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How do I migrate my email to Hostinger? Create the matching mailboxes, recreate the rules you still need, set the DNS records shown for your domain in Hostinger, import your existing messages, then update your email apps and test delivery. Changing DNS alone moves new mail routing; it does not copy your old messages.
Before you start: inventory the old service
For every address, record the mailbox name, approximate message volume, important folders, aliases, forwarders, catch-all settings, autoresponders, signatures, and filters. Also note the source provider’s IMAP server name and ensure you can access the mailbox with the required credentials.
If your domain’s DNS no longer points to the old provider, Hostinger says connecting to the source through IMAP may require the old host’s IP address or temporarily pointing DNS back while you request migration. See Hostinger’s email migration guide.
Migration sequence
- Create destination mailboxes. In Hostinger’s Emails area, create the addresses you are moving. Matching the old mailbox names preserves continuity for people who already email those addresses. Hostinger allows importing into a differently named destination, but does not recommend it.
- Recreate the rules and settings you need. Aliases, forwarders, catch-all behavior, autoresponders, signatures, and filters are tied to the old provider; they do not automatically move with the messages. Set them up at the new provider if you still use them.
- Prepare DNS and schedule the cutover. Use the MX, SPF, DKIM, and, where shown for your setup, DMARC records currently displayed in Hostinger’s control panel. Remove conflicting old record sets as directed by Hostinger; it cautions that keeping multiple sets can cause conflicts or lost mail. Hostinger says DNS propagation can take up to 24 hours; its support guidance does not state a publication year. Follow the current setup instructions for your domain rather than relying on copied values. See Hostinger’s migration checklist and import guidance.
- Import historical messages. Choose the route below based on the source provider, whether IMAP works, message and mailbox sizes, folder visibility, and whether you already have an export.
- Update every mail app and integration. Reconfigure phones, desktop mail applications, and website or CMS plugins with the current Hostinger settings. If you use webmail, sign in through Hostinger’s webmail instead of the old provider’s page.
- Verify the move. Send and receive test messages, inspect key folders and representative older messages, and test aliases and forwarding. These checks are practical safeguards; Hostinger’s checklist calls for reconfiguring clients but does not prescribe this exact test procedure.
Choose the right way to import messages
| Route | Best fit | Constraints to check |
|---|---|---|
| Email Import tool | A source mailbox reachable through IMAP; the request runs through Hostinger’s Emails area. | Hostinger’s current guidance sets a 50 MB maximum for an individual source message and requires the imported mail to fit the destination mailbox. The article gives no publication year. Folder results depend on what the source exposes over IMAP; POP-configured sources or Exchange namespace issues can put messages in Inbox. A run can take seconds to days depending on volume and provider. |
| Webmail import | An existing backup file or a direct import from another mailbox, where the relevant webmail route supports it. | The guide overview lists EML, MIME, and Mbox, but the detailed EML upload route specifically describes one EML file or a ZIP containing up to 100 EML files, with a 50 MB file limit. These are route-specific instructions, not a universal limit for every format or screen. Follow the options shown in the current import screen. |
| IMAP Sync | A mailbox-to-mailbox transfer when IMAP access is available. | Hostinger says this tool transfers up to 3 GB. For a larger account, it suggests a mail-client backup and import approach. The help article does not state a publication year. |
| Manual Outlook/Microsoft export | Some Microsoft 365, Outlook, or GoDaddy mailboxes where standard IMAP migration does not work by default. | Hostinger documents exporting to PST on Windows or OLM on Mac, then importing manually. Exchange folder structures may not map correctly through the general import flow. |
Hostinger’s Email Import process asks for the source address, password, and IMAP server, then lets you select a destination mailbox and submit the request. You can track requests, and Hostinger says it sends an email when the import finishes. Check available destination storage before starting: an import cannot exceed the mailbox’s capacity. Details are in Hostinger’s Email Import instructions.
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For webmail imports, distinguish the general formats in the overview from the specific EML upload flow. The latter’s detailed instructions allow one EML or a ZIP with up to 100 EML files and impose a 50 MB file limit; the help article does not state a publication year. Use the current webmail instructions for the route you choose.
Moving email from Gmail
For a Google Workspace account, its administrator should ensure IMAP is enabled. Hostinger’s Gmail instructions also direct users to enable two-step verification and create an app password, then enter imap.gmail.com as the source server in the import setup. Follow the steps in Hostinger’s Gmail migration guide. Whether folders arrive as expected still depends on what the source makes available over IMAP.
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Moving Outlook or Microsoft mail
If IMAP import fails or the mailbox uses a Microsoft configuration that does not permit the standard migration flow, use the manual export route Hostinger documents: PST on Windows or OLM on Mac, followed by a manual import. Keep the export as a backup until you have checked the imported messages. Hostinger’s guidance is at its Outlook migration page.
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What can go wrong, and what to check
- Some messages are missing: Check the source and destination mailbox sizes, source message sizes, and the import request’s status. The Email Import tool will not transfer an individual source message larger than 50 MB, and all imported mail must fit in the destination mailbox.
- Messages appear in Inbox instead of their original folders: The source may not expose folders through IMAP, or its POP or Exchange configuration may prevent normal folder mapping. Hostinger states that if a source does not advertise folders, everything arrives in Inbox.
- New messages stop arriving during cutover: Check the domain’s active MX records and remove conflicting old and new record sets as appropriate. Allow for propagation, which Hostinger says can take up to 24 hours; check the records currently shown in your control panel.
- Forwarding or aliases no longer work: Recreate these provider-side settings and test each address or rule. They are not included in a message import.
- Mail apps continue using the old service: Update each device, desktop app, and website plugin with the current Hostinger mail settings. DNS changes do not automatically update saved client configurations.
Keep a recoverable copy
If you export a mailbox to PST, OLM, or another local backup file, keep that copy until you have checked the destination. A separate storage device is optional; Hostinger’s documented migration routes do not require a particular backup device.
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