How to switch email providers without losing mail

Switching providers sounds risky, but the order of operations makes it safe. Copy your history first, move new mail second, and keep the old account open for a little while in case anything was missed.

1. Set up the new provider first

Add your domain and create the same mailboxes you have today. Don't change your MX record yet, so mail keeps arriving at the old provider.

2. Add SPF and DKIM for the new provider

Add the new provider's include to your existing SPF record and publish its DKIM record. Both providers can send for your domain during the move.

3. Import existing mail over IMAP

Most providers support IMAP. In Chebu, enter your old provider's IMAP host and the accounts to bring over. Moving a whole company? List every account on the host and import them together.

4. Switch the MX record

Replace the old MX records with the new ones. Other servers start delivering to the new provider as their DNS caches expire, which usually takes from a few minutes to a few hours.

5. Catch up and clean up

1. Run the import again after a day to pick up anything that arrived during the switch.
2. Update the mail apps on everyone's laptop and phone to the new IMAP and SMTP settings.
3. Remove the old provider's SPF include once nothing sends through it any more.
4. Close the old account after a few weeks, once you're sure nothing is missing.