REVSET LABS · EXPERT GUIDE·CRM & Contacts

Set Up Inbound Email Replies in GoHighLevel with Mailgun

1,023 words·4 min read·Updated 27 April 2026·beginner·

Arsalan ZaffarLinkedIn

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Quick Answer

To set up inbound email replies in GoHighLevel using Mailgun, configure a new route in your Mailgun account to forward incoming emails to GoHighLevel's inbound email parsing address. Then, link your Mailgun domain and API key in GoHighLevel's Email Services settings. This typically takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

Key Takeaways

✓Always verify your Mailgun domain in GoHighLevel for proper email sending and receiving.
✓Ensure your Mailgun route is set to 'Forward' to the correct GoHighLevel parsing URL.
✓Test inbound replies thoroughly after setup to confirm messages appear in GHL conversations.
✓Use a dedicated subdomain for Mailgun to avoid conflicts with your main website's DNS records.
✓Regularly check Mailgun logs for any delivery failures or routing issues.

Why Set Up Inbound Email Replies in GoHighLevel?

Setting up inbound email replies is crucial for managing client communications effectively within GoHighLevel. It ensures that all responses to your campaigns and direct emails are captured in the platform's Conversations tab. This centralizes your communication, allowing you to track interactions, maintain context, and respond promptly.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you begin configuring inbound email replies, ensure you have the following ready. These prerequisites are essential for a smooth setup process.

Have a Mailgun Account — You need an active Mailgun account with a verified sending domain. Ensure you have access to the Mailgun dashboard for configuration.

GoHighLevel Admin Access — You must have administrator access to your GoHighLevel sub-account. This allows you to configure email services and retrieve the inbound email parsing address.

Basic DNS Knowledge — A basic understanding of how to add CNAME and MX records to your domain's DNS settings is helpful. Mailgun typically guides you through this process.

Configuring Your Domain in Mailgun

If you haven't already, you need to add and verify your sending domain within Mailgun. This step ensures Mailgun can send and receive emails on your behalf.

Add Your Domain in Mailgun — Log into your Mailgun account. Click Sending → Domains from the left menu, then select Add New Domain. Enter your domain (e.g., `mg.yourdomain.com`).

Verify DNS Records — Mailgun provides specific CNAME, MX, and TXT records. Add these records to your domain's DNS settings where your domain is hosted, such as Cloudflare or your domain registrar.

Wait for Verification — DNS changes can take minutes to hours to propagate across the internet. Mailgun will display your domain as 'Verified' once the records are correctly recognized.

🔥 Pro Tip

Always use a subdomain (e.g., `mg.yourdomain.com`) for your Mailgun setup instead of your primary domain. This prevents potential DNS conflicts with your main website and improves email deliverability.

Get Your GoHighLevel Inbound Email Address

GoHighLevel provides a unique inbound email parsing address. Mailgun will forward all incoming replies to this address, which GoHighLevel then processes and adds to your contact's conversation history.

Navigate to Email Services — In your GoHighLevel account, go to Settings from the left sidebar. Then, click Email Services.

Copy Inbound Email Address — Locate the 'Inbound Email Settings' section on the page. Copy the unique email address provided (e.g., `inbound+xxxx@msgsndr.com`). Store this address carefully; you will need it for Mailgun.

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Create a Mailgun Inbound Route for Replies

The Mailgun route tells Mailgun what to do with incoming emails to your domain. You will configure it to forward all replies to the GoHighLevel inbound email address.

Go to Mailgun Routes — In your Mailgun account, navigate to Sending → Routes from the left menu. Click Create New Route to begin.

Set Expression Type — Choose 'Match Recipient' as the expression type. This allows you to specify which incoming emails the route should apply to.

Define Recipient — In the 'Recipient' field, enter `*@yourdomain.com`. Replace `yourdomain.com` with the exact domain you configured in Mailgun (e.g., `*@mg.yourdomain.com`). This wildcard captures all emails sent to that domain.

Add Action — Select 'Forward' as the action. Paste the GoHighLevel inbound email address you copied earlier into the 'Forward to URL' field.

Set Priority (Optional) — Assign a priority to your route (e.g., 100). Lower numbers signify higher priority, which is useful if you have multiple routes.

Provide Description — Add a clear description for your route, such as 'Forward replies to GoHighLevel'. This helps with organization.

Create Route — Click Create Route to save your new inbound email route. Mailgun will now process incoming emails based on these settings.

⚠️ Ensure the 'Forward to URL' field precisely matches the GoHighLevel inbound email address. Any typos or missing characters will prevent replies from reaching GoHighLevel.

Connect Mailgun to GoHighLevel

The final step is to tell GoHighLevel to use Mailgun as its dedicated email sending and receiving service. This involves entering your Mailgun domain and API key into GoHighLevel.

Return to Email Services in GHL — Go back to your GoHighLevel account. Navigate to Settings → Email Services.

Select Mailgun — Under the 'Dedicated Sending Domain' section, choose Mailgun as your email provider from the dropdown menu.

Enter Mailgun Domain — Input the exact domain you configured in Mailgun (e.g., `mg.yourdomain.com`). This must match the domain used in your Mailgun routes.

Enter API Key — In your Mailgun account, click on your profile icon (usually top right), then select API Keys. Copy your Private API Key and paste it into the 'API Key' field in GoHighLevel.

Save Settings — Click Save to finalize the connection. GoHighLevel will attempt to verify your Mailgun settings.

🔥 Pro Tip

Always use your Mailgun Private API Key for this integration. Using the Public API Key will result in an authentication error.

How to Test Inbound Email Replies

After completing the setup, it is essential to test your inbound email replies to ensure everything is working correctly. This confirms that replies are routed to GoHighLevel's conversations.

Send a Test Email from GHL — Open any contact record in GoHighLevel. Send an email to an external email address you control (e.g., your personal Gmail) from the Conversations tab.

Reply to the Test Email — From your external email account, reply directly to the email you just received from GoHighLevel. Ensure your reply contains some text.

Check GoHighLevel Conversations — Return to the contact record in GoHighLevel. The reply you sent should now appear in the Conversations tab, confirming successful inbound routing.

✅ If the reply does not appear in GoHighLevel, review your Mailgun logs for any delivery failures or routing issues. Also, double-check your GoHighLevel email service settings for correctness.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

⚠️ If you see 'Domain not verified' in GoHighLevel's Email Services.

Ensure all DNS records (MX, CNAME, TXT) provided by Mailgun are correctly added to your domain host. Wait for DNS propagation, which can take a few minutes to several hours.

⚠️ If replies are not appearing in GoHighLevel conversations after sending a test.

Verify your Mailgun route's 'Forward to URL' field. It must precisely match the unique GoHighLevel inbound email address, including any '+' symbols.

⚠️ If Mailgun logs show 'Route not matched' for incoming emails.

Check the Mailgun route's 'Recipient' field. Ensure it correctly uses the wildcard `*@yourdomain.com` for your specific sending domain configured in Mailgun.

⚠️ If you receive an 'Invalid API Key' error in GoHighLevel when saving Mailgun settings.

Double-check that you copied the Mailgun Private API Key, not the Public API Key. Also, ensure there are no extra spaces or characters before or after the key.

⚠️ If emails are sent from GoHighLevel but replies are never received by Mailgun or GoHighLevel.

Confirm your Mailgun sending domain is active and not suspended. Check Mailgun's event logs for specific delivery failures or issues related to your domain.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

→Using the wrong Mailgun domain in GoHighLevel (e.g., `yourdomain.com` instead of `mg.yourdomain.com`).
→Incorrectly copying the GoHighLevel inbound email parsing address, leading to missed replies.
→Forgetting to set up or verify the necessary DNS records (MX, CNAME, TXT) for the Mailgun domain.
→Not creating a Mailgun route, or creating one with an incorrect expression or 'Forward to URL' action.
→Testing inbound replies by sending directly to the Mailgun domain instead of replying to an email originally sent *from* GoHighLevel.

Frequently Asked Questions

QDo I need a separate domain for Mailgun, or can I use my main website domain?

While not strictly required, it is highly recommended to use a subdomain (e.g., `mg.yourdomain.com`) for your Mailgun setup. This prevents potential DNS conflicts with your main website's records and ensures better email deliverability. Mailgun's verification process is also smoother with a dedicated subdomain, minimizing interference with your primary online presence.

QHow do I find my Mailgun Private API Key?

To find your Mailgun Private API Key, log into your Mailgun account. Click on your profile icon (usually located in the top-right corner of the dashboard), then select **API Keys**. Your Private API Key will be listed there. It's crucial to copy the 'Private API Key' and not the 'Public API Key' when integrating with GoHighLevel to ensure proper authentication.

QWhat should the Mailgun route's 'Recipient' field be set to for catching all replies?

For catching all replies to your Mailgun domain, set the 'Recipient' field in your Mailgun route to `*@yourdomain.com`. Remember to replace `yourdomain.com` with your actual Mailgun sending domain (e.g., `*@mg.yourdomain.com`). This wildcard expression ensures that any email sent to any address within that domain is processed by the route.

QHow long does it typically take for DNS changes to propagate, and how will I know my Mailgun domain is verified?

DNS propagation times vary but can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, and occasionally up to 48 hours, depending on your domain host and internet caching. Mailgun will notify you directly within your dashboard when your domain's DNS records are successfully verified. You can also use online DNS lookup tools to check the current status of your records.

QWhy are my replies not showing up in GoHighLevel's conversations after I've set everything up?

If replies aren't appearing, first check your Mailgun logs to confirm the email was received and routed. If not, carefully verify your Mailgun route settings, especially the 'Forward to URL,' ensuring it precisely matches the GoHighLevel inbound email address. Also, confirm your Mailgun domain is correctly linked and verified within GoHighLevel's **Email Services** settings, and that the API key is correct.

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Start your 30-day GoHighLevel free trial

Everything in this guide is in your free trial. 30 days, no credit card — the platform behind 78+ revenue systems.

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Some links are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend GoHighLevel because we build on it every day.

Arsalan Zaffar

Revset Labs · Revenue Systems · 78+ GHL Builds

Arsalan writes GHL guides from real build experience — 78+ systems, $9.2M in client pipeline. Wharton, CXL & Google certified.

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Tags:GoHighLevelMailgunEmail SetupInbound EmailRepliesEmail AutomationGHL