Your hosting plan includes unlimited email accounts, so you can give everyone their own address like you@example.com or create shared ones like sales@example.com. This guide shows you how to create an email account in cPanel and start using your new mailbox.
How to create an email account
- Log in to cPanel (from the client area, go to Services > My Services, click your hosting plan, then Log in to cPanel).
- Go to Email > Email Accounts.
- Click + Create.
- Check that the right domain is selected in the Domain menu.
- In Username, type the part before the @, for example
sales. Letters, numbers, periods, hyphens and underscores are allowed. - Under Password, choose Set password now and type a strong password, or click Generate to create one. Save it in a password manager.
- Under Storage Space, choose Restricted and enter a size in MB or GB, or choose Unlimited (it still counts toward your account's disk space).
- Leave the other options as they are, unless you want the ones below.
- Click + Create.
The new address appears in the list straight away and can send and receive mail immediately.
Optional settings on the create page
- Provide alternative email: instead of setting the password yourself, cPanel emails a link to another address so the user can set their own password. Handy when creating an account for a staff member.
- Automatically Create Folders for Plus Addressing: mail sent to
sales+orders@example.comis sorted into an "orders" folder automatically. - Send a welcome email with instructions to set up a mail client: sends setup instructions to the new mailbox.
- Stay on this page after I click Create: useful when adding several accounts in a row.
Start using your new mailbox
- In a browser: click Check Email next to the account, or go to
https://example.com/webmailand log in with the full email address and password. See How to Log In to Webmail (Roundcube). - On your phone or computer: click Connect Devices next to the account to see the exact server settings. See How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices.
Your username in email apps is always the full email address, not just the part before the @.
Choosing a storage size
All mailboxes share your Instant Access Internet Services hosting account's disk space with your website. A limit per mailbox stops one busy inbox from filling your whole account. As a guide, 1-5 GB is plenty for most people. You can change it at any time; see How to Change an Email Account's Storage Quota in cPanel.
Common questions
Is there a limit on how many email accounts I can create?
No. Standard plans include unlimited email accounts. Disk space is the only practical limit.
Can I set up an autoresponder, catch-all address or mailing list?
Autoresponders, default (catch-all) addresses and mailing lists aren't included on standard plans. If you need one, open a support ticket. To send copies of mail to another address, use a forwarder instead (How to Create an Email Forwarder in cPanel).
Should I create an account or a forwarder?
Create an email account if someone will log in to read and send mail from that address. Use a forwarder if you only want messages sent to an address to land in another inbox.
I get an error that the password is too weak
cPanel requires a minimum password strength. Use a longer password with a mix of words, numbers and symbols, or click Generate.
My new address isn't receiving mail from outside
Check that your domain uses our nameservers (Our Nameservers: How to Point Your Domain to Your Hosting). If you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for email, mail goes there instead of cPanel.
Related guides
- How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices
- How to Log In to Webmail (Roundcube)
- How to Change an Email Account Password in cPanel
- How to Change an Email Account's Storage Quota in cPanel
- How to Create an Email Forwarder in cPanel
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
