email protected]. Since I prefer using Gmail, I want all messages forwarded to my personal Gmail [email protected] so I can respond directly from Gmail.
I’m planning to use Mailgun with Route 53 for DNS management. Here’s what I need:
When I reply from Gmail, I want to respond to the proxy address and have Mailgun automatically change my Gmail address to show [email protected] before sending to the customer.
Is this workflow possible with Mailgun? What’s the best way to configure this setup?
Mailgun works for this, but there’s an easier way. Skip the proxy addresses and use Mailgun’s inbound parsing to forward emails straight to Gmail. Then set up Gmail’s ‘Send mail as’ feature with your custom domain for replies. I’ve run this setup for two years. Point your MX records to Mailgun, use their Routes API for forwarding incoming messages. For outbound, add your custom domain in Gmail settings and verify through DNS. When you reply from Gmail, it’ll automatically show your custom domain. Main thing I learned the hard way - get your SPF and DKIM records right or your replies hit spam folders. Also, Gmail has daily sending limits. If you’re doing high volume, you’ll need Google Workspace instead of regular Gmail.
for sure! mailgun’s cool, but ya might not need all that hassle. just set up gmail to send from [email protected], it’s simpler! ur already doin spf records, so why complicate it with mailgun? keep it easy, bro.
I tried this exact setup last year and hit some complications with the proxy approach. Mailgun handles bidirectional forwarding fine, but conversation threads get messy because Gmail doesn’t see the proxy addresses as the same conversation. You’ll get fragmented email chains that confuse everyone. Skip the proxy addresses. Configure Mailgun’s inbound routes to forward directly to Gmail and keep the original sender info in the headers. For replies, Gmail’s custom domain sending works great but you need proper DMARC alignment. Here’s what nobody talks about: some email providers flag forwarded messages as suspicious, especially with complex forwarding chains. Test with a few trusted contacts before you go live with customer support.