To migrate email accounts to a new host, create the same mailboxes on the new host, copy existing messages across using IMAP, then change your domain’s MX records so new mail goes to the new server. Finish with a final sync and update everyone’s phones and computers. Planned this way, no mail is lost and users barely notice the switch.<\/p>\n
Write down each email address, its password or a plan to reset it, and roughly how much mail it holds. Include forwarders, aliases, mailing lists and autoresponders. They are easy to forget and do not always move automatically.<\/p>\n
If users connect with IMAP<\/strong>, their mail is stored on the server and can be copied server to server. If anyone uses POP3<\/strong>, their mail may only exist on their own computer or phone. Their old messages stay on that device, and the server may have little to copy. Find this out early.<\/p>\n The TTL (time to live) tells other servers how long to cache your DNS records. A day or two before the move, lower the TTL on your MX records to something short, such as 300 seconds. When you switch, the change spreads faster. Read how long DNS propagation takes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Switch over in the evening or at a weekend, when less mail is arriving. Tell users when it will happen and what they may need to do.<\/p>\n Log in to the new host’s control panel and create each mailbox with exactly the same address. Set sensible storage quotas. Recreate forwarders, aliases and autoresponders. On cPanel, see how to create an email account<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you are moving from one cPanel host to another, a full account transfer can move mailboxes, messages and settings along with the website, so you may not need to create them by hand.<\/p>\n Choose the method that fits the number of mailboxes:<\/p>\n Do not delete anything from the old server yet.<\/p>\n Update your domain’s DNS so mail is delivered to the new host:<\/p>\n Getting SPF, DKIM and DMARC right stops your mail from being marked as spam. See how to edit DNS records<\/a>.<\/p>\n During DNS propagation, some messages may still arrive at the old server. Keep the old mailboxes active for at least a few days. Run your IMAP sync again, or check the old mailboxes, to bring any late messages across.<\/p>\n Update the incoming and outgoing server settings on every phone, tablet and computer, or remove the old account and add it again with the new details. For mobile devices, see how to set up email on your phone<\/a>. Remind users that they may need to enter their password again.<\/p>\n Not if you keep the old mailboxes running until DNS has fully switched and you run a final sync. Lost mail usually comes from closing the old service too early.<\/p>\n Copying mail can take from minutes to many hours, depending on mailbox size. The DNS switch usually takes effect within hours. Allow a few days before closing the old service.<\/p>\n Yes. Email and website hosting are controlled by different DNS records. You can point MX records to a new email host and leave the website where it is.<\/p>\n No. As long as you keep the same domain, every address stays the same.<\/p>\n Moving to Tremhost? We migrate cPanel accounts, including email, free and typically within 24 hours. See free migration<\/a> or compare Tremhost business email<\/a> plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Create the mailboxes on the new host, copy mail over IMAP, switch your MX records and run a final sync. A step-by-step guide to moving email without losing messages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18883"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80855,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18883\/revisions\/80855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Lower your DNS TTL<\/h3>\n
Pick a quiet time<\/h3>\n
Step 1: Create the mailboxes on the new host<\/h2>\n
Step 2: Copy existing mail<\/h2>\n
\n
Step 3: Point your domain to the new mail server<\/h2>\n
\n
Step 4: Run a final sync<\/h2>\n
Step 5: Update devices<\/h2>\n
Step 6: Test, then close the old service<\/h2>\n
\n
Common problems and fixes<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Will I lose emails during the migration?<\/h3>\n
How long does an email migration take?<\/h3>\n
Can I move email without moving my website?<\/h3>\n
Do I need to change my email addresses?<\/h3>\n
Next step<\/h2>\n