You can read and send your ZIPROF email through a desktop program like Outlook instead of only using webmail. All you need is your email address, your password, and a few server settings. Once these are entered correctly, your desktop client will send and receive mail directly from your hosting account.
What You'll Need Before You Start
- Your full email address and its password
- Your domain's mail server address, usually mail.yourdomain.com
- A decision between IMAP and POP3 as your connection type
If you're not sure which connection type to pick, IMAP is the better default for most people because it keeps your inbox in sync across your phone, webmail, and desktop. See IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use for a fuller comparison.
Finding Your Mail Server Settings
Your incoming and outgoing server addresses are the same for every client, only the app you enter them into changes. The exact place to look depends on which control panel your account uses.
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Email Accounts.
- Find your email address in the list and click Connect Devices next to it.
- cPanel will display the exact incoming (IMAP/POP3) and outgoing (SMTP) settings for your account, including hostnames and ports.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and open E-Mail Accounts.
- Click on your email address to expand its details.
- Look for the client configuration section, which lists the IMAP, POP3, and SMTP hostnames and ports for manual setup.
In both panels, the settings are typically similar to this pattern:
- Incoming (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.com, port 993, SSL/TLS enabled
- Incoming (POP3): mail.yourdomain.com, port 995, SSL/TLS enabled
- Outgoing (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com, port 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS)
- Username: your full email address, not just the part before the @ sign
Always confirm the exact hostnames and ports shown in your own control panel rather than assuming these numbers. Hosting providers occasionally adjust ports for security reasons.
Setting Up Outlook
- Open Outlook and go to File, then Add Account.
- Enter your email address and choose Advanced options, then check Let me set up my account manually.
- Select IMAP (recommended) or POP.
- Enter the incoming and outgoing server details from the previous section.
- Enter your full email address as the username and your email password.
- Click Connect or Next, then let Outlook test the connection.
Setting Up Mail on Mac, Windows Mail, or Other Clients
Most other desktop mail programs follow the same pattern: choose manual or advanced setup, pick IMAP or POP3, and enter the same incoming, outgoing, username, and password details described above. The field names may differ slightly between apps, but the values you enter stay the same.
If your client reports a connection or certificate error, double check that you've entered the mail server hostname exactly as shown in your control panel, and that the port and SSL/TLS setting match. A mismatched port is the most common cause of setup failures.
If you'd rather manage professional email addresses for your business from the start, take a look at ZIPROF's professional email hosting options.