Transferring Email Messages

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Select your old email provider to jump to the right instructions:

🔵 Gmail / Google Workspace	Use Google Takeout (Required)
📧 Other Email Providers	Use MailCow Migration Tools
💻 Desktop Email Client	Use Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail
📬 Small Number of Messages	Forward Messages Manually

⚠ Important: Gmail and Google Workspace Accounts

Google has disabled password-based authentication for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts. The MailCow SOGo import method and traditional IMAP sync will NOT work with Gmail accounts using regular passwords.

For Gmail/Google Workspace: Use Google Takeout

Google Takeout is the recommended method for exporting your Gmail messages:

Go to Google Takeout: Visit takeout.google.com
Select data to export: Click “Deselect all” then check:
- Mail (your email messages)
- Contacts (your address book – optional)
- Calendar (your calendar events – optional)
Choose format: Use MBOX for Mail, vCard for Contacts (default formats work best)
Create export: Click “Next step” then “Create export”
Wait for export: Google will email you when ready (can take hours for large mailboxes)
Download your data: Click the download link in the email

After Downloading from Google Takeout

Once you have your Gmail export file:

Contact support: Send us the downloaded file or provide a secure download link
We’ll import it: Our team will import your messages into your northwoodsmail.com account
Typical timeframe: 1-2 business days depending on mailbox size

Need help? Contact our support team and we’ll guide you through the process.

Learn how to transfer your existing email messages from your old email account to your new northwoodsmail.com account.

Before You Begin

You’ll need:

Access to your old email account
Your old email server settings (IMAP server address, username, password)
Your new northwoodsmail.com account credentials

Method 1: MailCow Migration Tool (Recommended)

Best for: Transferring all email from another provider in one step

Using SOGo Webmail Import

Log into your webmail at https://email.northwoodsmail.com
Click your email address (top-left corner)
Click Preferences
In the left sidebar, click Mail
Click the IMAP Accounts tab
Click New Mail Account
Enter your old email account details:
- Account Name: (very top of window) A name for this import (e.g., “Old Gmail”)
- Server Name: Your old IMAP server (e.g., imap.gmail.com)
- Encryption: Usually SSL
- Port: Should automatically update to 993 if using SSL
- Outgoing Server Name/Port/Encryption: Leave Blank
- Username: Your old email address
- Password: Your old email password
- Identities: Click on the row between the person icon and the heart/arrow. Click the trash can. Since this account isn’t being set up to send mail, we don’t need to configure an identity for it.
Click OK
Click on the save button (green circle with floppy disk icon in top right corner)
Click on the letter icon (top right corner)
Your old account will appear in the left sidebar
You can now drag and drop messages from your old account to your northwoodsmail.com folders

Note: Once the transfer is complete, you can remove the old account from SOGo.

Using imapsync (Server-Side – Contact Support)

For large migrations (thousands of messages), we can run a server-side migration using imapsync. This is faster and more reliable than manual transfers.

Contact our support team and provide:

Your old email provider’s IMAP server address
Your old email address and password
Your new northwoodsmail.com email address
Estimated number of messages to transfer

We’ll run the migration for you, typically completing within 1-2 hours depending on the amount of data.

Method 2: Desktop Email Client Transfer

Best for: Users comfortable with email clients like Outlook or Thunderbird

Using Outlook

Set up both your old and new email accounts in Outlook (IMAP for both)
In the left sidebar, you’ll see both accounts
Select the messages you want to transfer from your old account
Drag and drop them to the corresponding folder in your new account
Wait for the transfer to complete

Using Thunderbird

Set up both accounts in Thunderbird (IMAP for both)
Select messages in your old account
Right-click → Copy To → Select folder in new account
Or drag and drop messages between accounts
Wait for synchronization to complete

Using Apple Mail

Set up both accounts in Apple Mail
Select messages from your old account
Drag them to the desired folder in your new account
Mail will automatically copy them to the server

Method 3: Webmail Forwarding (Small Amounts)

Best for: Transferring a few dozen important messages

Log into your old webmail account
Select the messages you want to transfer
Use “Forward” to send them to your new email address
Log into your new northwoodsmail.com account
The forwarded messages will appear in your inbox

Method 4: Set Up Automatic Forwarding

Best for: Receiving new messages at your new address while keeping the old account active

Log into your old email account
Look for Settings or Forwarding options
Enable email forwarding
Enter your new northwoodsmail.com address
Choose whether to keep copies in your old account
Save the settings

Note: This only forwards NEW messages. You’ll still need to transfer old messages using another method.

See our guide: Setting Up Email Forwarding

Common Email Provider Settings

For reference when setting up imports:

Gmail

IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com
Port: 993
Security: SSL/TLS
Note: You may need to enable “Less secure app access” or use an app password

Outlook.com / Hotmail

IMAP Server: outlook.office365.com
Port: 993
Security: SSL/TLS

Yahoo Mail

IMAP Server: imap.mail.yahoo.com
Port: 993
Security: SSL/TLS
Note: You may need to generate an app password

iCloud Mail

IMAP Server: imap.mail.me.com
Port: 993
Security: SSL/TLS
Note: Requires app-specific password

Important: Use IMAP, Not POP3

When setting up your old account for import, make sure to use IMAP, not POP3:

✅ IMAP: Messages stay on the server and sync across all devices
❌ POP3: Downloads and removes messages from server (makes transfer difficult)

See: Email Server Settings

Tips for a Smooth Transfer

Organize First

Delete spam and unwanted messages before transferring
Create folders in your new account that match your old structure
Transfer important messages first

Transfer in Batches

For manual transfers, don’t try to move thousands of messages at once
Transfer 100-500 messages at a time
Wait for each batch to complete before starting the next
For large migrations, use Method 1 (MailCow tools or imapsync)

Keep Your Old Account Active

Don’t close your old email account immediately
Keep it active for 30-60 days to catch any messages you missed
Set up forwarding during the transition period

Update Your Contacts

Notify important contacts of your new email address
Update your email address on important websites and services
Consider setting up an auto-reply on your old account with your new address

Troubleshooting

Can’t connect to old email account:

Verify your old email server settings are correct
Check if your old provider requires an app-specific password
Make sure IMAP is enabled on your old account
Try connecting from a desktop email client first to test credentials

Transfer is very slow:

Contact support about using imapsync for server-side transfer
Transfer smaller batches of messages
Check your internet connection
Try during off-peak hours

Some messages aren’t transferring:

Check if your old account is using POP3 (switch to IMAP)
Verify both accounts are set up correctly
Check folder permissions in both accounts
Look for messages that are too large (over 25MB)

Getting “quota exceeded” errors:

Your new account may have a storage limit
Delete old messages you don’t need
Remove large attachments
Contact support if you need more storage