Email Support Guide

Whether you’re creating a new email address, managing existing accounts, setting them up on your devices, or trying to understand how email storage works, this email support guide covers all the essentials.

You’ll find step-by-step instructions and clear explanations on:

Understanding Email Storage & Hosting Limits.
POP3 vs. IMAP – What’s the Difference?
SSL vs. Non-SSL Email Settings.
Email Port Numbers (SSL & Non-SSL).
Managing Email Accounts in cPanel.
Setting Up Your Email on Outlook, Mac, Android, and iPhone.
Archiving, Exporting, and Importing Emails.

This page is designed for both beginners and experienced users who want to get the most out of their email hosting features with Sitesown.

When you create email accounts using your hosting plan, it’s important to understand how email storage works. Many people think email storage is separate, but in reality, your website and all your emails share the same hosting space.

This guide will help you understand how that storage is used, what “unlimited email accounts” really means, and how to avoid running out of space.

How is email storage used in web hosting?

Your hosting plan includes a fixed amount of storage (for example, 4 GB or 10 GB). That space is shared by:

Your website files (HTML, images, CMS like Drupal or WordPress).
Email accounts (inbox, sent, spam, trash, and attachments).
Databases.
Backups (if stored on the same server).

So, if your hosting plan has 4 GB, all of these things must fit within that limit.

Can I create unlimited email accounts?

Yes! You can create unlimited email addresses, but they all share your total hosting space. For example, you could have 10, 50, or even 100 email addresses, but they all use space from your hosting plan.

"Unlimited" refers to the number of accounts, not the storage available for each one.

What happens when I set an email size limit in cPanel?

When creating or editing an email account in cPanel, you’ll see a place to choose how much space that email can use. You can:

Set a specific size, like 500 MB or 1 GB.
Choose the maximum available size, based on your hosting plan’s space.

"Unlimited" or "Max" in this case means the mailbox can grow until your hosting space is full, not that it has unlimited space.

What does the email storage limit actually mean?

If you give an email address 1 GB, it can’t go over 1 GB, even if your hosting account still has space left.
If you set it to the maximum, it can grow until your entire hosting storage is full.
If your hosting storage is full, no email accounts will be able to receive new messages—even if their individual mailbox limits haven’t been reached. This is because all emails, websites, and databases share the same hosting space, so once it’s full, email delivery stops until you free up space or upgrade your plan.

How can I check how much space my email is using?

You can easily check email storage usage inside your hosting control panel:

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts.
Look next to each account to see how much space is used and what the limit is.

How can I manage my email storage better?

Managing your email space is important to avoid hitting limits and missing important messages. Here are some simple tips to help you stay within your hosting plan's storage:

Delete old or large emails, especially from folders like Trash, Spam, and Sent.
Archive important emails to your computer or external drive if you want to save them without using server space.
Avoid sending or receiving large attachments when possible, use cloud storage links instead.
Empty your trash and spam folders regularly.
If you use POP3, your emails are downloaded and removed from the server, helping reduce space usage. With IMAP, emails stay on the server, so monitor usage more closely.

Regular email cleanup is one of the best ways to keep your hosting plan running smoothly without needing to upgrade too soon.

I deleted emails, but my storage is still full, why?

When you delete emails from your Inbox, Sent, or other folders, they usually move to the Trash folder instead of being permanently deleted. Emails in the Trash still take up space on your hosting account.

To actually free up space:

Log in to Webmail or your email app.
Go to the Trash folder.
Manually empty the folder or delete all emails inside.

Also check folders like Spam, Junk, and Sent Mail—they can fill up quickly and use a lot of space.
For long-term email storage management, consider archiving emails locally before deleting them from the server.

What if I run out of hosting space?

No worries! You can upgrade your hosting plan anytime to get more space for your website and email accounts. This can be done easily, and Sitesown's support team is happy to help you through the process with minimal downtime.

When you set up your email on an app or device (like Outlook, Mac Mail, Android Mail, or iPhone Mail), you’ll need to choose between POP3 and IMAP. These are the two most common email protocols, and they control how your email is stored, accessed, and synced.

What is POP3 and how does it work?

POP3 (Post Office Protocol) downloads your emails from the server to your device, and usually removes them from the server afterward.

Emails are saved locally on your device.
Good for checking email from one device only.
Helps save hosting storage space.

Pros of POP3:

Saves space on your hosting plan.
Emails load faster once downloaded.

Cons of POP3:

Emails may be lost if your device is lost or damaged (unless backed up).
Doesn’t sync across multiple devices.
Sent emails stay only on the device that sent them.

Typically, POP3 uses ports 110 (non-SSL) or 995 (SSL).

Can I check my domain email inside Gmail using POP3?

Yes! Gmail allows you to fetch emails from your domain-based email accounts using POP3. This means you can receive emails from addresses like info@yourdomain.com directly into your Gmail inbox.

Here’s a quick overview:

Open Gmail on your browser.
Go to Settings > See all settings > Accounts and Import.
Under Import mail and contacts, click Import mail and contacts.
Enter your domain email address and click Continue.
Follow the on-screen instructions: Gmail will guide you through the process of connecting to your old email account and selecting what to import (emails, contacts, or both).
Enter your email login credentials and POP3 settings (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com, port 995 with SSL).

This is a great way to manage multiple email accounts in one place without needing to log in to Webmail or another app.
Gmail uses POP3, so emails are downloaded and may be removed from the server, be sure to check or uncheck the option to "leave a copy on the server" depending on your preference.

What is IMAP and how does it work?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) keeps your emails on the server and syncs them across all your devices.

Access the same mailbox from multiple devices (e.g., phone, laptop, tablet).
All folders, including Sent and Drafts, stay in sync.
You see the same messages and structure everywhere.

Pros of IMAP:

Always synced across all devices.
Safer: Emails stay on the server, even if a device is lost or reset.

Cons of IMAP:

Uses more storage on your hosting plan.
May be slower with large mailboxes or poor internet connections.

Typically, IMAP uses ports 143 (non-SSL) or 993 (SSL).

Which email protocol should I choose?

Here’s a quick rule of thumb:

Choose IMAP if you check email on multiple devices or want to keep everything synced.
Use POP3 if you use only one device and want to download and store emails locally, this can also help free up space on your hosting account by removing messages from the server.

For most users, IMAP is the better choice, especially for modern email setups on phones, laptops, and tablets.

When setting up your email on a device or app, you may be asked to choose between SSL and non-SSL settings. This choice affects not only how secure your email connection is, but also how trustworthy your messages look to other mail servers.

What is SSL and why should I use it?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS, its newer version, encrypts your connection between your device and the email server. That means your login info, emails, and attachments are all protected during transmission. SSL is strongly recommended for:

Protecting your password and data.
Avoiding eavesdropping, especially on public Wi-Fi.
Improving your domain’s trust with email providers.

What happens if I use non-SSL?

With non-SSL, your email traffic is not encrypted. This means:

Your username and password are sent in plain text.
Your emails could be intercepted by hackers.
It's risky to use on public or insecure networks.
Some mail services may mark your emails as unsafe or spam.

Non-SSL is outdated and should only be used for legacy or troubleshooting situations.

Does SSL improve email deliverability?

Yes. Most popular mail services like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo check for SSL connections as a sign of trust. If your domain sends email without encryption, your messages are more likely to be flagged as:

Suspicious.
Unverified.
Or even rejected or filtered into the spam folder.

Using SSL helps:

Build trust with receiving servers.
Protect your reputation and users' privacy.
Ensure better inbox delivery for your outgoing messages.

Using SSL also helps you meet industry security standards and compliance requirements, like GDPR and HIPAA, protecting both your business and your customers’ sensitive information.

Should I always choose SSL when setting up email?

Yes, we strongly recommend choosing SSL settings, as long as SSL is activated on your domain, when setting up your email in any client, including:

Microsoft Outlook.
Apple Mail.
Thunderbird.
iPhone or Android mail apps.

It’s safer, more reliable, and gives you a better chance of your messages reaching the inbox.

I don’t have SSL activated on my domain. How do I activate it?

If your domain doesn’t have SSL activated yet, you can easily get it set up by contacting our support team. We offer SSL certificates as an add-on service, and our team will help you activate SSL quickly and securely.

When setting up your email in apps like Outlook, Mac Mail, Android Mail or iPhone Mail, you’ll need to enter the correct port numbers. These ports tell your device how to communicate securely (or not) with the mail servers. This section explains the common port numbers used for incoming and outgoing mail with both SSL and non-SSL settings.

What are email ports, and why do they matter?

Email ports are like “doorways” that allow your email app to send and receive messages from the mail server. Using the right ports ensures your email works properly and stays secure.

What are the common incoming mail ports I should use?

IMAP (for syncing across devices):
- SSL Port: 993
- Non-SSL Port: 143
POP3 (for downloading mail to one device):
- SSL Port: 995
- Non-SSL Port: 110

What ports do I use to send email (SMTP)?

SSL Ports: 465 (or 587 with STARTTLS encryption)
Non-SSL Ports: 25 or 587

SMTP ports are used to send your outgoing email messages securely.

Which ports should I choose: SSL or Non-SSL?

Always choose SSL ports whenever you have an SSL certificate active for your domain. SSL encrypts your email data for better security and helps ensure your emails are delivered to inboxes instead of spam folders.

Your hosting control panel (cPanel) makes it easy to manage all of your email accounts. This section will guide you through the basic actions: creating new email addresses, removing ones you no longer need, resetting passwords, and managing storage limits. Step-by-step tips are included to make the process as simple as possible.

Is there a way to find general statistics about my email accounts?

Yes! When you open the cPanel, you’ll notice a sidebar on the right side (or top, depending on screen size). This section gives you a quick overview of your email-related usage and setup.

Here’s what you’ll see:

Disk Usage: Shows the total amount of disk space used across your entire hosting account, including website files, databases, and all email accounts.
Email Accounts: Displays the number of email accounts you’ve created on your hosting plan.

These statistics help you quickly understand your usage and manage email-related features more efficiently.

How do I create a new email account in cPanel?

Log in to cPanel.
Go to the Email Accounts section.
Click Create.
Enter the username (e.g., info@yourdomain.com).
Set a strong password or use the password generator.
Click on Edit Settings.
Choose a storage space limit or use the default.
Click Create to finish.

Once created, you can access your new email account through Webmail or add it to an email app like Outlook, Mac Mail, Android Mail or iPhone Mail.

How do I delete an email account?

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts in cPanel.
Find the email address you want to remove.
Click the Manage button next to it.
Scroll down and click Delete Email Account.
Confirm the deletion.

Deleting an email account will permanently remove all messages unless you back them up first.

How can I reset an email password?

You can reset your email password through either cPanel or Webmail:

Via cPanel:

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts in cPanel.
Find the email address you want to reset its password.
Click the Manage button next to it.
Enter a new password, or click Generate to create a secure one.
Click Update Email Settings to save the changes.

Via Webmail:

Log in to Webmail.
Click Settings > Password & Security.
Enter your current password and your new one.
Save changes.

Important Notes:

Make sure to choose a strong password that includes uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Make sure you update the new password on all mail apps and devices where the email account is used, such as Outlook, Mac Mail, Android Mail, or iPhone Mail.
Do this as soon as possible. If any mail client continues to try logging in with the old password, the server may detect it as suspicious activity. This can result in your IP address being temporarily blocked for security reasons.
If your email stops working right after a password change, try updating the password in all apps and reboot your internet device or internet connection to refresh the IP.
If you’ve forgotten your current password and can’t access Webmail, you’ll need to contact your hosting account administrator to reset it through cPanel, or reach out to our support team for help.

How do I change the storage limit for an email account?

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts in cPanel.
Find the email address you want to change its storage.
Click the Manage button next to it.
Find the Storage Space setting.
Enter a new limit (e.g., 1000 MB) or choose “Unlimited” based on your available hosting space.
Click Update Email Settings.

Adjusting mailbox limits helps control storage usage and avoid full inbox issues.

How do I suspend an email account in cPanel?

Suspending an email account means temporarily stopping it from sending or receiving emails, without deleting it.

To suspend an email account:

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts.
Find the email address you want to suspend and click Manage.
Scroll down to the Restrictions section.
Use the toggle switches to disable:
1. Receiving Incoming Mail
2. Sending Outgoing Mail
3. Logging In (Access via Webmail or devices)
Click Update Email Settings.

This is useful if an account is compromised or misused, or if you want to temporarily pause activity without deleting the mailbox.

How do I empty an email account (clear all emails) in cPanel?

If you want to delete all or some emails from an account without removing the account itself, you can do this directly in cPanel:

Log in to cPanel.
Go to Email Accounts.
Find the email address you want to clear and click Manage.
On the right side, click Free up Email Storage.
You’ll see a list of folders (Inbox, Sent, Trash, etc.) with the amount of space each one is using.
Next to each folder, click Manage.
Choose the cleanup option that suits your needs:
1. Delete All Messages
2. Delete Messages Older Than 1 Week / 1 Month, etc.
Click Delete Permanently to confirm.

Be careful—this action cannot be undone. Make sure to back up any important emails before deleting.
The Trash and Sent folders often take up the most space. Start there if you're trying to quickly free up storage.

You can easily access your email account using popular mail clients like Outlook, Apple Mail, or the default email apps on your smartphone. This section will guide you through how to set up your email account on different devices and email apps, step by step.

How can I set up my email on Outlook (Windows or Mac)?

You can manually set up your email in Outlook using IMAP or POP3. Just follow these steps:

Open Outlook.
Click on File in the top-left corner.
Select Account Settings, then again click Account Settings from the dropdown.
Under the Email tab, click New to add a new account.
Enter your full email address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com) and click Advanced options.
Check Let me set up my account manually, then click Connect.
Choose either IMAP or POP3 as your account type.
Enter the following server details:
1. Incoming server: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Outgoing server (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com
Use the correct port numbers depending on whether you're using SSL or not (see the Port Numbers section).
Enter your full email address as the username, and your email password.
Enable SSL/TLS encryption if SSL is active on your domain.
Click Next and follow the prompts to complete setup.

How do I add my email to Apple Mail (Mac)?

To manually add your email account to Apple Mail, follow these steps:

Open the Mail app on your Mac.
Click Mail in the top menu bar, then select Add Account.
Choose Other Mail Account..., then click Continue.
Enter your name, email address, and password, then click Sign In.
When prompted, choose either IMAP or POP3 as your account type.
Enter your server settings:
1. Incoming Mail Server: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com
Use the correct port numbers based on SSL or non-SSL setup (see the Email Port Numbers section).
For both incoming and outgoing servers, use your full email address as the username and your email password.
Enable SSL/TLS encryption if SSL is active on your domain.
Click Sign In, then select the apps (like Mail, Notes) you want to use with this account.

How do I manually set up my email on the Android Email app (default mail app)?

You can manually set up your domain email on most Android devices using the built-in Email app by following these steps:

Open your phone’s Settings.
Tap Accounts and Backup (or just Accounts, depending on your device).
Tap Manage Accounts > Add Account.
Tap Email, then select Other.
Enter your email address and password, then tap Manual Setup.
Choose the account type: IMAP or POP3, based on your preference.
Under the Account details, fill in the following fields:
1. Email Address.
2. Username: This should be your full email address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com).
3. Password: Your email account password.
Incoming Mail Server Settings:
1. Server: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Port: Based on SSL or non-SSL (see Email Port Numbers section).
3. Security Type: SSL/TLS (if SSL is active on your domain).
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) Settings:
1. Server: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Port: Based on SSL or non-SSL (see Email Port Numbers section).
3. Security Type: SSL/TLS (if SSL is active on your domain).
4. Authentication Required: Yes (use full email and password).
Once complete, tap Sign In or Next to finish setup.

How do I manually add my email account to the Mail app on iPhone / iPad?

Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts.
Tap Add Account, then select Other.
Tap Add Mail Account.
Enter your:
1. Name.
2. Email address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com).
3. Password.
4. Description (e.g., Work Email).
Tap Next.
If Mail can’t automatically detect your settings, it will prompt you to enter them manually.

Manual Settings:
When prompted, choose either IMAP or POP (we recommend IMAP for syncing across devices), then enter the following:

Incoming Mail Server:
1. Hostname: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Username: Your full email address.
3. Password: Your email password.
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):
1. Hostname: mail.yourdomain.com
2. Username: Your full email address.
3. Password: Your email password.
Make sure to:
1. Use the correct port numbers (see the Email Port Numbers section).
2. Enable SSL/TLS encryption if SSL is active on your domain.
Tap Next. If everything is entered correctly, your account will be verified.
Tap Save to finish setup.
Choose which services (Mail, Notes, etc.) to sync with your iPhone.

What is the cPanel email configuration file and how do I use it to automatically set up my email on iPhone, or iPad?

If you're using an Apple device, you can receive a configuration profile from Webmail that automatically sets up your email account, saving you time and reducing errors.

How to receive the configuration file:

Log in to Webmail at yourdomain.com/webmail.
Enter the email address and password for the account you want to set up.
On the Webmail homepage, scroll down to the section titled “Set up email on your device.”
Select the device type: Apple.
Enter an email address you can access on your iPhone or iPad (this can be the same account or another one).
Under “Select the configurations that you would like to set up,” make sure Email is selected.
Click Send, a configuration profile will be emailed to the address you entered.

How to use the configuration file on iPhone or iPad:

Open the email (that you sent the configuration file to) on your iPhone or iPad.
Download the attached configuration file (it will appear as a profile).
Go to Settings > tap Profile Downloaded at the top.
Tap Install, then enter your device passcode.
Enter your email password when prompted.
Tap Done, your email account will be fully configured and ready to use.

The configuration file automatically sets up the correct incoming/outgoing server names, port numbers, SSL settings, and authentication, so you don’t have to enter anything manually.

Whether you’re switching devices, managing your mailbox size, or just want to keep a secure backup of important messages, it’s helpful to know how to archive, export, and import your emails. This section explains the difference between each action and how to do them using email apps.

How do I archive emails using Outlook, and how do I read them later on my computer?

Archiving emails in Microsoft Outlook is a smart way to move older messages out of your active inbox while keeping a copy saved on your computer. This helps reduce email storage on your hosting account and keeps things organized. Here’s how:

Open Outlook.
Click File > Tools > Clean Up Old Items.
Select the folder you want to archive (choose "Archive this folder and all subfolders" to include everything under it).
Choose a date, Outlook will archive messages older than that date.
Choose where to save the archive file (it will be saved as a .pst file).
Click OK to start archiving.

To view archived emails later:

Go to the Folder List in Outlook.
Look for a section called Archives or the name of the .pst file you created.
You can open, browse, and search archived messages just like normal, no internet connection needed.

What about Apple Mail:

Apple Mail (on macOS) doesn’t include a traditional archive function like Outlook. Instead, messages are stored locally in the Mail app’s folders. If you want to keep a copy of old emails, consider creating mailbox folders under "On My Mac" and moving messages manually.

Outlook archives are stored as .pst files on your computer. If you plan to switch computers or reinstall Outlook, make sure to back up this file.

How do I export and import my email account using Microsoft Outlook?

Microsoft Outlook allows you to export and import entire mailboxes. This is helpful for backup, migration, or moving emails between devices.

To export emails from Outlook:

Open Outlook, then go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Under Choose an action to perform, select Export to a file, then click Next.
Under Select file type to export to, choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
Select the email account or specific folder you want to export.
Check Include subfolders if you want to export everything under that folder.
Click Next, then choose where to save the .pst file on your computer.
Click Finish.
(Optional) You can assign a password to protect the file, or leave it blank and click OK.

To open and read a .pst file in Outlook:

In Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
Browse to the location where you saved the .pst file and select it.
The file will open and appear in your folder list, usually with its own section and the same folder structure it had when exported.

You can import the .pst file into another email account using Outlook

If you’ve exported a .pst file and want to import it into a different email account, follow these steps:

In Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Under Choose an action to perform, select Import from another program or file, then click Next.
Under Select file type to import from, choose Outlook Data File (.pst), then click Next.
Browse and select the .pst file you want to import.
If the file is password protected, enter the password when prompted.
Check Include subfolders.
Choose Import items into the same folder in, then select the email account you want to import into.
Click Finish.
Your emails and folders will now appear under the selected account in Outlook.

Exporting is useful for backup, email migration, or freeing up server storage by archiving emails locally.
Importing is useful when migrating from one hosting provider to another or combining multiple email accounts into one.

How do I import or export mailboxes in the Mail app on Mac?

The Mail app on macOS lets you export full mailboxes for backup or transfer, and import them later when needed. This is ideal for storing emails locally or migrating between devices.

To export mailboxes:

Open the Mail app on your Mac.
In the sidebar, select one or more mailboxes you want to export.
From the top menu, go to Mailbox > Export Mailbox.
Choose a folder on your Mac to save the mailbox, or create a new one.
Click Choose to confirm.
Your mailbox will be saved as a .mbox package in the selected location.

To import mailboxes:

Open the Mail app.
Go to File > Import Mailboxes.
Choose Apple Mail as the format (if the file was created from another Mac Mail app), then click Continue.
Browse and select the .mbox file you want to import.
Click Choose to complete the import.
Imported messages will appear in a new mailbox named Import in the sidebar.

If you’ve already exported the same mailbox before, Mail won’t overwrite it—it will create a new version like My Mailbox 3.mbox.
You can move messages from the Import mailbox to your other folders, and delete the Import mailbox afterward if you no longer need it.
Imported mailboxes are stored locally and won’t sync with your email server, ideal for long-term archiving or offline access.

Reach out to us easily. Whether you have questions, need assistance, or want to discuss a project, our team is here for you. Find our contact details below for quick and convenient communication.

Iraq – Erbil
+964 750 905 8211
info@sitesown.com

Sat – Thu: 09:00 – 18:00
Fri: Weekend

Getting Started with Email Setup and Management

Understanding Email Storage & Hosting Limits