Email Settings GuideQuick answer: Hostwinds email runs on cPanel. Every protocol connects to mail.yourdomain.com. IMAP is on 993, POP3 on 995 and SMTP on 465, each secured with SSL. Your username is the full address and the mailbox password you set in cPanel lets you in. Your exact values also sit under Set Up Mail Client in cPanel. On a VPS or Dedicated server? See what differs.
What Changed Recently#
A host changes how you sign in more often than it changes the server names. Here is the current status for Hostwinds and what it means for your setup.
Worth knowing
Use the entire address to log in. Hostwinds turns down a bare mailbox name. Put you@yourdomain.com on incoming and outgoing alike.
Worth knowing
A single host answers for every protocol. Incoming and outgoing alike point at mail.yourdomain.com. The server hostname from Set Up Mail Client works too and carries a matching certificate.
Worth knowing
Enterprise Email is a separate product. Hostwinds also sells a standalone Enterprise Email service with spam filtering built in. It uses its own server, not your cPanel mailbox.
Before You Begin#
Handle these two basics before anything else. Skip them and your email app will reject the connection even when every server value is correct.
1. Create the mailbox
Add the address under Email Accounts in cPanel and set its password. That password is the one your apps use.
Where: cPanel then Email Accounts
2. Open Set Up Mail Client
Click Connect Devices next to the address, then Set Up Mail Client to read the server name and secure ports.
Where: Find your settings →
About Hostwinds Mail#
Hostwinds is an independent web host founded in 2010 and based in Seattle. It runs cPanel on its shared and business plans, so a mailbox lives on your own hosting server.
Hostwinds has hosted websites since 2010 and is known for low cost VPS and dedicated servers alongside shared hosting. The point to remember for email is that one host, mail.yourdomain.com, answers for IMAP, POP3 and SMTP alike. You log in with the whole address and the cPanel mailbox password.
| Service Name | Hostwinds Email |
| Mail System | cPanel on your server |
| Owned By | Hostwinds |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Based In | Seattle |
| Email Type | Custom domains, such as you@yourdomain.com |
| Webmail URL | mail.yourdomain.com |
| Other Product | Enterprise Email |
| Protocols Supported | IMAP, POP3, SMTP |
| App Password Needed | No, mailbox password |
| Username | Full email address |
Hostwinds Webmail Login#
You can always read your mail in a browser. The official sign in pages are:
Webmail
Account Security
Password Recovery
Find Your Settings#
IMAP is ready the moment a mailbox exists, so nothing needs switching on. To read the exact values for one address, Hostwinds lists them inside cPanel.
- Log in to cPanel from your Hostwinds client area.
- Open Email Accounts in the Email section.
- Click Connect Devices beside your address, then Set Up Mail Client.
- Pick your app or read the manual settings for the server name and secure ports.
Hostwinds IMAP Settings#
IMAP is the incoming choice Hostwinds points most people to. Mail stays put on the server, so a laptop and a phone read one shared inbox. Pull the exact server name from Set Up Mail Client in cPanel.
| IMAP Server | mail.yourdomain.com | |
| Port | 993 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address, including @yourdomain.com | |
| Password | Your mailbox password | |
| Authentication | Required |
Hostwinds POP3 Settings#
POP3 downloads mail to 1 device. Pick it only if you want a local copy on a single computer. Not sure? See the comparison below.
| POP3 Server | mail.yourdomain.com | |
| Port | 995 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Your mailbox password |
Hostwinds SMTP Settings#
SMTP handles outgoing mail. If you can read mail but not send it, the problem is here.
| SMTP Server | mail.yourdomain.com | |
| Port (SSL) | 465 | |
| Port (STARTTLS) | 587 | |
| Encryption | SSL or STARTTLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Same as incoming mail | |
| Authentication | Required. Switch on outgoing server authentication in the client. |
465 with SSL. Many home connections block port 25. Hostwinds also supports 587 and 26 if 465 is blocked. Confirm outgoing authentication is on.
Check Hostwinds IMAP Settings Online#
You don't need to download anything to check Hostwinds IMAP settings online. This page is the lookup: every value is verified, current and copyable straight from your browser. Not sure your address uses Hostwinds servers? Type it below and find out instantly.
Does my email address use these settings?
Runs in your browser only. Your address is never sent anywhere or stored.
Want to verify the account itself before configuring an app? Sign in at Hostwinds webmail, which confirms your address and password work, then confirm an app password exists. If both pass, any email app connects with the tables above.
Look Up IMAP Settings for Any Email Domain#
This page covers Hostwinds. For every other address, work email on a company domain included, we run a free online lookup database: imapsettings.com.
imapsettings.com
Complete email settings database, by Univik
Enter any email address and get the incoming and outgoing server settings for that domain in 1 step:
Your address is used only to find the settings for that domain. Nothing is stored or shared.
Username and Password#
Both come from the mailbox itself. The username is the whole email address and the password is the one you chose when you built the address in cPanel. A standard Hostwinds mailbox uses no app password.
Username is the full address
Type you@yourdomain.com in full, with the part after the at sign. Hostwinds turns down a bare mailbox name.
Put that same address on both incoming and outgoing.
Password is the mailbox one
This is the webmail password you set under Email Accounts in cPanel, not your Hostwinds client area login. Reset it there if an app keeps refusing it.
The two factor prompt in the Hostwinds client area guards billing, not the mailbox connection.
Set Up Hostwinds in Email Clients#
The servers and ports are always the same. Only the menus differ. Jump to your app:
Outlook (Windows and Mac)
- In Outlook select Add Account, then turn on manual setup under Advanced options.
- Choose IMAP and set incoming to
mail.yourdomain.comon 993 with SSL. - Set outgoing to the same server on 465 with SSL.
- Enter the full address and mailbox password when Outlook prompts you.
- Send a test message to yourself to prove both paths.
Apple Mail (macOS)
- In Mail select Add Account, then pick Other Mail Account.
- Give your name, Hostwinds address and password, then continue.
- Enter mail.yourdomain.com with SSL on incoming and outgoing.
- Keep the SSL ports so nothing sends in plain text.
- Save and wait for the mailbox to load.
iPhone and iPad
- In Settings open Mail, then tap Mail Accounts and Add Account.
- Tap Other then Add Mail Account and fill your details.
- Keep IMAP chosen and put mail.yourdomain.com in both server boxes.
- Leave the secure ports iOS fills, since Hostwinds expects SSL.
- Tap Save and let iOS run its check.
Android
- Open your mail app and tap Add account, then Other or IMAP.
- Put in your address and password. Switch to manual setup if it stalls.
- For incoming use mail.yourdomain.com on 993 over SSL.
- For outgoing use mail.yourdomain.com on 465 over SSL.
- Save and swipe down to fetch your mail.
Thunderbird
- In Thunderbird pick Account Actions, then Add Mail Account.
- Type your name, Hostwinds address and password, then Continue.
- Wait for detection, then make sure IMAP with SSL is picked.
- If detection fails, type mail.yourdomain.com in yourself.
- Hit Done and the folders fill in on the first sync.
Hostwinds Webmail Settings#
Server settings connect your apps. The controls here shape how the mailbox acts on its own. They live in Hostwinds webmail, which offers Roundcube or Horde at webmail.yourdomain.com.
Signature
Add one in the webmail preferences. It rides on mail sent from webmail. A desktop app keeps a signature of its own.
Vacation Auto Reply
Set an autoresponder in cPanel and give it start and end dates. The Hostwinds server delivers it, so it fires even when your machine is off.
Filters and Folders
Create filters from Email Filters in cPanel. A server side rule sorts a message ahead of any device fetching it. A rule set inside an app only works while that app is running.
Spam and Blocked Senders
Hostwinds runs SpamAssassin on incoming mail. Set the threshold and block unwanted senders in cPanel. Flagged mail lands in the junk folder for a look.
POP3 vs IMAP#
| Feature | IMAP | POP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Where mail lives | On the Hostwinds server | Downloaded to 1 device |
| Multiple devices | ✅ Everything stays in sync | ❌ Each device sees different mail |
| Sent and deleted mail | ✅ Synced everywhere | ⚠️ Stays only on that device |
| Offline reading | ⚠️ Cached mail only | ✅ Full local copy |
| Server storage used | Yes, counts against your quota | Can be freed after download |
| Best for | Phone + computer, everyday use | Single PC, local archives |
Hostwinds Sending and Storage Limits#
A few limits are worth knowing before you bulk forward or move a mailbox. On shared plans Hostwinds caps outbound mail to protect the server reputation:
| Outbound cap | Applies on shared plans |
| Username | Full email address |
| SMTP ports | 465, 587 or 26 |
| Mailbox storage | Set by your hosting plan |
| Enterprise Email | Separate spam filtered product |
| Over the outbound cap | Sending pauses for a while |
Troubleshooting Hostwinds Connections#
Find the exact error your email app shows, then apply the fix:
| Error you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Username or password rejected | Short username or wrong password | Use the full email address with the mailbox password from cPanel, not the client area login. |
| Cannot send on port 25 | ISP blocks the default SMTP port | Switch outgoing to 465 with SSL. Hostwinds also accepts 587 and 26 if 465 is blocked. |
| New VPS mailbox will not connect | No cPanel licence yet | A Cloud VPS or Dedicated server has no cPanel until the licence is active. Add it, install cPanel, then create the mailbox. |
| Cannot find WHM mail settings | Shared plans have no WHM | WHM needs root and a licence, so shared and business plans do not have it. Use cPanel for mailboxes instead. |
| Cannot connect to server | Wrong port or encryption | Set 993 with SSL incoming and 465 with SSL outgoing. A firewall on your own machine can block it as well. |
| Repeated password prompt | Short username or a typo | Clear the saved login, then put in the full address with the mailbox password. |
| Messages stuck in Outbox | SMTP authentication is off | Enable "outgoing server requires authentication" with the same login as incoming mail. |
Reader Reported Fixes
Copy from Set Up Mail Client. When a manual setup will not connect, the Set Up Mail Client page in cPanel prints the exact server name and ports for that mailbox. Pasting those in clears the guesswork behind most failed setups.
Test the login in webmail first. Sign in at webmail.yourdomain.com with the full address and mailbox password. If webmail works, the credentials are right and the issue sits in the app settings.
Shared Plan or VPS? It Changes Who Runs Your Mail#
The server values on this page are the same across Hostwinds plans. What changes is who controls the mail server behind them. That difference decides where you go when something needs a fix.
Shared, Business or Reseller
cPanel comes with the plan. You make mailboxes, set passwords and read settings in cPanel. Mail works on mail.yourdomain.com out of the box.
You do not get WHM or root. You do not have to either. Hostwinds runs the mail server for you.
Cloud VPS or Dedicated Server
These do not include cPanel by default. You buy a cPanel license first. The VPS licence and the Dedicated licence are not interchangeable.
With the licence you get WHM, so you run the mail server yourself through Mailserver Configuration and Exim.
Why this matters for email
On a shared plan a broken mailbox is a support ticket. On a VPS or Dedicated server the mail server is yours, so ports, SSL and the spam threshold sit in WHM under your control. That is more power and more responsibility.
Moving Mail In or Out?#
Hostwinds mail speaks plain IMAP, so a mailbox moves in or out like any cPanel account. Each folder stays on the server until the move finishes.
Take a copy first. Back up the mailbox before a move. A note that arrives mid switch can sit on either side. A copy keeps you safe.
Carrying mail across? The Univik Email Migration Tool moves each folder over an IMAP link. Give it the Hostwinds server name and mailbox password on this side and the other account opposite.
Rather hand it off? Our Email Migration Services team runs the whole move and verifies each folder arrived.
Use These Settings in Univik Email Backup#
The same IMAP settings above let you download your complete Hostwinds mailbox to your computer. Univik Email Backup saves everything as PST, MBOX, EML or PDF files you keep forever, even if the account closes.
- Download Univik Email Backup and install it on Windows.
- Select Hostwinds from the source list. If it isn't listed by name, choose IMAP.
- Give the complete email address with your mailbox password. The login name is always the whole email address.
- When the backup tool wants server details, hand it mail.yourdomain.com on port 993 with SSL for Hostwinds. Take those values straight from the IMAP table above, with port
993over SSL. - Pick a saving format and folder, then start the backup. Large mailboxes download in the background.
Univik Tools That Use These Settings#
Many people land here while migrating or archiving a mailbox. All 3 tools use the same IMAP settings from this page:
Email Backup
Download your complete Hostwinds mailbox to PST, MBOX, EML or PDF before switching or closing the account.
Email Backup Tool →
Email Migration Tool
Copy every folder from Hostwinds straight into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any other account. No manual export needed.
Email Migration Tool →
Email Converter Tool
Already have MBOX, EML or OST files from an old export? Convert them to PST, PDF or any format your new app opens.
Email Converter Tool →Prefer to hand the whole migration to experts?
If the hostnames and passwords feel like busywork, you can let the tool handle it. Univik's migration team handles the complete project: planning, transfer, verification and a report showing every folder made it. Since 2013, for single mailboxes up to full company moves.
Email Settings Glossary#
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. Reads mail that stays on the server, so all your devices see the same inbox, folders and read status.
POP3
Post Office Protocol version 3. Downloads mail to 1 device and can remove it from the server. Older method, still useful for local archives.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Sends your outgoing mail. Every account needs it next to IMAP or POP3, which only receive.
SSL / TLS / STARTTLS
Encryption for the connection. SSL/TLS encrypts from the start (ports 993, 995, 465). STARTTLS upgrades a plain connection (port 587).
Mailbox Password
The password you set for an address under Email Accounts in cPanel. Your email apps use this, not the Hostwinds client area login.
Set Up Mail Client
The cPanel link under Connect Devices that lists auto config options and the exact server name and ports for a mailbox.
cPanel
The control panel Hostwinds uses for hosting email. You add mailboxes, choose passwords and pull settings from here.
Enterprise Email
A standalone Hostwinds email product with spam filtering, hosted on its own server apart from the cPanel mailbox.
Connect Devices
The cPanel button beside each address that opens Set Up Mail Client with your server name and secure ports.
Roundcube and Horde
The two webmail apps Hostwinds offers in a browser at webmail.yourdomain.com for reading mail without a desktop client.
SpamAssassin
The cPanel spam filter. Tune its threshold and block senders from the Hostwinds mail tools.
Server Hostname
The machine name for your server, such as one ending in hostwinds.com. It matches the SSL certificate, so a secure connection clears the name warning.
WHM
Web Host Manager, the root level panel on a VPS or Dedicated server. It holds the mail server settings that shared plans never expose.
cPanel Licence
The paid add on that puts cPanel and WHM on a Cloud VPS or Dedicated server. The VPS and Dedicated versions are not interchangeable.
Mailserver Configuration
The WHM screen where a VPS or Dedicated owner sets mail protocols, ports and SSL for the server through Dovecot.
How We Verify These Settings#
Univik builds email backup, migration and converter software since 2013. Our tools sign in to Hostwinds over IMAP and SMTP every day for thousands of users, so a changed server, port or login rule shows up in our connection logs before most guides notice it.
Every value on this page is confirmed with three checks: a live IMAP and SMTP connection from Univik Email Backup, a comparison against the Hostwinds guides and a sign in with a real mailbox using the full address. We re verify after any provider announcement and at least once a quarter.
Found something that no longer matches what Hostwinds shows you? Tell us and we will retest and update the page, with the change logged in what changed recently.
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Point your app at mail.yourdomain.com on port 993 over SSL. Your login name is the full email address and the password is the mailbox password set in cPanel. Your exact values also appear under Set Up Mail Client. The IMAP settings section holds the full table.
Check the username first. It must be the complete address rather than the part before the at sign. A standard Hostwinds mailbox uses the mailbox password with no app password. The client area two factor prompt does not affect the mailbox.
IMAP suits nearly everyone and Hostwinds points you to it. Mail stays on the server so every device matches. POP3 pulls mail down to one machine and can lose it if that machine fails. Full comparison here.
Yes. The server, ports and encryption match on iPhone, Android and Windows. Only the path to the settings screen shifts by app, which the client setup guides spell out.
It is a standalone email product with spam filtering built in, separate from the mailbox that comes with cPanel hosting. It runs on its own external server rather than mail.yourdomain.com. If you bought it, use the server details Hostwinds gives you for that service instead of the cPanel values on this page.
Yes. Leave SSL set on each server so the sign in never travels in the open. Set a strong mailbox password in cPanel. Turn on two factor sign in for the Hostwinds client area to guard billing.
An email client with IMAP downloads mail as it syncs, but a dedicated backup tool is faster and saves standard files you can open anywhere. See how to back up your Hostwinds mailbox. If you already exported files in another format, an email converter changes them to PST, PDF or whatever your new app opens.
With cPanel mail the culprit is normally a short username, a bad password or a blocked port. Check what to know. Enter the whole address with the mailbox password, then 993 incoming and 465 outgoing over SSL.
A migration tool copies mail across the two accounts on an IMAP link. Give the Hostwinds IMAP settings with the mailbox password on this side and the destination details on the other. Each folder lands with its dates intact.
If setting this up feels risky or you have many accounts to move, our managed email migration service does the entire job for you.
The client settings are the same. IMAP 993, POP3 995 and SMTP 465 over SSL apply on every plan. What differs is control. Shared, Business and Reseller plans include cPanel and Hostwinds runs the mail server. A Cloud VPS or Dedicated server has no cPanel until you buy a licence. After that you run the mail server yourself in WHM. Until that licence is active, a new VPS cannot serve mailboxes.
Other Email Provider Settings
Summary: Hostwinds Settings at a Glance
- IMAP: mail.yourdomain.com, port 993, SSL/TLS
- POP3: mail.yourdomain.com, port 995, SSL/TLS
- SMTP: mail.yourdomain.com, port 465 or 587
- Username is always your full email address
- cPanel mailbox on your own server
- Pick IMAP for phone + computer sync
- Full address as the username
- Username is always the full email address