Correct IMAP SMTP AzAd Mail settings prevent the most common client failures — especially when Gmail or Outlook auto-guesses the wrong hostname. Use these hosts for third-party mail clients (Gmail app, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird). Mail is served by Mailcow on Netcup — not by the marketing site or webmail Pages hostname.
Recommended hosts and ports
| Service | Host | Port | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAP | server.azademail.com or imap.azademail.com | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| POP3 (if needed) | server.azademail.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP | server.azademail.com or smtp.azademail.com | 465 | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP (STARTTLS) | server.azademail.com or smtp.azademail.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
- Username: full email address (for example
you@company.com) - Password: mailbox password set by your admin (or password you changed in webmail/settings)
- Authentication required for SMTP — do not leave SMTP open without login
Do not use
| Hostname | Why it fails for IMAP/SMTP |
|---|---|
azademail.com | Marketing site (Cloudflare Pages) — no IMAP on 993 |
mail.azademail.com | Webmail UI only — Gmail often guesses this hostname and connection fails |
Client setup steps
- Confirm your organization plan includes IMAP/SMTP (typically 15 GB and above).
- In the client, choose IMAP (preferred over POP) and enter
server.azademail.comwith port 993 SSL/TLS. - For outgoing mail, set SMTP to the same host (or
smtp.azademail.com) on 465 or 587 with authentication enabled. - Sign in with your full address and mailbox password. Send a test to an external inbox.
- If TLS errors appear, verify you are not using port 25 for clients, and that the hostname matches the certificate (
server.azademail.com).
Native Android vs IMAP apps
Prefer the native AzAd Mail for Android app when your plan includes the mobile entitlement. It uses the same webmail API as the browser (not device IMAP). Essential (5 GB) tiers are webmail-focused until upgraded — roughly US$1.43/mo display USD (400 PKR ÷ 280) versus 15 GB at about US$2.86/mo (800 PKR ÷ 280).
Migration and hybrid notes
Moving from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365? Configure IMAP after DNS is ready. If you keep Google or Microsoft MX and only host selected AzAd mailboxes, follow hybrid Google / Microsoft mail. Clients for AzAd mailboxes still use server.azademail.com — hybrid changes delivery routing, not the IMAP hostname.
Self-serve evaluation: 14-day card-required trial with 15 GB at /start/. Full numbers on pricing.
Troubleshooting objections
"Authentication failed." Use the full email as username. Confirm the mailbox exists and the password is current. App passwords are not a separate AzAd product — use the mailbox password unless your admin documented otherwise.
"Cannot connect to server." Almost always the wrong host (mail.azademail.com or azademail.com). Switch to server.azademail.com.
"Sending works but receiving does not." Check MX and spam folders first; IMAP host is unrelated to inbound DNS. Fix MX/SPF/DKIM in admin DNS guidance.
Gmail app on Android (IMAP)
The Gmail app can add AzAd as an IMAP account. When the wizard guesses mail.azademail.com, override both incoming and outgoing hosts to server.azademail.com. Enable SSL for IMAP 993 and choose SSL or STARTTLS for SMTP. If the account adds but never syncs, delete it and recreate with manual hosts — cached wrong hosts are a frequent cause of “endless loading.”
Eligible plans can skip IMAP entirely on Android by installing AzAd Mail for Android, which uses the webmail API. That path still requires the mobile entitlement on the org plan.
Apple Mail and Thunderbird
Apple Mail: add IMAP account, enter server.azademail.com, enable SSL, use the full address as username. Under Outgoing Mail Server, use the same host with authentication on. Thunderbird: choose IMAP configuration manually if automatic discovery points at the marketing domain — discovery sometimes follows website DNS instead of Mailcow.
Plan entitlements and pricing context
IMAP/SMTP is an entitlement on eligible storage tiers (typically 15 GB and above). Essential 5 GB is intentionally webmail-focused. Approximate display USD: 5 GB ≈ US$1.43/mo, 15 GB ≈ US$2.86/mo, 30 GB ≈ US$4.29/mo, 100 GB ≈ US$6.43/mo (PKR ÷ 280). Confirm live numbers on pricing.
Self-serve trials include 15 GB for 14 days with a card on file. Use the trial to validate client settings before you announce a company-wide Outlook cutover.
Outlook desktop configuration detail
When adding an account in Outlook for Windows, choose IMAP — not the Microsoft 365 / Exchange profile wizard for AzAd mailboxes. Enter server.azademail.com for both incoming and outgoing servers. Enable “My outgoing server requires authentication” and use the same mailbox credentials. Outlook sometimes caches a failed auto-discovery attempt; if setup fails once, remove the partial account and start fresh with manual hosts.
Outlook for Mac follows the same host and port rules. You will not get Exchange-only features (shared calendars via EWS, room booking). Day-to-day send, receive, and folder sync over IMAP is the expected experience. For a longer walkthrough, see our blog post on Outlook IMAP AzAd Mail.
Migration from Google or Microsoft IMAP
Moving historical mail uses a standard IMAP-to-IMAP copy: source Gmail or Exchange IMAP, destination AzAd on port 993. Migrate VIP mailboxes first while the old system still receives MX if needed. Keep the source read-only during overlap so nothing is orphaned if you pause mid-migration. Folder mapping varies by tool — expect some reorganization, not a perfect clone of Exchange folder semantics.
After history copy, update the client profile to AzAd-only. Users who run both profiles temporarily should label which account they are sending from — mixed signatures cause confusion during cutover week. Hybrid routing does not change IMAP hostname; only inbound delivery path changes for addresses Google or Microsoft routes to AzAd.
Timeline for client rollout
- Day 1–2: admin validates one Outlook and one mobile client against a test mailbox.
- Day 3–5: publish a one-page settings sheet (host, ports, username format) internally.
- Day 6–10: migrate power users; collect “wrong hostname” tickets and update the FAQ.
- Day 11–14: roll remaining users; confirm SMTP auth enabled on every laptop.
- After MX cutover: remove old IMAP profiles only when inbound is stable for a week.
Publish a single internal PDF or wiki page with hosts, ports, and username format. Support tickets drop sharply when users can self-serve the three values Outlook keeps getting wrong. Re-run the test matrix after any plan change (Essential → 15 GB) so mobile entitlement and IMAP access match what finance purchased.
POP3 when IMAP is not an option
Prefer IMAP so mail stays on the server for multiple devices and admin recovery. POP3 on port 995 is documented for legacy clients only. POP downloads and may remove mail from the server depending on client settings — a common source of “my phone has mail but webmail is empty” tickets. Default new deployments to IMAP unless a vendor explicitly requires POP.
After cutover, spot-check one mailbox on webmail and one on IMAP weekly for the first month. Stale passwords and renamed domains show up as client tickets long before server outages.
Security notes for admins
- Prefer IMAP over POP so mail remains on the server for other devices and admin recovery.
- Rotate mailbox passwords when devices are lost; remove remembered accounts on shared PCs.
- Do not publish port 25 client settings for end users — port 25 is for server-to-server (including Google hybrid routes), not for laptop SMTP.
- Teach users the difference between webmail login (browser) and IMAP login (same password, different host).
Comparing suites? See Google Workspace alternative and Microsoft 365 email alternative. Ready to provision a mailbox? Start at /start/.