You will already have your domain name with 1st Domains. And wanting to move your email from your previous host to 1st domains too? Want to know how to do it? Well read on and we will give you the low down on email migration.
Before You Begin
Ensure you have:
- Your old email account credentials
- Your new email account credentials
- A stable internet connection
For any migration you will want to take a back up of your existing emails. You can do this either through your email client, Thunderbird. Thunderbird provides the functionality to do that. We recommend using Thunderbird as it provides the ability to add two mailboxes with the same email address, one for the old and one for the new.
IMPORTANT: When you are ready to migrate you will need to purchase our email hosting. You can view the prices here. And read these instructions on how to purchase email hosting. Once purchased you should start the migration as soon as possible, as the purchase will update the MX record to 1st Domains and email will start to flow to us.
For an IMAP email migration, backing up the Thunderbird profile is a good safety net, but you can also use Thunderbird to migrate mail directly between the old and new IMAP accounts.
Tips prior to migration.
- Delete any old emails that are no longer required.
- Delete empty folders.
- Empty the trash, junk and spam folders.
- Take a copy of your existing MX record. You can revert back to your old email hosting if something interrupts your set up. See here for instructions on how to edit the current MX record.
Doing these simple house keeping steps will speed up the migration.
Recommended Process
1. Add Both Email Accounts to Thunderbird
- Add the old IMAP account.
- Add the new IMAP account.
- Wait for all folders and emails to fully synchronize.
2. Create a Local Backup Folder
- In Thunderbird, right-click Local Folders.
- Create a folder called Email Backup.
- Copy important folders from the old account into Email Backup.
This creates a local copy on the computer that is independent of either mail server.
3. Migrate Mail to the New Account
- Drag and drop folders or batches of emails from:
- Old IMAP account ➜ New IMAP account
- For large mailboxes, copy one folder at a time and allow synchronization to complete before moving on.
4. Verify the Migration
- Log into 1st Domains webmail to the new account.
- Confirm all folders and messages are present.
- Check Sent Items, Drafts, and custom folders.
5. Reconfigure Devices
Once you have confirmed all mail has been migrated:
- Update your email settings on phones, tablets, and computers.
- Remove the old account only after verifying all mail has been transferred.
6. Keep the Backup Until Complete
- Leave the Email Backup folder in Thunderbird.
Once completed you are all good to go. We would recommend do a test email by sending to the email from another email address, such as a gmail account to make sure it is now receiving email on the new service.
Disclaimer: Thunderbird and other email clients evolve over time. Screens, menu options, and processes may vary depending on the software version in use. This guide is intended as a general reference and may not exactly match your installation.