---
title: "Mail forwarded to GMail is delayed"
date: "2015-10-08"
category: "email"
slug: "mail-forwarded-to-gmail-is-delayed"
---

## Overview

When using a [[creating-a-forwarded-e-mail]] to deliver mail to third-party providers like Gmail or Outlook.com, some messages may arrive late or not at all.

## Cause

Third-party mail providers use internal heuristics to delay or discard messages. Many of these rules are intentionally undisclosed to prevent abuse. Because forwarded mail passes through the server without modification, it can be mistaken for spam by the receiving provider.

## Solution

Instead of forwarding, store the email on your hosting account and let Gmail fetch it via POP3:

1. Convert the address from forwarded to local delivery ([[converting-e-mail-address-types]])
2. In Gmail, add a [POP3 server](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/21289?hl=en) using your [[accessing-e-mail]] credentials
3. Gmail will periodically download and delete mail from the server to conserve storage

Gmail fetches on its own schedule, so there may be a slight delay compared to direct delivery.

## See Also

- Google.com: [Check emails from other accounts using Gmail](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/21289?hl=en)
- [[converting-e-mail-address-types]]
