How do I setup a catch all email address in Gmail Google Apps that works the same as the old catch-all feature?

Question

Google Apps for Domains used to have a catch-all feature. Now the docs say:

If you’re using another G Suite edition, the Email routing setting with the Route to catch-all address control is no longer supported. Instead, you use the Routing setting to configure catch-all addresses and routing.

but they don't actually have any instructions on how to do it.

Specifically I want to replicate the old behavior which is that if someone sends a message to unknownname@mydomain.com it gets forwarded to catchall@mydomain.com in such a way that catchall@mydomain.com can setup accounts in Gmail and can reply to the messages as unknownname@mydomain.com.

If I check my legacy Google Apps for Your Domain emails and check the headers of a message sent to unknownname@mylegacydomain.com I see absolutely nothing in the header that suggests it was forwarded to catchall@mylegacydomain.com and yet the mails show up in the inbox for catchall@mylegacydomain.com. This is important because when I reply, if I've added the unknownname@mylegacydomain.com to my accounts under Settings>Accounts->Send Mail As... then I'm able to reply as unknownname@mylegacydomain.com and not as catchall@mylegacydomain.com. For this to continue to work I assume the mail still has to be marked as to: unknownname@mylegacydomain.com and not to: catchall@mylegacydomain.com.

Answer 1

This is just a guess but,

Under Apps > G Suite > Settings for GMail > Advanced Settings I added picked "Add Setting" with the following settings

1. Specify envelope recipients to match: All Recipients

2. If the envelope recipient matches the above, do the following

   • Modify message
   Headers
   • Add X-Gm-Original-To header
   Envelope recipient
   • catchall @ existing-domain

3. Options

   • Perform this action only on non-recognized addresses

and it kind of works although it leaks catchall@mydomain.com when replying with the following headers

spf=pass (google.com: domain of catchall@mydomain.com designates ????:????:????:????::???? as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=catchall@mydomain.com
Return-Path: <catchall@mydomain.com>
Received: from mail-yb0-x22e.google.com (mail-yb0-x22e.google.com. [????:????:????:????::????])
        by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id y66si667532ybc.27.2017.06.15.00.51.39
        for <test@otherdomain.com>
        (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits=128/128);
        Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:51:39 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of catchall@mydomain.com designates ????:????:????:????::???? as permitted sender) client-ip=????:????:????:????::????;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
       dkim=pass header.i=@mydomain-com.20150623.gappssmtp.com header.b=aFbgG/RI;
       spf=pass (google.com: domain of catchall@mydomain.com designates ????:????:????:????::???? as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=catchall@mydomain.com
...
From: Admin <unknownname@mydomain.com>
To: Test <test@othermain.com>

which I'd like to avoid

Answer 2

Just wanted to add where I finally found the old forwarding option in GSuite.

• Admin Console.
• Click Main menu ( three lines ) in top left, hover over Apps, click GSuite.
• In the GSuite services list click Gmail.
• In the Gmail settings menu, scroll to the bottom and click Advanced settings.
• In the Advanced settings, General settings tab, scroll to bottom.
• There is a routing section with the 'Catch-all' 'Forward the email to' setting.

Answer 3

https://support.google.com/a/answer/2685650

You can create a catch-all address to ensure that messages that are accidentally addressed to an incorrect email address for a domain can still be received.

The following procedure describes the basic steps for setting up a catch-all address using the Routing setting. For details about all of the Routing setting controls, see Set up routing for your domain or organization.

To set up a catch-all address:

Do the initial steps to log in, select the organization if necessary, open the Routing setting, and enter a description for the new setting.

For email messages to affect, select Inbound, Internal-receiving, or both.

Set up an envelope filter if you want the rule to affect only specific envelope senders and recipients. You can specify single recipients by entering an email address for that user. You can also specify groups.

Under For the above types of messages, select Modify message.

Under Envelope recipient, select Change envelope recipient.

Select Enter new username.

Enter a catch-all address in the empty field next to @exisiting-domain. For example, enter jsmith.

Click Show options.

Under Account types to affect, check the Unrecognized / Catch-all box. Uncheck Users and Groups.

Click Add setting.

Save the configuration.

Answer 4

I found the setting....

Goto the menu that allows you to do the above and scroll down to advanced settings.....bottom of that screen is a catch all setting!

BOOM!