Mixed Email Routing - Specific Addresses + Catch-All

Overview

We've enhanced our email routing system to support mixed mode - the ability to configure both specific email addresses and catch-all routing on the same domain simultaneously. This gives you the flexibility of a switch-case with default pattern for email routing.

What Changed

Switch-Case Email Routing Pattern

You can now set up email routing like this:

switch (email) {
  case 'support@yourdomain.com':
    webhook1  // Specific endpoint for support
  case 'sales@yourdomain.com':
    webhook2  // Specific endpoint for sales
  default:    // catch-all
    webhook3  // Fallback endpoint for all other emails
}

Key Improvements

• Mixed Mode Support: Configure specific email addresses alongside catch-all routing
• Smart Precedence: Specific email addresses take priority over catch-all rules
• AWS SES Optimization: Updated SES rule configuration to support both rule types simultaneously
• Enhanced UI: Email management interface now shows both specific addresses and catch-all configuration together
• Backward Compatibility: Existing configurations continue to work without changes

Technical Details

Routing Priority

The system now follows this priority order:

1. Specific email address endpoint (highest priority)
2. Legacy webhook for specific email (backward compatibility)
3. Catch-all endpoint (fallback)
4. Legacy catch-all webhook (backward compatibility)

AWS SES Configuration

• Individual email rules and catch-all rules now coexist
• More specific rules (individual addresses) automatically take precedence
• Mixed mode uses optimized SES rule configuration for better performance

API Enhancements

• Catch-all API now detects existing individual emails and uses mixed mode automatically
• Email address creation API supports mixed mode when domain has catch-all enabled
• New configureMixedMode method in AWS SES rule manager

UI Changes

Email Management Interface

• Before: Individual email addresses were hidden when catch-all was enabled
• After: Both sections are always visible and can be configured together
• New Description: "Mixed routing: specific addresses + catch-all" when both are active

Visual Indicators

• Clear separation between specific addresses and catch-all configuration
• Updated descriptions explain the fallback behavior
• Improved messaging throughout the interface

Impact

For Existing Users

• No Action Required: All existing configurations continue to work
• Opt-in Enhancement: Enable catch-all on domains with existing email addresses to use mixed mode
• Backward Compatible: Legacy webhook configurations remain functional

For New Users

• Flexible Setup: Configure email routing exactly how you need it
• Simplified Workflow: No need to choose between specific addresses OR catch-all
• Better Organization: Route known senders to specific endpoints, everything else to catch-all

Migration Guide

Enabling Mixed Mode

If you currently have individual email addresses and want to add catch-all:

1. Go to your domain's email management page
2. Configure a catch-all endpoint in the "Catch-all Configuration" section
3. Enable catch-all - your existing individual addresses will remain active
4. The system automatically configures mixed mode routing

Example Configuration

// Your domain now supports both:
const specificEmails = [
  { address: 'support@yourdomain.com', endpoint: 'support-webhook' },
  { address: 'sales@yourdomain.com', endpoint: 'sales-webhook' }
]

const catchAllConfig = {
  enabled: true,
  endpoint: 'general-webhook'
}

// Routing behavior:
// support@yourdomain.com → support-webhook
// sales@yourdomain.com → sales-webhook  
// anything-else@yourdomain.com → general-webhook

Benefits

1. Flexible Routing: Handle known email patterns specifically, catch everything else
2. Reduced Configuration: No need to create individual addresses for every possible email
3. Better Organization: Route important emails to dedicated endpoints
4. Scalable: Easily handle both planned and unplanned email addresses
5. Cost Effective: Fewer individual email addresses needed while maintaining control

This enhancement makes Inbound's email routing system more powerful and flexible while maintaining the simplicity you expect.