Migrating Email from Another Provider

Migrating Email to GoSiteMe

Moving your email from a previous hosting provider or a third-party service to GoSiteMe is straightforward when you follow a structured migration plan. This guide covers the full process from preparation to verification.

Pre-Migration Checklist

• Inventory mailboxes: List every email account, alias, and forwarder you currently use.
• Note current records: Export your existing MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS records.
• Communicate the change: Inform your team of the migration window to reduce confusion.
• Lower TTL values: 24–48 hours before migration, reduce your MX record TTL to 300 seconds so changes propagate quickly.

Step 1 — Create Accounts on GoSiteMe

Log in to your GoSiteMe Dashboard and navigate to Email → Create Account. Recreate each mailbox with the same addresses used on the old provider. Set strong, unique passwords for every account.

Step 2 — Migrate Existing Messages

GoSiteMe supports IMAP migration. Use an email client such as Thunderbird or the built-in Email Migration Wizard:

1. Open Email → Migration in the dashboard.
2. Enter the old server's IMAP hostname, port, and credentials.
3. Select the folders to migrate (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc.).
4. Click Start Migration. Progress is shown in real time.

For large mailboxes (over 5 GB), consider running the migration overnight during low-traffic hours.

Step 3 — Update DNS Records

Point your domain's MX records to GoSiteMe's mail servers. The required values are shown under Email → DNS Setup. Also update your SPF and DKIM records to match GoSiteMe's provided values to maintain deliverability.

Step 4 — Verify & Test

• Send test emails to and from each migrated account.
• Check that old messages, folders, and contacts appear correctly.
• Monitor Email → Logs for any bounce or authentication errors.

Post-Migration

Keep the old provider active for at least 7 days after the DNS switch so any in-flight messages are not lost. Once you confirm everything works, cancel the old service and restore your DNS TTL values to their normal settings (3600 seconds or higher).