4.7.3. Mail export

Formats

Messages from mailbox can be exported in two formats — mbox and Maildir.

mbox

Notes:

  • Mail in mbox format can be imported back into your mailbox.
  • To view the contents of mbox files, you can use the free open source program Simple MBox Viewer (Windows) or similar software.

When exporting in this format, the contents of each folder are saved as a text file, where messages are stored as text one after another (each message in the file begins with the text From and ends with a blank line). Messages from Gmail mailboxes are saved in the same format when exporting data using Google Takeout.

Maildir

When exporting in this format, the contents of each folder are saved as a separate directory with subdirectories tmp (in the process of delivery), new (unread), and cur (read), in which each message is stored in a separate file with a unique name. This format is supported by various mail servers, delivery agents, and some mail clients and mail management programs.

Procedure

Important points:

  • Exporting all mailboxes is available only for domains where the used space for mail does not exceed 10 GB. If more space is used, each mailbox must be exported separately.
  • Only one archive (regardless of format) can exist for each mailbox or domain at any given time. To resubmit an export request, delete any previously created archives.
  • You cannot export a mail domain and its mailbox at the same time, but you can export different mailboxes from the same domain at the same time.
  • Each archive is stored for 3 days from the time the request is submitted, after which it is automatically deleted. You can delete the archive manually before this period expires.
  • The links to download the archive from the control panel and notifications work without logging in.
  • Deleting a mailbox does not affect the archive storage period.
  1. Open the "Mail → your domain → Mailboxes" section.
  2. Open the export form:
    To export a mailbox, click "Export mail" in its menu:
    To export all mailboxes for the domain, click "More → Export all mailboxes" at the top of the page:
  3. Select format and click "Export mail":
  4. Wait for the operation to complete (you will receive a notification via email and via connected messengers).
  5. Download the archive by clicking the button in the control panel or by the link in the notification:

Alternative methods

You can export the contents of mailboxes manually using specialized apps, e.g. MailStore Home.

If the goal is to transfer messages from mailboxes hosted by us to mailboxes of another mail service, it is worth checking the documentation or support of that service for an automatic import feature similar to ours, or transfer the messages using specialized apps, e.g., the console app imapsync or its online version imapsync online.

You can also transfer messages using any mail client. An example of transferring messages between mailboxes using Thunderbird is described in the article Importing mail.

Content
    (1)