# Catch-all: what it is and how it works · Zorraquino
> A catch-all account is a mailbox set up to receive every email sent to non-existent addresses on a domain.
URL: https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/catch-all.html

# Catch-all

A catch-all account is a mailbox set up to receive every email sent to non-existent addresses on a domain

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

[The whole glossary](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary)

## What it is and how it works

If someone writes to a mistyped or non-existent address, such as [moc.niamodpfni](#) instead of [moc.niamodofni](#), the message is not bounced but delivered to that general mailbox, reducing the risk of losing legitimate mail.

The drawback is that it also attracts large volumes of spam sent to made-up addresses. In email marketing, catch-all domains make it hard to verify whether an address is real, because the server accepts everything; validation tools usually flag them as unknown risk. It should not be confused with catch-all marketing, a targeting approach.

Also known as

catch-all mailbox, wildcard email

Topics

[Technology and data](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/category/tecnologia-y-datos)

## Related concepts

- [Domain name](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/domain.html)
- [Email deliverability](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/digital-marketing/deliverability.html)
- [Bounced emails](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/digital-marketing/bounced-emails.html)