# Import mail from another provider
Source: https://docs.webgee.com/en/premium-email/email-migrator





The **Email Migrator** connects to a remote IMAP server and syncs its messages
into one of your mailboxes, repeatedly, at an interval you choose. It is how you
move to WebGee without a gap.

<img alt="The New Migration Job dialog, with destination, remote server and options" src="__img0" />

## Before you start [#before-you-start]

You need the destination mailbox to **already exist** — the job copies into a
mailbox, it does not create one. See
[Manage mailboxes](/en/premium-email/mailboxes).

You also need, from the old provider: the IMAP server name, the mailbox
username, and its password.

## Create a job [#create-a-job]

Select **New Migration**, then fill in three groups:

**Destination**

| Field              | Notes                                  |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| **Target Mailbox** | The Premium Email mailbox to copy into |

**Sync settings**

| Field                  | Notes                                     |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Interval (minutes)** | How often the job re-runs. Defaults to 60 |

**Remote IMAP server**

| Field             | Notes                                                 |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Host**          | The old provider's IMAP server, e.g. `imap.gmail.com` |
| **Port**          | `993` for SSL/TLS                                     |
| **Encryption**    | SSL/TLS (993)                                         |
| **IMAP Username** | Usually the full old address                          |
| **IMAP Password** | That mailbox's password                               |

Then **Create Job**.

## The two options [#the-two-options]

**Skip duplicate emails** is on by default and should stay on. It is what makes
the job safe to re-run — each pass copies only what is new, instead of producing
a second copy of everything.

**Delete source emails after importing** is off by default.

<Callout type="warn">
  **Delete source emails after importing** permanently removes mail from the old
  server as it copies. If the job is misconfigured — wrong target mailbox, a
  connection that drops midway — you have deleted the only copy.

  Leave it off. Migrate, verify everything arrived, and only then clear the old
  mailbox from the old provider's own interface.
</Callout>

## Why it repeats [#why-it-repeats]

The interval is the useful part. A one-off copy leaves everything that arrives
afterwards stranded at the old provider until you switch MX.

A repeating job means you can:

1. Create the job and let the first pass run.
2. Leave it syncing while people carry on using the old mailbox.
3. Change the MX record when convenient — see
   [DNS records](/en/premium-email/dns-records).
4. Let one more pass collect anything that arrived just before the cutover.
5. Delete the job.

Nothing is lost in the window where DNS is propagating and mail could go either
way.

## Order of work [#order-of-work]

Migrate **before** the MX cutover. Once WebGee is receiving, new mail arrives at
the new mailbox, but everything already sitting at the old provider stays there
until this job brings it across.

## When a job fails [#when-a-job-fails]

**Authentication errors** — many providers require an app-specific password for
IMAP rather than the account password, Gmail and Outlook.com among them.
Generate one in their security settings and use it here.

**Connection refused** — IMAP access may be switched off at the old provider,
or the host name may be wrong. Check their documentation for the exact server.

**It ran but copied nothing** — check the target mailbox is the one you meant,
and that the old mailbox is not empty because mail was already being collected
by POP3 somewhere.

## Related [#related]

* [Manage mailboxes](/en/premium-email/mailboxes)
* [DNS records for Premium Email](/en/premium-email/dns-records)
* [Migrate email from another provider](/en/email/migrating-emails-from-imap-providers-using-our-migration-center)