Overview
This guide has been created in order to help you manage your email.
First you need to create a Mailbox on the mail server.
Next, you need to add an Email Account to the device you are using to connect to the server.
The type of Email Account you create will depend on which Email Protocol you want to use:
- IMAP Protocol - which means your incoming and outgoing mail is stored on the server, regardless of which device you use to connect to the mail server;
- POP Protocol - which means incoming and outgoing mail is stored on the device you are using to connect to the mail server.
Most users opt for IMAP simply because they use a wide range of devices to connect to the mail server at any one time.
Read more: How to create and configure a Mailbox and Email Account.
Confused by jargon?
This simple Glossary of Terms might help
Email Account
Email Account refers to a system for sending and receiving Email.
Email Client
An application used on a device to help you store, send and receive email.
Examples include Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail.
Mailbox or Mailbox
Space allocated for the storage of Email on a Mail Server.
Mail Server
The server where your Mailboxes are stored online.
Webmail
Webmail is another word for Email when you choose to manage, send and receive mail via a Web Browser rather than an Email Client.
Device
Phones, tablets, computers or anything else you use to visit the Mail Server to manage your Email.
Protocol
A Protocol (IMAP or POP) is the way that an Email Client interacts with the Mail Server.
If you have two Email Accounts (in other words, two Mailboxes stored on a Mail Server), you could use IMAP Protocol when your Device connects to one, and POP Protocol when it connects to the other.
Spam
Unsolicited bulk email (or Junk).
Email Client Privacy and Security Settings
The default security and privacy settings of Email Client applications can usually be tightened to increase the protection of your device and Personal Data.
There are many different Email Client applications available for you to use.
Your choice will be in some part determined by the device you are using.
We like Thunderbird.
Visit the following link if you use Thunderbird and want to review how you can tighten its privacy and security settings.
Read more: Protect Your Web Connection - Email Client Settings.
Hosting Control Panel Features (cPanel)
Here is a brief outline of some of the main email management features included with most Hosting Control Panels.
The images in this brief guide were created when the cPanel Theme was Paper Lantern.
Whilst the images differ aesthetically from the current Theme (2024) which is Jupiter, rest assured that whilst some icons may have changed, the functionality remains the same.
Use an SSL Certificate with your Email Domain
If you are using email accounts with your website domain then we encourage you to protect your email and website traffic by adding an SSL Certificate to your domain.
The Email Panel does not include the option to add an SSL Certificate, but you will find the option to add an SSL Certificate in the Security panel.
Most web hosting providers offer the option of adding a free Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate to your domain.
Read more: How to issue an SSL Certificate.
Mailboxes or Email Accounts
Email Account
Email Account refers to a system for sending and receiving Email.
Mailbox or Mailbox
Space allocated for the storage of Email on a Mail Server.
In cPanel, Mailboxes = Email Accounts
So for example, to create a new Mailbox in cPanel you:
- scroll down to the EMAIL panel,
- select Email Accounts.
Forwarders
Forwarders enable you to forward a copy of incoming mail to one Email Account on to another Email Account.
The original email received is stored in the Mailbox of the first receiving Email Account, and a copy is forwarded.
Click on the Forwarders button to create as many Forwarders as you need.
Email Filters
Email Filters enable you to set a simple rule for how to deal with incoming mail.
They are useful when used in conjunction with a spam filter application like Apache SpamAssassin.
Mailing Lists
A Mailing List is a list of email addresses to which mail is regularly broadcast from your Mailbox, for example, you may want to send out a periodic newsletter to your contacts.
Important
Most web hosting providers set strict limits on how many emails can be sent at any one time.
This is to reduce the risk of their IP address being block listed.
If you want to send mail to long lists of recipients then we recommend you use a bulk mailing service (for example: MailChimp).
Autoresponders
An Autoresponder is an automated email response to an incoming email when it lands in the Inbox of your Email Account.
Select the Autoresponder button to create an automated response to your contacts when you are out of the office for a few days.
Tip:
Webmail offers a quicker and easier user interface when you want to add an Autoresponder to an email account.
Benefit: this task would otherwise require that you sign into your Hosting Control Account.
Read more: Use Webmail to add an Autoresponder to your email account.
Spam Filters
Spam = unsolicited bulk email (or Junk).
Hosting providers may offer one or more of the following spam filter applications for use with an hosting account:
- Apache SpamAssassin,
- MagicSpam Protection,
- SpamExperts.
Whichever ones is provided, you should see a button for it in the EMAIL panel of your hosting control panel.
See example below.
Each spam filter application works in a different way to the others.
SpamExperts and MagicSpam each prevent email identified as spam from ever reaching your email account.
SpamAssassin marks suspicious email as spam when it reaches your email account.
Some customers tell us that legitimate mail from contacts has been blocked by SpamExperts and MagicSpam.
When activated, you should actively manage any spam filter application, especially if your Email Account is being used for business purposes.
You may otherwise not be aware of blocked incoming sales enquiries.
Webmail
Webmail provides a quick and secure way to check your email using a web browser.
It also provides a quick and easy interface to use in your browser when you want to add an Autoresponder to an email account.
Benefit: this task would otherwise require that you sign into your Hosting Control Account.
It enables you to access your email accounts without having to configure an Email Client on your device.
For example, the ISP used by your hotel is blocking the port used by your device's email client for sending mail.
Or the IP of the location you are trying to send from has been added to a block list because of heavy use by spammers.
Read more: How to use Webmail.
Webmail Login Panel.
Mailbox Limits
Email Volume (disk space)
Even if there is no specific Mailbox limit applied by your hosting provider, there will be a limit to the volume of mail you can store on the server.
This limit will be determined by the available disk space allocated to your hosting account.
Regardless of the limit, we recommend periodically backing up email, and clearing out Spam and unimportant old emails on a regular basis.
This is very important if an Email Account is using IMAP Protocol.
Good news, it is very easy to back up and delete old mail from most Email Clients.
You can also back up email from within the cPanel Hosting Control Panel.
Read more: How to back up email.
Email Traffic Limits
We live in an age of spam.
All hosting companies have a duty to protect internet users from being bombarded by unsolicited bulk email.
For this reason, hosting companies will set email traffic limits.
A typical sending limit might be as follows:
- Email Limit per Minute = 15.
- Maximum Hourly Email by Domain Relayed = 200.
ERROR 452 Too Many Recipients
You will receive the above error message in your INBOX when you attempt to send email using an affected Email Account.
To avoid such messages, keep within the traffic limit when sending email!
