Why We Disabled Redirect Sieve Filters on MXroute

Hey everyone, Jarland here. I wanted to take a moment to explain a recent change we've made. We've decided to disable the ability for users to create redirect sieve filters, and I want to provide some context as to why we made this decision.

The Problem with Redirect Sieve Filters

Redirect sieve filters have been a feature on MXroute for a while now, allowing users to create simple email forwarding rules. However, we've come to realize that these filters are vastly inferior to actual email forwarders, and they can cause significant problems for our users and their recipients.

The main issue with redirect sieve filters is that they don't use Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS). SRS is a technique that rewrites the envelope sender address of an email message, ensuring that any bounces or replies are properly handled and routed back to the original sender. Without SRS, forwarded emails can easily be mistaken as spam or rejected by the recipient's email server.

We attempted to mitigate this issue by implementing the sieve_redirect_envelope_from setting, which aimed to rewrite the envelope sender address. However, we've found that this solution is not strong enough to fully address the problems caused by the lack of SRS in redirect sieve filters.

The Solution: Use Email Forwarders Instead

Instead of relying on redirect sieve filters, we strongly encourage our users to set up actual email forwarders. Email forwarders on MXroute are designed to properly handle SRS, ensuring that your forwarded emails are delivered reliably and without issues.

Setting up an email forwarder on MXroute is simple and straightforward. Just log in to your control panel, navigate to the "Email Forwarders" section, and create a new forwarder. You can specify the source email address and the destination address(es) to which emails should be forwarded. Our system will take care of the rest, ensuring that your forwarded emails are properly handled and delivered.

Our Commitment to Reliable Email Delivery

At MXroute, we're committed to providing our users with the best possible email hosting experience. Sometimes, that means making tough decisions like disabling features that don't meet our standards for reliability and performance.

We understand that this change may be inconvenient for some users who have been relying on redirect sieve filters. However, we strongly believe that moving to actual email forwarders is the right decision for the long-term health and reliability of our platform.

If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team. We're always here to help and to ensure that your email hosting experience on MXroute is as smooth and trouble-free as possible.

Thanks for being a part of the MXroute community!

Jarland