Regular email accounts, and forwarding email accounts, are two different account types you can have in Workspace email.
Regular email accounts enable you to send, receive, and access your email from webmail, or using an email client application (like Outlook, or Apple Mail, for example).
Forwarding email accounts allow you to automatically direct incoming messages to another email address. There is no inbox for a forwarding account, and nothing is stored. We redirect any email messages sent to your forwarding account address to the other email address you specify.
The same email address can't be both an email account and a forwarding email account. Any address can only be used for one of these services at a time. If you change your mind at any time, you can delete the account, and set it up as the other option.
You also have the option to set up forwarding copies of incoming email to another address. This means your address is a regular email account, but a copy of all incoming email messages gets forwarded on to another address.