Pausing isn’t storage
New messages are discarded while an alias is paused and won’t be forwarded. Resuming won’t restore them.
Compare alias statuses →Terms of Service · Before You Start
Fewer marketing emails
doesn’t guarantee delivery
Separate addresses can help, but you’re still responsible for managing your mail. Understand what pausing, deleting and expiry mean before using Letterfwd for messages that matter.
Last updated:
Archives have a retention limit
Forwarded messages are archived online for 30 days, not backed up permanently.
Check limits and retention →Have a backup for important accounts
Don’t use a temporary address as the only way to recover an important account.
Understand delivery risks →01 / Scope
Two address types, two sets of expiry rules
These terms cover Letterfwd’s temporary inbox service and, for signed-in users, forwarding aliases, online archives and account settings. Before using an address, make sure you understand its expiry and how incoming messages are handled. If those limits don’t suit your needs, don’t use it with the relevant website.
Temporary email No sign-in required. Receive-only, for short-term use such as verification codes or test emails.Forwarding aliases Sign in with a real email address. Messages are forwarded there according to the alias status and delivery processing results. Credentials and retention periods are separate for the two services.
We don’t guarantee uptime, a fixed delivery time or delivery of every message. Actual results may depend on whether the destination website accepts the address, when the sender’s system sends the email and how your real inbox handles it.
02 / Accounts and credentials
Access credentials may expose your mail
The forwarding service uses verification codes sent to your real email address for sign-in; there is no account password. Use an inbox you control and can access reliably. Anyone who can read its verification codes may be able to access your Letterfwd account.
You can enable two-step verification on the alias management page. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or 1Password, then enter the 6-digit code generated by the app. Your authenticator secret and QR code contain sensitive information. Don’t share, publish or send them to support.
A temporary inbox token grants access to the corresponding inbox; it isn’t just an address label. Don’t share your token, requests containing credentials or browser storage data. After using a shared device, clear its browsing history and locally stored credentials as appropriate.
You’re responsible for safeguarding email verification codes, authenticator secrets and signed-in devices. A session left active on a device you no longer control could let someone pause aliases, delete them or read archived messages. Signing out normally does not delete a separate temporary inbox.
03 / Alias lifecycle
Before closing an alias, check what still goes to it
An alias is available as soon as it’s created, but normal forwarding only works while it’s active. Pausing or deleting an alias could mean missing verification codes, order updates or account security alerts. Update the address on relevant websites before stopping the old alias.
| Status | How new messages are handled | What to know before you act |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Messages enter the normal forwarding and delivery process, with your real inbox as the destination. | Active status doesn’t guarantee delivery. Third-party rejection or spam filtering may still affect the outcome. |
| Paused | New messages are discarded and not forwarded to your real inbox. You can check records of blocked messages in the 30-day archive. | Resuming only affects new messages received afterward. Messages from the pause period won’t be restored automatically. |
| Deleted | The alias is no longer available as your forwarding address. | Don’t count on recovering a deleted alias, getting the same address again or restoring its previous forwarding setup. |
If you only want to stop emails from one sender, compare Unsubscribe or pause. Pausing affects every new message sent to that alias, not just the marketing emails you no longer want.
04 / Capacity and retention
Expiry doesn’t mean permanent storage
Forwarding aliases and temporary inboxes have different capacity and expiry rules. Use the actual expiry time shown in the tool to plan your next steps. Don’t treat relative times in sample emails, verification-code expiry periods or static illustrations as the expiry time for your inbox.
| Item | Rule | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Forwarding aliases | Up to 100 per account. | Assign aliases to websites and keep track of where each is used. Remove addresses you no longer need before reaching the limit. |
| Forwarded email archive | Retained online for 30 days. | Save important messages elsewhere promptly. Don’t rely on the online archive as your only copy. |
| Temporary inbox: initial duration | New inboxes are valid for 3 hours by default. Check the inbox tool for the actual expiry time. | Complete verification or activation before the inbox expires. |
| Extending a temporary inbox | Each extension request adds 3 hours, subject to a maximum total extension of 24 hours. | Check that the extension succeeded and confirm the updated expiry time. Don’t assume it worked just because you clicked the button. |
| Temporary inbox expiry or deletion | The address and its messages are cleared and can’t be recovered. | Check the old inbox before switching addresses. A new address won’t inherit messages from the old inbox. |
A verification code in an email may expire before the inbox does. Extending the inbox won’t extend the code’s validity on the original website. If a code has expired, request a new one there. For accounts you need to keep, use a suitable long-term email address rather than relying on a temporary inbox.
Use the alias glossary to distinguish between address expiry, online archiving and pausing; they don’t provide the same kind of retention.
05 / Acceptable use
Legitimate email use is welcome; abuse isn’t
Use Letterfwd only with services you’re authorized to register for, access or test, and follow the destination website’s rules. Having a working email address doesn’t give you permission to bypass another platform’s restrictions or handle someone else’s information.
Allowed: ordinary sign-ups and email
- Receive registration emails for your own shopping, community or app accounts.
- Use a different alias for each website to reduce exposure of your real address.
- Test verification codes and notification emails in environments where you’re authorized to do so.
- Review your forwarding history and pause aliases you no longer need.
Not allowed: illegal or harmful use
- Use for fraud, phishing, harassment or other unlawful activity.
- Abuse interfaces, deliberately exhaust capacity or disrupt the service.
- Bypass another person’s access controls, identity checks or account protections.
- Access, share or use someone else’s messages or credentials without authorization.
We may restrict requests or suspend service use if we detect suspected abuse or threats to service security. Don’t try to evade restrictions by repeatedly creating addresses or accounts or sending automated requests. If you have questions about a restriction, contact us using the support email on this page and explain your use case and the issue.
06 / Delivery and account recovery risks
An address that can receive mail may still be rejected
Third-party websites may reject temporary or forwarding addresses, and sender systems may be delayed. Even once a message enters the delivery process, spam filtering, recipient rejection or network issues may delay, block or prevent delivery. You can’t assume every message reached your real inbox.
If your temporary inbox receives no messages, check the address and expiry time, refresh manually, and confirm that the original website actually sent the email. If a forwarding alias receives no messages, check that it’s active, then check the 30-day archive and your real inbox’s spam folder. To investigate the likely source, see Breach Source Lookup. However, receiving marketing emails at an alias alone doesn’t prove that a company unlawfully leaked your data.
Choose an address based on how important the account is to you. Letterfwd’s filtering and pausing features don’t replace the original website’s account security settings and don’t guarantee account recovery, delivery of verification codes or uninterrupted service.
07 / Changes and contact
Check the rules here; contact us with questions
When service rules change, refer to the current terms and update date published on this page. These terms don’t promise additional notification channels or a fixed notice period. Before continuing to use the service for important purposes, check the relevant limits, capacity and handling rules again.
For details on how personal information and email-related data are handled, read the Privacy Policy. This page focuses on conditions of use and how incoming mail is handled; this overview doesn’t replace the full terms.
Need help with a specific issue?
Include when the issue occurred, whether you used a temporary inbox or forwarding alias, and any status or error message you saw. Don’t send sign-in codes, temporary inbox tokens, authenticator QR codes or secrets. Redact sensitive information from screenshots.