If your domain doesn't use Raidboxes nameservers, you can still migrate your email accounts to Raidboxes Mail yourself. You'll just need to update the required DNS records with your DNS provider.
When should I follow this guide?
This guide applies if your domain's DNS settings are managed outside Raidboxes.
For example, this may be the case if:
Your domain is registered with another provider and uses their nameservers.
You manage your DNS records through a service such as Cloudflare.
💡 Important: What matters is where your DNS records are managed, not where your domain is registered.
Because Raidboxes cannot access DNS settings managed by external providers, we cannot update these records automatically. You'll need to add them yourself during the migration.
How does the email migration work?
The migration involves a few steps:
Set new passwords for your email accounts.
Add the required DNS records with your DNS provider.
Check your DNS records in the Raidboxes Dashboard.
Continue the migration once the DNS check is successful.
Your existing email data is transferred to the new mail servers.
Optional: Update your email clients with the new server settings once the migration is complete.
You can track the progress of your migration in the Raidboxes Dashboard at any time.
Could there be interruptions to email delivery during the migration?
⚠️ Important: Email delivery may be temporarily disrupted during the migration.
Changing your MX records determines which mail servers receive emails for your domain. Because DNS changes don't take effect everywhere at the same time, some sending mail servers may still use the old servers while others already use the new ones.
For this reason, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted email delivery during the transition.
What happens to emails that cannot be delivered during the migration?
Many mail servers automatically retry delivery if an email cannot be delivered temporarily.
However, whether delivery is retried and for how long depends on the configuration of the sender's mail server. Raidboxes has no control over these retry attempts.
We therefore cannot guarantee that every email that fails to reach your mailbox during the transition will be delivered later.
Step 1: Set new email account passwords
a) Open the migration overview in your Raidboxes Dashboard.
b) Set a new password for each of your email accounts.
Your new passwords must meet the following requirements:
At least 8 characters
Uppercase and lowercase letters
At least one special character
We recommend using a password manager to generate and securely store your passwords.
⚠️ Important: You'll need these new passwords to sign in to webmailer and connect your email clients after the migration.
c) Once you've set all your passwords, click "Start migration".
Step 2: Add the DNS records with your provider
The Raidboxes Dashboard will now display the DNS records required for your migration.
Because your DNS is managed externally, you'll need to add these records yourself.
a) Sign in to the provider that manages your domain's DNS settings.
b) Add the DNS records shown in your Raidboxes Dashboard.
Make sure you enter the correct record type, name and value for each record.
Also check whether any existing records conflict with the new settings. Pay particular attention to existing MX records, as these determine where incoming emails are delivered.
💡 Important: Always use the DNS values displayed in your Raidboxes Dashboard. These are the records required for your specific migration.
Not sure where to update your DNS records?
Our Helpcenter includes step-by-step instructions for managing DNS records with common providers.
Step 3: Check your DNS records in the Raidboxes Dashboard
a) Once you've added the DNS records with your provider, return to the Raidboxes Dashboard.
b) Click the button "Recheck DNS".
Raidboxes will now check whether the required DNS records can be detected.
Why aren't my DNS records being detected?
DNS changes don't always take effect immediately. It can take several hours for updated records to become visible across the internet.
If the DNS check is unsuccessful:
Double-check that you've entered the DNS records correctly.
Make sure no existing records conflict with the new settings.
Wait a while, then click "Recheck DNS" to run another check.
An unsuccessful DNS check doesn't necessarily mean you've configured something incorrectly.
Still having trouble?
If your DNS records are still not detected after several hours, contact our Support team.
Please include a screenshot of your current DNS settings so we can help you check the configuration.
Step 4: Continue the email migration
Once the DNS check is successful, you can continue the migration in the Raidboxes Dashboard.
Your existing email data will then be transferred to the new Raidboxes Mail servers.
How can I track the migration progress?
You can check the status of your email accounts in the migration overview.
This shows how far the transfer of your email data has progressed.
Wait until the migration has completed successfully before updating your email clients.
What should I do after the migration?
Once the migration is complete, your email accounts are ready to use with Raidboxes Mail. 🎉
You can sign in to the Raidboxes Webmailer to access your emails.
If you use email clients or SMTP plugins, you'll also need to update their settings to use the new mail servers.
How do I sign in to the new Webmailer?
Open the Raidboxes Webmailer and sign in using:
Username: Your full email address
Password: The new password you created at the beginning of the migration
Once the data transfer has completed successfully, you'll find your migrated emails there.
How do I set up my email account in an email client?
If you use Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail or another email client, you'll need to update its server settings.
Use the following configuration:
| Incoming mail server (IMAP) | Outgoing mail server (SMTP) |
Server / Hostname |
|
|
Admin name | Your email address | Your email address |
Password | Your password | Your password |
Port | 993 | 587 |
Encryption | SSL / TLS | TLS / STARTTLS |
⚠️ Important: Use the new password you created during the migration. Your previous email account password will no longer work with Raidboxes Mail.
What about SMTP plugins in WordPress?
If your WordPress website sends emails through an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or Post SMTP, you'll also need to update the login credentials in the plugin after the migration.
This includes emails sent through contact forms and other WordPress features.
Once you've updated the settings, test that your website can still send emails successfully.
For detailed instructions, see our guide: Reconnect WordPress SMTP plugins.
What happens to my contacts and calendars?
The migration transfers your email data, but contacts and calendar entries are not migrated automatically.
If you've been managing contacts and calendars in your previous Webmailer, you'll need to export them separately and import them into the new Raidboxes Webmailer.
For instructions, see our guide: Importing contacts and calendars into the Webmailer.
What can I do if the migration isn't working?
If you run into problems during the migration, start by identifying where the issue occurs.
The DNS check fails
Check the DNS records with your provider and remember that DNS changes can take several hours to become visible.
The migration doesn't complete
Check the current status in the migration overview. If an error appears or the migration stops progressing, contact our Support team.
I can't sign in to the Webmailer
Make sure you're using your full email address and the new password you created during the migration.
My email client can't send or receive emails
Check your IMAP and SMTP server settings, including the password you've entered.
If you're still having trouble, our Support team will be happy to help you identify the cause.
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