Free-Professional-Email-setup

Free Professional Email Setup (Zoho + Gmail + Cloudflare)

🔗 Live Demo / GitHub Pages Site

Set up send + receive email on your own domain for free, using:

• Zoho Mail (Free plan) for mailbox + SMTP
• Cloudflare Email Routing for inbound forwarding
• Gmail as your day-to-day client (send via SMTP, receive via forwarding)

Works without paying for Google Workspace or Zoho paid plans.

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📚 Table of Contents

1. How It Works
2. Prerequisites
3. Step 1 — Add domain to Cloudflare
4. Step 2 — Configure MX for Cloudflare Email Routing
5. Step 3 — Create a mailbox in Zoho
6. Step 4 — Send mail via Zoho SMTP in Gmail
7. DNS Reference
8. Troubleshooting
9. Notes

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📌 How It Works

Inbound:
Domain → Cloudflare (MX) → forwards to Gmail

Outbound:
Gmail (Compose) → Zoho SMTP → recipient

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✅ Prerequisites

• A domain (e.g., Namecheap)
• A free Cloudflare account
• A free Zoho Mail account (Custom Domain, 1 user)
• A Gmail account

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🛠 Step 1 — Add domain to Cloudflare

1. Add YOURDOMAIN to Cloudflare.
2. At your registrar, switch nameservers to Cloudflare’s
   (e.g., adel.ns.cloudflare.com, ricardo.ns.cloudflare.com).

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🛠 Step 2 — Configure MX for Cloudflare Email Routing

1. In Cloudflare: Email → Email Routing → Get started.
2. Create a custom address (e.g., support@YOURDOMAIN) → set Destination to your Gmail.
3. Let Cloudflare add the MX and TXT it suggests.
4. Wait until Routing status: Enabled.

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🛠 Step 3 — Create a mailbox in Zoho

1. Add your domain in Zoho Mail Admin and create the user (e.g., support@YOURDOMAIN).
2. (On free plan) Do not point MX to Zoho — leave Cloudflare MX as-is.

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🛠 Step 4 — Send mail via Zoho SMTP in Gmail

Gmail → Settings → Accounts and Import → Send mail as → Add another email address
Use:

• SMTP server: smtp.zoho.com
• Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
• Username: support@YOURDOMAIN
• Password: Zoho App Password (recommended)

Verify via code Zoho sends.

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📜 DNS Reference

| Type | Name | Value / Target | Proxy | |——|——|—————-|——-| | MX | @ | route1.mx.cloudflare.net (prio 6) | DNS only | | MX | @ | route2.mx.cloudflare.net (prio 73) | DNS only | | MX | @ | route3.mx.cloudflare.net (prio 87) | DNS only | | TXT | @ | Cloudflare routing verification | — | | TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:zoho.com ~all | — |

Also set up DKIM in Zoho for better deliverability.

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🔧 Troubleshooting

• Spam folder issues: Warm up email, complete SPF/DKIM, avoid too many links/images.
• SMTP errors: Double-check app password and SMTP port.
• Cloudflare stuck “Syncing”: Wait for propagation; check with:
  nslookup -type=mx YOURDOMAIN

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📅 Notes

• Process tested Aug 14, 2025 in Sacramento, CA.
• This repo contains instructions only, no credentials.