Set up your email in Thunderbird -- Mozilla's free desktop mail app for Windows, Mac and Linux -- in about five minutes. It uses IMAP, and the same steps work for any mailbox you created in cPanel.
Before you start
You need three things:
- Your full email address, for example
you@example.com. - The password for that email account (not your cPanel password, unless you set them the same). If you don't know it, you can reset it in cPanel -- see How to Change an Email Account Password in cPanel.
- The mail server name. In cPanel, go to Email > Email Accounts and click Connect Devices next to the account. The Secure SSL/TLS Settings section lists the incoming and outgoing server, normally
mail.example.com.
Thunderbird email settings
Use these settings. IMAP is recommended so your mail stays in sync between Thunderbird, your phone and webmail.
| Setting | Incoming (IMAP) | Outgoing (SMTP) |
|---|---|---|
| Server / hostname | mail.example.com | mail.example.com |
| Port | 993 | 465 (or 587) |
| Connection security | SSL/TLS | SSL/TLS for 465, STARTTLS for 587 |
| Authentication method | Normal password | Normal password |
| Username | your full email address | your full email address |
If you prefer POP3, use port 995 with SSL/TLS. Read IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use? before choosing POP3 -- it can leave mail on only one computer.
Replace mail.example.com with your own domain. If your domain's SSL certificate isn't active yet, you can use secure.instantaccess.net as both server names instead.
How to add your email account to Thunderbird
Recent versions of Thunderbird add accounts through the Account Hub. Older versions use the Account Setup window. The fields are the same in both.
- Open Thunderbird. On first launch the account setup opens by itself. Otherwise click the app menu (the three lines, top right) and choose Add Account (called New Account in older versions) > Email. You can also go to Account Settings > Account Actions > Add Mail Account.
- Enter Full name (the name people see on your messages), your Email address and, if asked, your Password. Click Continue.
- Thunderbird looks up settings for your domain. It may fill them in correctly on its own. Either way, choose the option to configure manually (Manual Configuration or Configure manually) so you can check every value.
- Set the incoming server: protocol IMAP, hostname
mail.example.com, port993, connection security SSL/TLS, authentication Normal password, username = your full email address. - Set the outgoing server: hostname
mail.example.com, port465, connection security SSL/TLS, authentication Normal password, username = your full email address. - Click Re-test (or Test). Thunderbird should report that the settings were found or confirmed.
- Click Done or Continue, enter your password if asked, and let Thunderbird save it. If it offers to add an address book and calendar, you can skip that for now -- see How to Sync Calendars and Contacts (CalDAV and CardDAV) to sync them later.
Your folders (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Trash) will appear in the left pane after a few moments. Send yourself a test message to confirm sending works.
How to change the settings later
- Click the app menu and choose Account Settings.
- Click Server Settings under your account to change the incoming server, port or security.
- Click Outgoing Server (SMTP) at the bottom of the left list, select ythe Instant Access Internet Services server and click Edit to change the outgoing settings.
Troubleshooting
Thunderbird keeps asking for my password
The password is wrong or the username isn't the full email address. Log in to webmail with the same details to test them (see How to Log In to Webmail (Roundcube)). If webmail works, delete the saved password in Thunderbird (Settings > Privacy & Security > Saved Passwords) and enter it again.
I can receive but not send
Check the outgoing server: port 465 with SSL/TLS (or 587 with STARTTLS), authentication set to Normal password, and the username set to your full address. Also make sure your account uses that outgoing server. More fixes are in How to Fix "Cannot Send Email" (SMTP Authentication Errors).
Certificate warning or "security exception"
This usually means the server name doesn't match a certificate -- for example, the free SSL for mail.example.com hasn't been issued yet because your domain is new or not using our nameservers. Don't permanently accept an unknown certificate. Use secure.instantaccess.net as the server name instead, or open a ticket.
Suddenly nothing connects
Several failed logins in a row (for example, an old password saved on another device) can make our firewall temporarily block your IP address. That can also block your website and cPanel. Look up your IP at whatismyipaddress.com and send it to us in a ticket.
Related guides
- How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices
- Email Server Settings and Ports (IMAP, POP3 and SMTP)
- IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use?
- How to Fix "Cannot Send Email" (SMTP Authentication Errors)
- How to Sync Calendars and Contacts (CalDAV and CardDAV)
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
