Setting up your email

Email on your own domain, such as [email protected], looks far more professional than a free address, and it is quick to set up. This guide covers choosing the right option, the DNS records that make email work, connecting your devices, and fixing the most common problems.

Which email option do I need?

• Email forwarding: free with domains registered with us. Mail to [email protected] is forwarded to an inbox you already use. Great for receiving, but replies come from your old address.
• Email with your web hosting: every web hosting plan includes email accounts (3 on Simple, unlimited on Maxi and Pro), managed from cPanel or DirectAdmin alongside your website.
• Email hosting: dedicated mailboxes, priced per mailbox, that work with any domain. Includes webmail, IMAP, POP and ActiveSync, calendars and contacts, and top-tier spam and virus filtering. Choose this if you only need email, or want your email separate from your website.

Our email hosting comes in two plans. Essential gives you a 3 GB mailbox with 15 GB of email storage. Unlimited removes those limits, subject to our Fair Use Policy. Both are ad-free, and we never scan your messages to sell you things.

Create your mailboxes

1. 1Order an email hosting plan for your domain, or log into your web hosting control panel.
2. 2Add the mailboxes you need in your dashboard.
3. 3Set a strong, unique password for each account.
4. 4Consider shared addresses such as hello@ or support@ for your website, so they do not depend on one person.

Point your domain's email records

For email to arrive, your domain's DNS needs to say where to deliver it. If your domain uses our nameservers with our web hosting, this is done for you. Otherwise, add the records shown for your mailbox in the DNS for your domain. You will usually need:

• MX records: tell other mail servers where to deliver your email. Remove any old MX records from a previous provider, or some mail will go to the wrong place.
• SPF (a TXT record): lists which servers are allowed to send email for your domain. You should only ever have one SPF record, so merge entries rather than adding a second one.
• DKIM (a TXT record): adds a digital signature to your outgoing mail, proving it really came from you.
• DMARC (a TXT record on _dmarc): tells receiving servers what to do with mail that fails SPF and DKIM checks. A good starting point is a policy of none, while you check everything is working.
• Autodiscover or autoconfig records, if provided: they let Outlook and other apps find your settings automatically.

Without SPF and DKIM, your messages are much more likely to land in spam, especially at Gmail and Outlook.com. Not sure which records you need? Ask us and we will check your DNS for you.

How to check your email records are working

1. 1Send an email from your new mailbox to a Gmail or Outlook.com address you own.
2. 2Open the message and view its original source or headers. In Gmail this is Show original.
3. 3Look for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Each should say PASS.
4. 4If one fails, check that record in your DNS for typos or a duplicate, give it time to update, then test again.

IMAP, POP or ActiveSync?

• IMAP: keeps your mail on the server and syncs it across every device. The right choice for almost everyone.
• POP: downloads mail to one device and usually removes it from the server. Only useful if you want mail on a single computer.
• ActiveSync: syncs email, calendars and contacts together, and works well on phones and Outlook.

Add it to your devices

Use webmail in any browser, or set your mailbox up in Outlook, Apple Mail, or the Mail app on your phone. The dashboard shows you the exact server names and settings to enter. You will need your full email address as the username, and your mailbox password. Secure connections normally use port 993 for IMAP, and 465 or 587 for sending.

Setting up email on an iPhone

1. 1Open Settings, then Mail, then Accounts, and choose Add Account.
2. 2Choose Other, then Add Mail Account.
3. 3Enter your name, email address, password and a description, then choose IMAP.
4. 4Enter the incoming and outgoing server names from your dashboard, with your full email address and password for both.
5. 5Save, and send yourself a test email.

Setting up email on Android

In Gmail or your phone's mail app, choose Add account, then Other or Personal (IMAP). Enter your email address and password, then the incoming and outgoing server names from your dashboard. Menus vary between phones, but the details you enter are always the same.

Setting up email in Outlook

Add a new account and enter your email address. If Outlook cannot find the settings automatically, choose the advanced or manual option, pick IMAP, and enter the server names and ports from your dashboard.

Moving from another provider

We offer free migration, so we can bring your existing messages and folders across for you. Just ask on a ticket. Set up your mailboxes first, then switch the MX records once the migration is done, so no mail goes missing in between.

Spam filtering

Every mailbox includes spam filtering to keep the junk out, and email hosting mailboxes also get anti-virus. If a genuine message ends up in spam, mark it as not spam so the filter learns.

Troubleshooting

• Can receive but cannot send: check the outgoing server, port and that outgoing authentication is turned on with your full email address and password.
• Not receiving any mail: check your MX records point to the right place and that old ones have been removed. DNS changes can take a few hours.
• My emails go to spam: check you have exactly one SPF record, DKIM is set up and your DMARC record is valid.
• Password rejected: use your full email address as the username, not just the part before the @.

Still stuck? Tell us which app you are using on live chat or a ticket, and we will walk you through it.