How to move your email to WebHostGB

This guide shows how to move your email addresses and existing messages from your old host to your hosting with us.

Create your mailboxes first

Before anything else, set up the same addresses on your new hosting so mail has somewhere to land.

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Email Accounts and create each address you use now, spelled exactly the same.
3. Note the password for each one.

See how to create an email account.

Option 1: ask us to move it (free)

Free migration is included on every plan. We copy the mailboxes from your old host to your new ones.

1. Open a support ticket.
2. List each email address you want moved.
3. Give us the login details for each mailbox at your old host, and the old host’s mail server name if you know it. If you can, set temporary passwords at your old host for the move and change them once it’s finished.

We’ll reply when the copy is done and tell you what to do next.

Option 2: move it yourself

You can do this with Outlook or Thunderbird using IMAP, which keeps mail on the server.

1. Add your old mailbox to the app using IMAP and the settings from your old host.
2. Add your new mailbox using our settings: mail.yourdomain.co.uk, IMAP port 993 and SMTP port 465, both SSL/TLS. Because your domain still points to the old host, use the server name shown under Connect Devices in cPanel for now, or ask us. See how to set up email in Outlook.
3. Wait for the old account to finish downloading.
4. Drag folders, or select messages and drag them, from the old account to the new one.
5. Repeat for each mailbox.

Switch your domain over

Once your mail is copied, point your domain at us so new mail arrives here.

• If you’re moving your website too, change your nameservers. See how to point your domain at our hosting.
• If you’re only moving email, change the MX records instead.

Changes can take a few hours to reach everyone.

If it doesn’t work

• New mail still arrives at the old host. DNS may still be updating. Give it up to a day.
• Some messages are missing. Mail that arrived at the old host during the switch won’t be copied. Check the old account and drag across anything new.
• The new mailbox fills up. Raise its quota in cPanel. See how to change an email password or mailbox size.

Good to know

Keep your old email account open for a few days after the switch, so you can pick up any stragglers. Once everything is working, set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your mail is trusted. See how to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket and we’ll help.