Migrating emails from the existing email service to Zoho Mail

Organizations can migrate emails from their previous email provider to Zoho Mail using IMAP protocol. Ensure that have added the user accounts in Zoho Mail before proceeding with the migration. If IMAP is not supported, then you can migrate your emails via POP migration.

Configuration details needed before migration

To create a new IMAP Migration in Zoho Mail, the following details are required:

• Name of the Server - Hostname of the IMAP Server from which the migration needs to be initiated
• Server Port - The supported server ports are 143 (Non-SSL), 993 (SSL)
• SSL Type - Only Trusted Certificates are supported. Self Signed SSL certificates are not supported due to security reasons
• Maximum Connection Limit - The maximum connection limit is the number of maximum connections accepted by the server at a given time. For example, if you provide 5 as the maximum connection limit when the migration is started, the migration process will be started simultaneously for 5 users. The migration process will be faster when parallel migrations are happening between the servers.
• Path Prefix - Some IMAP servers expect the PATH Prefix details for connecting and retrieving emails via IMAP.

Adding the IMAP Migration

The steps to create a new IMAP migration are:

• Add server details
• Add server settings
• Create migration
• Add users for migration

Adding server details for IMAP migration

The first step in IMAP migration is to add the server details for your migration. Follow these steps to configure server details:

1. Log in to Zoho Mail Admin Console and select Data Migration on the left pane.
2. Click Start data migration for the first migration or click Create for subsequent migrations.
   ​​
3. Enter a name for the server configuration.
4. In the Select saved server details drop-down, choose Add new server details.
5. Choose IMAP in the Select Protocol/Application drop-down menu.
   
6. Enter the Source server address or copy and paste the desired value by hovering over the tool tip icon.
7. If your source server recommends Port Number 993, choose SSL under Security, if it is 143, choose None.
8. Enter the Path prefix, if your source server mandates it.
9. If you wish to proceed without the SSL certificate check, select the Skip certificate check checkbox, and click Add.
   ​

The server details you added will be saved on the Saved Server Details page, and you can use it for performing other migrations just by picking it from the drop-down.

Adding the settings for IMAP migration

Configure the server settings for the migration as follows:

1. Enter a name for the server setting.
2. Under Folders to migrate, you can choose either the All folders or Specific folders.
3. If you choose the All folders option, you can choose to skip any folders during migration using the Exclude Folder List option.
4. The skip folders option will be handy when the admin reruns migrations for the same set of users for some new emails or missed emails. Enter the names of the folders within double quotes ("Folder1"), in which case only that folder will be excluded. If you want all subfolders under a parent folder to be migrated enter the folder name followed by /* within double quotes ("Folder1/*"). Refer to folder conventions for more information.
5. If you choose the Specific folders option, you can specify the folders that need to be included in the Include Folder List.
6. In the Include Folder List, enter the names of the folders within double quotes ("Folder1"), in which case only that folder will be included. If you want all subfolders under a parent folder to be migrated enter the folder name followed by /* within double quotes ("Folder1/*"). Refer to folder conventions for more information.
7. Under Emails to migrate, select whether you want to migrate all the emails or the emails that you have received after a specific date.
8. In Enable POP access for the migrated emails, select Yes if you want your users to view the migrated emails when the account is configured as POP in other email clients. Otherwise, select No.
9. Click Add and proceed to Create migration.
   ​

The settings you added will be saved on the Saved Settings page, and you can use it for performing other migrations just by picking it from the drop-down.

Creating a new migration

1. Enter a Maximum Connection Limit. Click here to know about the maximum connection limit.
2. Select whether you would like to pause the migration when the storage reaches 80% or 95%, and finally click ​Create.
   

Adding user details for IMAP migration

Zoho Mail provides the below options to add user accounts for migration:

• Manual user addition
• Import bulk users through the CSV option
•  

Manual User Addition

Follow these instructions to add users manually for migration:

1. From the Migration list, select the migration to which you want to add the source and destination user account details.
2. Select the Users tab and click Add to add the account details manually.​
   
3. Enter the Source user name, Source password and Select the destination email address.
4. Choose the priority for the migration and click Add. The user gets added successfully.
5. Proceed to the Start Migration step.

​​Repeat the steps to add more users for migration.

Steps to Import users from CSV file

Instead of manually adding the users for migration, you can add the user details to an excel sheet, save it as a CSV file and upload it. The user accounts mentioned in the CSV will be uploaded for migration.

1. From the Migration list, select the migration to which you want to add the source and destination user account details.
2. Select the Users tab and click Import to upload the user accounts using a CSV file.
   
3. The format for entering the User Details in the CSV file can be found in the sample file attached in the pop-up.
4. Once you have prepared your CSV file, click Browse Files, and choose the CSV file that you would like to import.
5. A preview of all the users in the CSV file, along with details about whether they were imported or not will be shown on the screen.

Starting the migration process

Once you have added the user accounts for the migration, you can start the migration. Ensure that the source passwords are not changed after adding the users for migration. The password should be the same until the entire migration process is completed. 

1. Click the Start Migration button after adding the users. If you have navigated out of the page where you added the users, select the migration that you want to start from this page, and click Start Migration.
   
2. You can view the progress and statistics regarding the migration on the same page.
3. Detailed statistics regarding each user's migration can be viewed by clicking on their email address on the migration progress page.​
4. For mail migration, detailed reports along with folder information will be available.
5. Click Mail Failures to view the detailed information about the folder-wise migration details.
   ​

For more information on reasons for migration failure, follow this help page.​

User authentication via Common Zoho URL

Migrating email data from an existing email provider to Zoho Mail using IMAP often requires handling a large number of user credentials. In organizations with many users, manually collecting and entering each user’s source email password is not scalable, secure, or efficient. To solve this, Zoho Mail provides a option for users to authentication via Common Zoho URL, allowing administrators to securely collect source account credentials directly from users through a common Zoho URL. 

The submitted credentials are stored securely and reviewed by the administrator before migration begins. Once approved, the migration process is initiated automatically for the user, reducing manual effort, and making IMAP migrations more scalable for organizations of all sizes. 

The process of creating an IMAP migration with Common Zoho URL authentication includes the following steps:

1. Adding IMAP server details
2. Adding IMAP server settings
3. Creating the migration
4. Accessing and sharing the Common Zoho URL with users
5. User authentication through the Common Zoho URL
6. Approving user submissions

Adding server details for IMAP migration

Log in to Zoho Mail Admin Console and select Data Migration on the left pane. Start a new migration and provide the required IMAP server details. Refer to this section for step-by-step instructions on configuring server details for IMAP migration.

Once the server details are configured, you can proceed to the server settings, where you can enable User Authentication via Common Zoho URL for the IMAP migration.

Adding server settings for IMAP migration

1. In the Settings page, enter a name for the server settings.
2. Under Folders to migrate, choose one of the following options:
   • All folders - If you choose the All folders option, you can choose to skip any folders during migration using the Exclude Folder List option. Refer to folder conventions for more information.
   • Specific folders - If you choose the Specific folders option, you can specify the folders that need to be included in the Include Folder List. Refer to folder conventions for more information.
3. Under Emails to migrate, select whether you want to migrate all the emails or the emails that you have received after a specific date.
4. In Enable POP access for the migrated emails, select Yes if you want your users to view the migrated emails when the account is configured as POP in other email clients. Otherwise, select No.
5. In Preferred Authentication Type, select the option that allows users to authenticate using their own email address and password through a Common Zoho URL. This is the key step that enables User authentication via Common Zoho URL.
6. Click Add to save the settings and proceed to migration creation.

Creating the migration

Enter the Maximum Connection Limit, and choose whether the migration should pause when storage usage reaches 80% or 95%. Finally, click Create to complete the migration setup. You have now successfully created an IMAP migration with User Authentication via Common Zoho URL enabled.

Accessing Common Zoho URL

Once the migration is created, Zoho Mail generates a secure Common Zoho URL that the users can use to authenticate their accounts. This URL is unique to each IMAP migration.

To access and share the link:

1. Navigate to the created migration.
2. Under the Configurations page, locate Authentication Details.
3. Copy the Common Zoho URL using the copy icon.
4. Share this link with the users whose mailboxes need to be migrated.
5. You can use the Change button to make the link Active or Inactive. When inactive, users will not be able to authenticate.
6. You can reactivate the link at any time if additional users need to submit credentials.

Steps to authenticate via common Zoho URL

To migrate your mailbox from your current email service to Zoho Mail, administrators can securely collect user credentials to automatically authenticate accounts and begin the migration without manual intervention. As an organization user, you can submit your credentials securely using a Common Zoho URL shared by your administrator, enabling a smooth and secure migration process.

Steps to submit credentials for migration:

Follow the steps below to submit your account credentials:

1. Open the Common Zoho URL sent by your administrator in a web browser.
2. Enter your Source Email Address, which is your current email address.
3. Enter the Source Account Password.
4. If TFA/MFA is enabled, enter the TFA/MFA password.
5. Re-enter the password to confirm.
6. Click Submit.

Once submitted, your mailbox details are sent to the administrator for approval. After approval, the migration process will begin for your account.

If incorrect credentials are entered, you can reopen the same common Zoho URL and resubmit the correct details. You can modify your submission only before administrator approval. Once the administrator approves your submission or starts the migration, the credentials are locked and cannot be edited or resubmitted.

Approve Users

After users authenticate using the Common Zoho URL, administrators must review and approve each submissions to start the migration process. This approval step ensures full administrative control and visibility. Note that approving a user’s submission automatically initiates the migration for that user.

1. Log in to Zoho Mail Admin Console and select Data Migration on the left pane.
2. From the Migration list, select the migration that has User Authentication via Common Zoho URL option enabled.
3. Navigate to the Unapproved Users section to view all submitted credentials.
4. Click the Approve or Reject icon next to a user’s name.
5. To approve or reject multiple users at once, select users using the selection checkbox and perform a bulk action.
6. Click Refresh to view the most recent submissions.

Once approved, Zoho Mail authenticates the submitted credentials and automatically starts the migration. You can view the migration status and statistics for all approved users on the Users migration page.

User migration details

The Users section provides real-time visibility into the migration progress and user-specific details. 

1. From the Users page, administrators can monitor overall migration progress and review detailed statistics related to each user involved in the migration.
2. Each user’s migration status is listed with the following information:
   • Source Email and Destination Email Address – Displays the user’s current email address and the target Zoho Mail address.
   • Mail Count / Size – Shows the total number of emails or the mailbox size migrated.
   • Priority – Indicates whether the migration is set as High or Low priority.
   • Status – Displays the current migration state (Completed, In Progress, Aborted, Suspended, or Failed).
3. Detailed statistics for each user can be accessed by clicking on the user’s email address on the migration progress page.
   • For mail migrations, comprehensive reports including folder-wise migration details will be available.
4. Click Mail Failures to view detailed information about folders where migration issues occurred. For more information on reasons for migration failure, refer this help page.​
5. Hover over a user’s email address to Abort the migration if required.
6. To remove a user from the migration list, click the Delete icon next to the user’s email address.