Know which inbox you are configuring
Open Dashboard > Email for the hosted mailbox and day-to-day threads. The default hosted address uses your tenant identity at mail.cottagecms.com. Open Settings > Email for domain-level routing and From-address settings.
Plan availability: Hosted business email and domain-branded email are distinct capabilities. The active production matrix places domain-branded email on Scale; confirm the current matrix for hosted mailbox access because static feature names can be historical. Legacy Lifetime retains platform features, while third-party domain costs remain separate.
Use hosted email first
- Open Email to read, search, archive, delete, and compose messages.
- Use the hosted address when you need a working inbox before your custom domain is ready.
- Use Settings > Email only when you are ready to configure addresses or domain routing.
- Choose a recognizable default From identity and test a reply to a separate address.
What customers see
Customers receive messages from the configured From address and can reply through the route you have activated. A hosted address remains a dependable fallback while DNS for a custom domain is pending.
Common problems
- I expected a custom address. The hosted mailbox is not the same as domain-branded sending and receiving; complete domain setup first.
- Replies are not arriving. Check the mailbox, domain status, inbound status, and any DNS conflict shown in Email Settings.
- My From address is confusing. Set the default From address in the domain configuration and send a test before using it in a campaign.
Next steps
Keywords
Email, hosted mailbox, business email, mail.cottagecms.com, Email Settings, inbox, From address, reply, domain email