How to Backup Email from IMAP Mail Server Locally & Cloud Account ?
The Turgs IMAP Backup Tool saves emails from any IMAP server to your local computer or another cloud account. Just enter your IMAP hostname, port, and login credentials. Choose from 20+ output formats including PST, MBOX, EML, and PDF. The free version converts up to 25 emails to verify the process before buying.
IMAP stores your email on a remote server. That’s convenient for access across devices, but it means your email data is entirely dependent on that server staying available and intact. A server failure, account suspension, or ransomware attack can wipe out years of email with no recovery path. A local IMAP backup eliminates that risk.
The Turgs IMAP Backup Tool connects to any IMAP server using your host address, port, and login credentials. It downloads your mailbox and saves it in the format you choose, whether that’s a PST file for Outlook, MBOX for Thunderbird, or PDF for archiving. It also supports direct cloud-to-cloud migration to Gmail, Office 365, Exchange, and other IMAP accounts.
What Is IMAP and Why Back Up IMAP Emails
IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. It’s the standard protocol used by virtually all webmail services and email servers to deliver email to clients. Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook.com, Office 365, Exchange, GoDaddy webmail, and most other services use IMAP. When you connect an email client like Thunderbird or Outlook to your webmail account, it’s using IMAP to sync the messages.
IMAP email lives on the server. Five good reasons to create a local backup are: server outages that temporarily cut access to your email, accidental deletion of folders that can’t be recovered, account suspension that removes access entirely, ransomware attacks on the server side, and compliance requirements to retain email for a defined period. A local IMAP backup protects you from all five scenarios.
Quick Steps to Back Up IMAP Email
Here’s the five-step overview:
- Run the Turgs IMAP Backup Tool on your Windows PC.
- Enter your IMAP server address, port, and email account credentials.
- Choose the folders you want to back up.
- Select your output format and set the destination path.
- Click Backup and wait for the completion popup.
Complete Step-by-Step Process
Download and install the IMAP Backup Tool on your Windows system.
Step 1: Launch the IMAP Backup Wizard. The startup screen shows the loading options for your IMAP mailboxes.
Step 2: The tool offers two advanced load options. You can back up multiple IMAP server mailboxes at once by uploading a CSV file with account details. You can also connect via a proxy server if your IMAP server requires it.
Step 3: Enter your IMAP account credentials: User Login ID, User Password, IMAP Server Address (hostname), and Port Number. Standard IMAP ports are 143 (unencrypted) and 993 (SSL/TLS). The tool connects to the server and loads your mailbox structure.
Step 4: The tool displays all available email folders on your IMAP server. Select the folders you want to include in the backup. You can select all folders or pick specific ones like Inbox, Sent, or Drafts.
Step 5: Choose your output format from the right panel. Options are organized by category: file formats (PST, MBOX, EML, PDF, CSV, etc.), email clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, Lotus Notes, etc.), cloud services (Gmail, Office 365, Yahoo), and mail servers (Exchange, G Suite, IMAP-to-IMAP). Select the one that matches your backup destination.
Step 6: For file format outputs, set the destination folder path. For cloud or server migration targets, enter the destination account credentials. You can also apply advanced filters here to select emails by date range, sender address, or subject keyword.
Step 7: Click Backup to start the IMAP data backup process. The tool downloads and converts your emails. Progress appears in real time.
Step 8: When finished, a completion popup appears. Click OK. Your IMAP email backup is complete and saved to your chosen destination.
Available Output Formats and Migration Targets
The IMAP Backup Tool supports an unusually broad range of output options:
File formats: PST, MSG, EML, EMLX, MBOX, PDF, HTML, MHT, XPS, RTF, DOC, CSV, and ZIP. These are local file outputs you save to your hard drive.
Email clients: Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Lotus Notes, and Zimbra. The tool saves emails in the format these clients natively import.
Cloud migration: Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, and Rediffmail. Use these for direct IMAP-to-cloud migration without intermediate files.
Mail servers: Office 365, Exchange Server (all versions), Hosted Exchange, G Suite, IBM Verse, Amazon WorkMail, IceWarp, and IMAP-to-IMAP migration. These let you move your entire mailbox from one server to another in one pass.
For GoDaddy webmail backup, use these server settings: IMAP hostname: imap.secureserver.net, Port: 993 (SSL) or 143.
Limitations to Know
Limitations
- The free version converts a maximum of 25 emails. The full licensed version removes this limit and backs up unlimited emails from any IMAP account.
- The tool runs on Windows only. There is no native Mac or Linux version.
- You need to know your IMAP server hostname and port number. Contact your email provider’s support if you don’t have these details.
- IMAP accounts with two-factor authentication may require app-specific passwords. Check your email provider’s security settings to generate one if needed.
- Very large mailboxes with years of email history take considerable time to download and process depending on your internet speed and server response time.
- Cloud-to-cloud migration (IMAP to Gmail, Office 365, etc.) requires valid credentials for the destination account as well as the source. Both accounts must be accessible during the migration session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I back up GoDaddy webmail using this IMAP backup tool?
Yes. Enter the GoDaddy IMAP server settings: hostname imap.secureserver.net, port 993 (SSL) or port 143. Use your GoDaddy webmail email address and password for the credentials. The tool connects and loads your GoDaddy mailbox folders the same way it does for any other IMAP account.
Is my email account data safe when I enter credentials in the tool?
Yes. The IMAP Backup Tool uses your credentials only to establish the IMAP connection during the backup session. It does not store, log, or transmit your credentials to any external server or database. The connection is made directly from your Windows machine to your IMAP server.
Can I back up multiple IMAP accounts at once?
Yes. Use the CSV upload option in the advanced settings. Create a CSV file with each account’s hostname, email address, password, and port number. Upload it to the tool and it processes all accounts sequentially in one session.
What IMAP port number should I use?
Port 993 is the standard SSL/TLS IMAP port and is the most commonly required option. Port 143 is the unencrypted IMAP port, used by some internal or legacy mail servers. Check your email provider’s support documentation for the correct port if you’re unsure.
Can I migrate my IMAP emails directly to Gmail or Office 365?
Yes. In the saving format dropdown, select Gmail or Office 365 as the target instead of a file format. Enter your destination account credentials when prompted. The tool migrates your IMAP emails directly to the target cloud account without creating a local file intermediary.
How many emails can I back up with the free version?
The free demo version backs up a maximum of 25 emails from your IMAP account. That’s enough to verify the tool connects to your specific server and produces clean output in your chosen format. Purchase the full license to back up unlimited emails across all folders.
