Keep Emails on the Server, or Download Them and Remove Them

POP3 and IMAP in simple words

A mail program like Outlook or Thunderbird gets your email from the server. There are two main ways.

• IMAP shows what is on the server. Mail stays there. It is like looking at a shelf in a library.
• POP3 downloads mail to your computer. By default it may remove the server copy. It is like borrowing a book to take home.

Keep a copy on the server (Outlook, POP3)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click File, then Account Settings, then Account Settings again.
3. Select your email account and click Change (or Repair then Advanced options, depending on your version).
4. Click More Settings, then open the Advanced tab.
5. Tick Leave a copy of messages on the server.
6. If you wish, tick Remove from server after and enter a number of days.
7. Click OK.

Keep a copy on the server (Thunderbird, POP3)

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Open the menu and choose Account Settings.
3. Click Server Settings under your account.
4. Tick Leave messages on server.
5. Choose how long to keep them.
6. Click OK.

Download everything and clear the server

1. Set the account to POP3 in your mail program.
2. Untick Leave a copy of messages on the server.
3. Click Send/Receive. All mail downloads to your computer.
4. Check that the mails are in your local folders.
5. Wait and confirm the server copies are gone. You can log in to webmail at yourdomain.com/webmail to check.

With IMAP

Create a local folder in your mail program. Drag the messages into it. Then delete them from the server folder. Empty the Trash so the space is freed.

Why do this?

Each mailbox has a space limit. When it is full, new email may bounce. Moving old mail to your computer frees space.

Quick recap

• IMAP keeps mail on the server. POP3 downloads it.
• Tick "leave a copy on the server" to keep both copies.
• To clear the server, download first, then remove the server copy.
• Back up your local mail before deleting from the server.