Help & Support

This guide explains how to move your emails, contacts and calendar from another email provider to your Absolute-Email account. The process has three stages:

1. Export your emails, contacts and calendars from your old provider
2. Update your domain's nameservers to point to Absolute-Email
3. Import your data into your Absolute-Email account

1. Export your emails

There are two ways to export your mailbox, depending on what your old provider supports.

Method 1: Export directly from your old provider (mbox or eml)

Most email providers allow you to export your mailbox in one of the following formats:

• mbox – a single file containing all messages in a folder
• eml – individual message files

Look for an option labelled Export, Download mailbox, Backup or similar in your provider's settings. If your provider exports each folder separately, download all folders you want to migrate.

Method 2: Export using an email app

If your provider does not offer a direct export option, or if you prefer to use an email app, you can export your emails using any IMAP-compatible app such as Apple Mail, Outlook desktop or Thunderbird.

1. If you don't already use an email app, install any of the apps listed above or another of your choice. If your old email account is already set up in an app, simply use that app.
2. Add your old email account to the app (set it up as IMAP, not POP) if it isn’t already there.
3. Allow the app to fully sync all folders from your old provider.
4. Use the app's Export or Save As feature to export your emails as mbox or eml files.

Most email apps export folders as mbox files, while individual messages can be saved as eml files.

2. Export your contacts

Most providers allow you to export contacts as:

• CSV – recommended
• vCard (.vcf) – also supported

Look for Export contacts, Download contacts or similar.

3. Export your calendars

Calendars should be exported as ICS files. Export each calendar you want to migrate.

Look for Export calendar, Download calendar or Backup calendar in your provider's settings.

4. Update your domain's nameservers

Once all exports are complete, update your domain's nameservers to point to Absolute-Email (see your welcome email for details). This makes the switch from your old provider to Absolute-Email and sets your Absolute-Email package live.

After updating nameservers, allow time for DNS to propagate. This usually takes 1 – 24 hours.

During propagation, new emails will begin arriving in your Absolute-Email mailbox.

After 24 hours, your DNS will be fully propagated and you can now import your emails, contacts and calendars.

5. Import your emails into Absolute-Email

The easiest and most reliable way to import your emails after updating your nameservers is to use an email app. This avoids file size limits and works well for large mailboxes.

If you already used an email app to export your old mailbox, simply use the same app again. If not, install any email app such as Apple Mail, Outlook desktop, Thunderbird, iOS Mail or Android Mail.

Add your new Absolute-Email account to the app (set it up as IMAP, not POP), then import your mbox or eml files into the matching folders in your Absolute-Email account (for example, Inbox to Inbox, Sent to Sent).

The app will upload the copied emails to your Absolute-Email mailbox. Large mailboxes may take some time to finish syncing. If you have a very large mailbox, import emails/folders in smaller batches to avoid timeouts.

If you cannot use an email app

You can import emails using Absolute-Email Webmail, but this method is best for smaller mailboxes.

1. Log in to Absolute-Email Webmail.
2. Open the folder you want to import into (e.g. Inbox).
3. Click More > Import.
4. Upload your .mbox, .eml files, or a .zip archive containing them (up to 10 MB).
5. Wait for the import to complete.

Your imported emails will appear in the folder you selected.

6. Import your contacts into Absolute-Email

1. Log in to Absolute-Email Webmail.
2. Click Contacts in the menu.
3. Click Import.
4. Choose your CSV or vCard (.vcf) file, modify settings as required, and click Import
5. Confirm the field mapping (for example First Name, Last Name, Email Address).
6. Click Import to finish.

Your contacts will now appear in your Absolute-Email address book.

7. Import your calendars into Absolute-Email

1. Log in to Absolute-Email Webmail.
2. Click Calendar in the menu.
3. Click the pencil icon next to the name of the calendar you want to import into.
4. Select Import/Export.
5. Choose Import from file and upload the ICS file.

Your events will now appear in your Absolute-Email calendar.

Migration complete

Your emails, contacts and calendars are now fully imported into Absolute-Email, your domain is pointing to your new account, and your Absolute-Email package is active. Your migration is complete.