Option 1: Reply-To Address (Simpler Setup)
A Reply-To address lets you receive replies in a different inbox. When a lead clicks Reply, their response is sent to your designated email address instead of the original sending account.
Use this option if you:
Only want to redirect replies (not all incoming emails)
Want a quick and simple setup
Prefer to manage replies from a different inbox
Don’t need warmup emails to be forwarded
How to Set Up Reply-To Address:
Critical step: Connect your reply-to email address to Instantly workspace (skip this step if the account is already added)
Go to Email Accounts dashboard
Click on the sending account you want to configure
In the right pop-up panel, go to Settings section
Scroll down to find "Reply-to" field
Type the reply-to email address in the field
Click "Save" to apply the reply-to configuration
What happens:
Your sending account remains the visible sender
When a lead clicks Reply, their email client automatically fills the To field with your configured Reply-To address
Replies are delivered to your designated Reply-To inbox
Warmup emails and other mailbox activity remain in the original sending account
Limitation: Even though the reply-to address should populate the "To" field automatically, there's no mechanism to prevent recipients from manually changing it back to your original sending address.
Option 2: Email Forwarding (All Emails)
Email forwarding automatically sends all incoming emails from your sending account to another email address. Unlike a Reply-To address, email forwarding redirects every incoming message—not just replies. When to use this:
You want all emails forwarded (replies, warmup, notifications, other incoming mailbox messages)
You want complete inbox consolidation
You manage multiple accounts and want one central inbox
How to Set Up Email Forwarding
The setup process depends on your account type:
For DFY/Pre-Warmed Accounts (Purchased from Instantly)
Step 1: Get Your Account Password
Go to the Email Accounts & Domains tab (Workspace owner/admin role required)
Click 'Get passwords'
A security token will be sent to the workspace owner for security reasons
After verification is complete, the password file is automatically downloaded to your browser's download folder
Step 2: Set Up Email Forwarding in Gmail
Follow Google's official forwarding guide to configure email forwarding.
Login to Gmail, go to Settings (gear icon) → See all settings
Click "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab
Click "Add a forwarding address"
Enter your designated email address
Click "Next" → "Proceed" → "OK"
Check your designated inbox for verification email
Click the verification link
Return to Gmail settings
Select "Forward a copy of incoming mail to" [your designated address]
Choose what to do with Gmail's copy: "Keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox"
Click "Save Changes"
Important: Ensure original emails aren't moved or deleted when forwarding is enabled, only copies should be forwarded for reply detection to work.
If DFY/Pre-warmed accounts are canceled, email forwarding will stop working.
For Other Email Providers
Contact your email provider for specific email forwarding setup instructions.