How to Migrate Your Email to New Hosting

When switching hosting providers, migrating your email is often the most nerve-wracking part. Email is crucial for your business – losing messages can have serious consequences for customer relationships and operations. In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn step by step how to safely migrate your email without losing messages.

Why Email Migration is So Important

Your business email is often the most important communication channel with customers, suppliers, and partners. During a hosting migration, you absolutely want:

• No message loss – both old archives and new incoming emails must be preserved
• Minimal downtime – email should keep working during transition, no missed orders or complaints
• All folders preserved – inbox, sent items, drafts, and carefully created folder structures
• Contacts and calendars migrated – if managed in your email client or webmail
• Professional appearance maintained – no bounced emails or error messages to customers

The Risks of Poor Email Migration

What can go wrong if you don't migrate carefully?

• Lost emails during the transition phase (customers get bounces)
• Duplicate emails or missed messages due to wrong MX configuration
• Spam problems if SPF/DKIM isn't configured correctly
• Lost archives of years of business correspondence
• Angry customers who don't get answers to urgent questions

Understanding Email Hosting Options

Option 1: Email with Hosting Provider

Most web hosting packages include email hosting. Advantages:

• Everything with one party
• Often included for free
• Simple management

Disadvantages:

• Limited storage per mailbox (often 1-5 GB)
• Less advanced spam filtering
• Fewer features than dedicated email

Option 2: External Email Service

You can separate your email from your hosting:

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

• €5.75/user/month
• 30 GB storage per user
• Excellent spam filtering
• Google Meet, Drive, Docs included

Microsoft 365

• €5.10/user/month (Basic)
• 50 GB mailbox
• Outlook desktop app included
• Teams, OneDrive, Office apps

Zoho Mail

• Free for 5 users
• Paid plans from €1/user/month
• Good value for money

Option 3: Dedicated Email Hosting

Providers like Proton Mail or Fastmail offer:

• Maximum privacy and encryption
• Independent of your web hosting
• Premium features

IMAP vs POP3: Which Protocol Are You Using?

Before migrating, it's important to understand which protocol you're using.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

With IMAP, messages remain on the mail server and your email client synchronizes with it.

Advantages for migration:

• All folders and folder structure preserved
• Email accessible from multiple devices simultaneously
• Backup includes your complete email environment
• Deleted items often recoverable
• Standard for modern email

How to recognize IMAP?

• You see the same emails on phone, laptop, and webmail
• Deleting on one device = gone on all devices
• Folder structure is the same everywhere

POP3 (Post Office Protocol)

POP3 downloads emails to your local computer and often deletes them from the server.

Disadvantages for migration:

• Only inbox is synchronized (no subfolders)
• Email scattered across multiple devices
• No central backup possible
• Difficult to migrate to new server

How to recognize POP3?

• Emails only exist on one computer
• Other devices see different emails
• No synchronization between devices

Important advice: Switch to IMAP if you're still using POP3. This makes future migrations much easier.

Step 1: Create Complete Email Backup

Before you change anything, create a complete backup of all your emails.

Method 1: Thunderbird (free, recommended)

Mozilla Thunderbird is a free email client perfect for backups:

1. Download and install Thunderbird from thunderbird.net
2. Add your email account via IMAP:
   • Server: mail.yourprovider.com
   • Port: 993 (SSL) or 143 (STARTTLS)
   • Username: your full email address
3. Wait for all email to synchronize
   • This can take hours for large mailboxes
   • Check that all folders are downloaded
4. Backup the Thunderbird profile
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles
   • Mac: ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles
   • Linux: ~/.thunderbird

Method 2: Outlook PST Export

If you use Microsoft Outlook:

1. Open Outlook
2. Go to File → Options → Advanced → Export
3. Choose "Export to file" → Outlook Data File (.pst)
4. Select your account including all subfolders
5. Choose location and password for PST file
6. Wait for export to complete (can take long)

Method 3: Webmail Export

Some providers offer export via webmail:

• cPanel webmail: Mail → Export
• DirectAdmin: Often no direct export
• Plesk: Mail → Download

Method 4: IMAP Backup Tools

Specialized tools for large mailboxes:

• imapsync (Linux, command line)
• MailStore Home (Windows, free for home use)
• Aid4Mail (commercial, powerful)

Step 2: Create Mailboxes at New Hosting

At your new hosting provider, you first need to create the email accounts:

In cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to Email Accounts
3. Click Create or + Email Account
4. Fill in:
   • Email: the part before @
   • Password: strong password
   • Storage: unlimited or specific (e.g., 5 GB)
5. Repeat for each email address

In DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin
2. Go to E-Mail Accounts
3. Click Create Mail Account
4. Configure username and password

Note the Server Settings

Ask your new provider or look in their documentation:

Incoming mail (IMAP):

• Server: mail.newprovider.com or imap.newprovider.com
• Port: 993 (SSL) or 143 (STARTTLS)
• Security: SSL/TLS

Outgoing mail (SMTP):

• Server: mail.newprovider.com or smtp.newprovider.com
• Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS)
• Authentication: required

Step 3: Import Email to New Server

Now you'll transfer your emails to the new mailboxes.

Method 1: IMAP to IMAP Sync with Thunderbird

This is the most reliable method:

1. Add both accounts in Thunderbird:

   • Account 1: old server (IMAP)
   • Account 2: new server (IMAP)

2. Select emails to move:

   • Open a folder in your old account
   • Select all emails (Ctrl+A)

3. Copy to new account:

   • Right-click → Copy to → New account → Correct folder
   • OR drag emails to the new folder

4. Wait for synchronization:

   • Thunderbird is now uploading to the new server
   • This can take long for large amounts
   • Repeat for each folder

5. Verify the result:

   • Log in to webmail of new provider
   • Check all emails are there

Method 2: imapsync (for large mailboxes)

For IT professionals or large migrations:

imapsync \
  --host1 mail.oldprovider.com --user1 info@yourdomain.com --password1 "oldpassword" \
  --host2 mail.newprovider.com --user2 info@yourdomain.com --password2 "newpassword" \
  --ssl1 --ssl2

Method 3: Outlook PST Import

If you have a PST backup:

1. Configure your new email account in Outlook
2. Go to File → Open & Export → Import/Export
3. Choose "Import from another program or file"
4. Select "Outlook Data File (.pst)"
5. Choose your backup PST file
6. Select folder(s) to import
7. Choose to import to your new account

Step 4: Configure DNS and MX Records

MX records determine which mail server receives email for your domain. This is the crucial step.

Where Do You Manage DNS?

Your DNS is managed at one of these parties:

• Your hosting provider (if nameservers point there)
• Your domain registrar (TransIP, Versio, Antagonist)
• External DNS service (Cloudflare, Route53)

MX Records Explained

An MX record looks like this:

Type: MX
Name: @ (or empty)
Priority: 10
Value: mail.newprovider.com

Lower priority = higher preference (10 is tried before 20).

Changing MX Records - Step by Step

1. Get the new MX record values from your provider

   • Often: mail.provider.com or mx1.provider.com / mx2.provider.com

2. Log in to your DNS manager

3. Note the current MX records (in case you need to roll back)

4. Remove old MX records (or modify them)

5. Add new MX records:

   • With one mail server: priority 10
   • With two mail servers: priority 10 and 20

6. Wait for DNS propagation

   • Usually 1-4 hours
   • Can take up to 48 hours
   • Check with: mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool

Setting Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC

For good email deliverability, you should also configure these records:

SPF record (prevents spoofing):

Type: TXT
Name: @
Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.newprovider.com ~all

DKIM (email authentication):

• Often automatically configured by provider
• Ask provider for the DKIM public key

DMARC (policy for failed checks):

Type: TXT
Name: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Step 5: Parallel Configuration Strategy

The best strategy is to keep both servers temporarily active:

Week 1: Preparation

• Create complete backup
• Create new mailboxes
• Import emails to new server
• Test logging in to new server

Week 2: Switchover

• Change MX records to new server
• Check both servers daily (for missed emails)
• Forward any remaining incoming mail from old server

Week 3-4: Monitoring

• Monitor for problems
• Check spam folders
• Resolve deliverability issues

After 1 Month: Closure

• Final check of old server
• Export any missed emails
• Cancel old email account
• Document the new setup

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: Cannot Log In to New Server

Possible causes:

• Wrong server name (mail. vs imap. vs webmail.)
• Wrong port (993 vs 143)
• Username must be full email address
• Password is case-sensitive

Solution:

• Test first via provider's webmail
• Check exact server settings in documentation
• Reset password via hosting panel

Problem: Emails Not Synchronizing

Possible causes:

• POP3 configured instead of IMAP
• Not all folders checked for sync
• Firewall blocking connection

Solution:

• Check protocol is IMAP (not POP3)
• In Thunderbird: Right-click account → Subscribe → Select all folders
• Test with mobile data (bypass firewall)

Problem: Emails Still Arriving on Old Server

Possible causes:

• MX records not changed yet
• DNS propagation still in progress
• Cache at sender

Solution:

• Check MX records with mxtoolbox.com
• Wait longer (up to 48 hours)
• Ask sender to wait and resend

Problem: Emails Landing in Spam

Possible causes:

• SPF record missing or wrong
• DKIM not configured
• New server IP has bad reputation
• DMARC policy too strict

Solution:

• Configure SPF and DKIM correctly
• Ask provider for IP reputation check
• Send test emails to mail-tester.com

Problem: Cannot Send Email

Possible causes:

• SMTP authentication not enabled
• Wrong SMTP port
• ISP blocking port 25

Solution:

• Check SMTP requires authentication
• Use port 587 or 465 (not 25)
• Check outgoing server settings

Email Client Configuration

Configuring Outlook

1. Go to File → Add Account
2. Enter your email address
3. Choose Manual setup
4. Select IMAP
5. Enter server details:
   • Incoming: mail.provider.com, port 993, SSL
   • Outgoing: mail.provider.com, port 465, SSL
6. Test the configuration

Configuring Apple Mail

1. Open Mail → Preferences → Accounts
2. Click + to add account
3. Choose Other Mail Account
4. Enter name, email, and password
5. Enter IMAP and SMTP server details

Configuring Gmail App (Android/iOS)

1. Open Gmail → Settings → Add Account
2. Choose Other
3. Enter email address and password
4. Choose Personal (IMAP)
5. Enter server details

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does email migration take?

Plan at least 1-2 weeks for a safe migration:

• Creating backup: 1-4 hours (depending on mailbox size)
• Creating mailboxes: 30 minutes
• Email import: 2-8 hours (or longer for large mailboxes)
• DNS propagation: 1-48 hours
• Monitoring period: 2-4 weeks

Can I migrate without downtime?

Yes, by following this strategy:

1. Create new mailboxes before changing anything
2. Copy (not move) emails to new server
3. Run both servers in parallel during DNS propagation
4. Only cancel old server after confirming everything works

Do I need to reconfigure my email client?

Not always. If you're using the same domain name and server names are generic (mail.yourdomain.com), you often don't need to change anything.

Reconfiguration needed if:

• Server name changes (e.g., mail.oldprovider.com → mail.newprovider.com)
• You're switching to external email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
• Your password has changed

What if I lose emails?

• First check the spam/junk folder
• Check if all folders are synchronized
• Look in your local backup (PST or Thunderbird profile)
• Contact old provider – they often keep data for a while

Can I leave my email with the old provider?

Yes, this is actually a smart option:

• Change only the A-record for your website (not the MX records)
• Email continues functioning at old provider
• Separates website and email hosting

This is especially useful if:

• You're satisfied with the email service
• Migration is too complex
• You want to switch to external email (later)

Migrating to External Email Providers

Migrating to Google Workspace

1. Purchase Google Workspace licenses
2. Verify your domain
3. Create users
4. Use Google's Data Migration Service to import emails
5. Change MX records to Google

Migrating to Microsoft 365

1. Purchase Microsoft 365 licenses
2. Add your domain to Microsoft 365
3. Create users
4. Use Microsoft's migration wizard or IMAP import
5. Change MX records to Microsoft

Conclusion

Email migration doesn't have to be stressful if you work systematically:

1. Backup first – always create a complete backup
2. Test extensively – configure and test before changing DNS
3. Run in parallel – keep both servers active during transition
4. Monitor afterward – stay extra alert for 2-4 weeks

Need help with other aspects of your hosting migration? Check our:

• Complete guide to website migration
• WordPress migration guide
• Overview of migration costs
• Exit guides per provider