How to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server Step-By-Step Guide

Benefits of IMAP to IMAP Migration

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a protocol that transmits data between clients. It can be accessed globally at any time and has numerous advantages. The significant reasons to transfer IMAP email from one server to another are:

• Ensures access to all incoming and outgoing data, old messages, labels, folders, etc. in a new account.
• IMAP doesn’t need licenses and is virtually supported by all devices. So, it helps manage multiple accounts in one place.
• Various email clients don’t support the file format of another one. Thus, it becomes necessary to migrate IMAP to IMAP.
• Creates a backup of emails on another server in case of system failure, accidental deletion, or attack.
• Organize the mailbox, clear the server storage, and seamlessly configure accounts.

Reliable Solutions to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server

The following section will elaborate on a manual method and a professional tool for IMAP migration. It provides a complete step-by-step guide for both methods. Proceed to learn all about it and complete your IMAP migration without worries.

Transfer IMAP Email to New Server Manually

Before proceeding to the steps, ensure that the mentioned requirements are fulfilled to streamline migration. Later, follow the given steps.

Requirements:

• A local email client with IMAP enabled. Generally, these email clients are Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, AppleMail, etc.
• Verified server compatibility for both IMAP servers and credentials of the IMAP email to transfer.

Steps to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server

1. Firstly, build an email account on your new server that is the same as the old one. (Check that spelling and capitalization are consistent.)
2. Use the same old password for your new account and change it post-migration.
3. Then, create two new email accounts on the same client ensuring the following:
• Same email address and password
• IMAP configuration for both accounts
4. Further, address the Incoming server. It is different for the two accounts. Provide the IP address of your previous account and for a new account:
• Input domain name ( if different for two accounts)
• Else, provide the IP address of your new server.

This helps to avoid any DNS conflicts, that may occur.

5. At last, drag and drop the messages and emails from the old inbox to the source server folder.

Note: Wait until the executing process to migrate IMAP to IMAP completes. It may take time to finish depending on the size of the transferring mailbox. The free manual solution ends here. However, it is not an appropriate method for IMAP migration.

Shortcomings of the Manual Method

• The method is time-consuming, lengthy, complex, and lacks security.
• You need to have good technical knowledge to execute the process.
• Chances of duplicacy, errors, inconsistency, and data loss.
• It cannot transfer large files with attachments and requires stable internet.

Automated Tool to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server

SysInfo IMAP Email Backup Tool is specifically designed to transfer IMAP email to a new server. It allows users to backup IMAP emails without losing data integrity or folder hierarchy. Additionally, the excellent tool is user-friendly, and even novice users can operate it. Moreover, with this tool, users can bulk transfer IMAP mailbox data at once without limitations. Other advanced features that this software offers are:

• Download IMAP data in several file formats, including PST, CSV, EML, PDF, DOC, HTML, etc.
• Migrate IMAP to Google Workspace, IMAP, Gmail, Office 365, Thunderbird, iCloud, and other clients.
• Converts IMAP data selectively, excludes duplicates, and offers preview and date range filters.

Steps to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server

1. Start the software and choose a mode (Single/Batch) for IMAP accounts.
2. Provide the information of the IMAP account from which to transfer.
3. Select IMAP folders to transfer from the tree structure and click Next.
4. Afterward, pick IMAP from options to move data to a new server. Tap Next.
5. Click Login and authenticate your new server account from the browser.
6. Lastly, enable filters and features to apply and click Convert to export IMAP.

Conclusion

Email migration is a tricky process and needs the best ways to be executed successfully without much hassle. This blog stated all the major factors to migrate IMAP email to new server. In addition, it gave a manual as well as a professional solution. However, the manual method seems difficult and not very safe. That’s why, for a secure IMAP migration within seconds, use the suggested professional tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author:

Simran Bhatia

Simran Bhatia is a technical content writer engaged in writing clear, concise, and SEO-optimized content. With a background in computer science and a passion for writing, I thrive to deliver complex technical content in simple layman terms.