Email Setup & Quota in DirectAdmin
How to create email accounts, set storage quotas, configure webmail, and manage forwarders in DirectAdmin.
Updated August 2026
Creating an email account
- Log into the user’s DirectAdmin panel.
- Go to Email Manager → Create Email Account.
- Enter the username (part before @), select the domain.
- Set a password and storage quota in MB.
- Click Create Account.
Mail client settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| IMAP server | Your server hostname |
| IMAP port | 993 (SSL/TLS) |
| SMTP server | Your server hostname |
| SMTP port | 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL) |
| Username | Full email address |
| Password | Account password |
Webmail access
DirectAdmin typically ships with Roundcube:
https://yourdomain.com/roundcube
Or access it from the DirectAdmin panel: Email Manager → Webmail.
Managing quotas
To change a mailbox quota:
- Email Manager → Email Accounts
- Click the email address
- Update Quota (MB): enter
0for unlimited - Click Modify
Monitor overall disk usage to ensure users don’t fill the server. Each account has a total disk quota set by its hosting package.
Email forwarders
To forward email from one address to another:
- Email Manager → Forwarders → Add Forwarder
- Enter the source address and destination
- Click Create
Catch-all address
- Email Manager → Catch-All Email
- Select the domain
- Set the destination (forward to an address, or discard)
- Save
Catch-all attracts spam: Setting a catch-all that forwards to a real mailbox floods it with spam from dictionary attacks. Use Discard unless you have a specific need for catching misspelled addresses.
Spam filtering
DirectAdmin uses SpamAssassin. Configure it per user:
- Email Manager → Spam Filters
- Enable spam filtering, set the score threshold
- Choose action: tag subject, move to folder, or delete
Emails scoring above the threshold are flagged or moved automatically.