Setting up a hosted email account is usually straightforward. In many cases, Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird can find the correct mail server settings automatically using your email address.
This guide covers New Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows and Mozilla Thunderbird. It can be used for most standard hosted email accounts.
You will need:
Your full email address
Your email password
The name you want recipients to see when you send email
An active internet connection
If your email account uses two-factor authentication, your provider may ask you to approve the sign-in or use an app password.
We recommend Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) for most users. IMAP keeps your email and folders synchronised between the mail server, your computer, your phone and webmail.
Post Office Protocol (POP) normally downloads messages to one device and may remove them from the server, depending on the settings used. This can make it harder to keep email synchronised across several devices.
Choose POP only when your email provider or technical support team has specifically advised you to use it.
Open New Outlook.
Select the Settings gear icon near the top right of the window.
Select Accounts, then Your accounts.
Under Email accounts, select Add account.
Enter your full email address and select Continue.
Enter your email password when prompted.
Follow any additional sign-in or permission prompts from your email provider.
Once the account has been added, select Done.
Outlook will try to detect the correct settings automatically. Allow a few moments for your folders and messages to appear, particularly if the mailbox contains a large amount of email.
Open classic Outlook.
Select File, then Add Account.
Enter your full email address and select Connect.
Enter your email password when prompted.
Follow any additional sign-in or permission prompts from your email provider.
Select Done or Finish when Outlook confirms that the account has been added.
If Outlook cannot detect the settings automatically:
Return to File, then Add Account.
Enter your email address.
Select Advanced options.
Select Let me set up my account manually, then select Connect.
Choose IMAP, unless your email provider has specifically instructed you to use POP.
Enter the incoming and outgoing server details supplied by your email provider.
Enter your password and select Connect.
Open Thunderbird.
If the account setup screen does not open automatically, select the menu button, then Add Account and Email. In some versions this may appear as New Account, then Existing Email.
Enter your full name, email address and email password.
Select Continue.
Thunderbird will search for the correct mail server settings.
When the settings are found, select IMAP unless your email provider has specifically instructed you to use POP.
Review the detected settings and select Done.
If your provider opens a separate sign-in page, complete the sign-in and approve access to Thunderbird.
If Thunderbird cannot find the settings, select Configure manually and enter the incoming and outgoing server details supplied by your email provider. Select Re-test to check the settings before completing the setup.
Once the account has been added:
Send a test email from the new account to another email address you can access.
Reply to the test email.
Confirm that the original message appears in your Sent folder and that the reply arrives in your Inbox.
This checks that both incoming and outgoing email are working correctly.
Automatic setup depends on the email provider publishing the correct configuration information. If detection fails, it does not necessarily mean that the mailbox or password is faulty.
Ask your email provider or website hosting company for the following details:
The incoming mail server name
The outgoing Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server name
The IMAP or POP port number
The SMTP port number
The required encryption method
The required authentication method
The correct username, which is usually your full email address
You can then use our manual email setup guides to enter the settings.
Do not ignore a certificate warning or add a security exception simply to complete the setup. A certificate warning can mean that the mail server name is incorrect, the security certificate has expired or the connection is not properly secured.
Check the server details with your email provider before continuing. Also confirm that the date and time on your device are correct.
Check the following before requesting assistance:
Confirm that you can sign in to webmail using the same email address and password.
Re-enter the full email address and password carefully.
Check whether two-factor authentication requires an approval or app password.
Confirm that the incoming and outgoing server details match those supplied by your provider.
Make sure the outgoing server requires authentication, if this is specified by your provider.
Restart the email program after correcting the settings.
If you still cannot connect, contact your email provider or hosting support team and include the exact error message shown on screen.
Recommended page title: Automatic Email Setup for Outlook and Thunderbird
Suggested search title: How to Set Up Email Automatically in Outlook and Thunderbird
Suggested meta description: Set up a standard hosted email account in New Outlook, classic Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird, with automatic configuration and secure troubleshooting advice.
Screenshot recommendation: Remove the existing screenshots. The old Outlook Startup wizard and Thunderbird Options screens no longer match the current programs. If new screenshots are added, use one current opening screen for each of New Outlook, classic Outlook and Thunderbird. Do not retain any screenshot that tells users to accept a certificate warning or security exception.
Useful reference links:
