This guide shows you how to create a mailbox backup, restore a mailbox previously backed-up emails, and export your mailbox using a desktop email client.
Regularly backing up your mailbox is one of the best ways to protect important emails from accidental deletion, hardware failure, or migration issues. Whether you are moving to a new email provider, changing devices, or simply want an additional copy of your emails, creating a mailbox backup gives you peace of mind that your data can be restored if required.
While the methods for exporting and restoring mailboxes differ between platforms and email applications, the general principles remain the same.
Exporting or backing up a mailbox allows you to save copies of your:
- Email messages.
- Folder structure.
- Email Attachments
- Contacts (where supported).
- Calendars (Business Email only, where applicable).
The exact backup and restore options available depend on your email platform and the email client you use.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Back Up an Email Mailbox
Follow these steps to access your email account.
1. Login to your Domains.co.za Customer Portal using your username and password.
2. Open the Manage Services drop-down menu and select Email or Web Hosting.
3. Click Manage next to the hosting package for your domain.
4. Open the mailbox management section and select the mailbox you wish to back up.
5. If your email platform includes export or backup functionality, follow the available prompts to export your mailbox.
6. If no export option is available, configure the mailbox in a desktop email client such as Microsoft Outlook and use the client’s export feature to create a local backup.
Back Up a cPanel Email Mailbox
Follow these steps to access your cPanel email account.
1. Login to the Domains.co.za Customer Portal.
2. Open the Manage Services drop-down menu and select Web Hosting.
3. Click Manage next to the hosting package for your domain.
4. Click Login next to Control Panel to access cPanel.
5. In cPanel, configure the mailbox in a desktop email client using IMAP or POP3.
6. Use your email client’s export function to create a mailbox backup, such as a PST file in Microsoft Outlook or another supported mailbox format.
Restore or Import a Mailbox
If you have previously created a mailbox backup, you can restore or import it using your email client.
1. Open your desktop email application.
2. Locate Import or Restore.
3. Browse to the mailbox backup file you previously created.
4. Select the mailbox or folders you wish to restore.
5. Complete the import process.
6. Allow time for your email client to synchronise the restored messages with your mailbox if you are using an IMAP account.
Verify the Restore
After restoring your mailbox:
- Confirm that your email folders have been restored correctly.
- Check that older email messages are available.
- Verify that attachments open successfully.
- Ensure that contacts and calendars have been restored if they were included in the backup.
- Send and receive a test email to confirm your mailbox is working correctly.
Additional Information
- Creating regular mailbox backups helps protect important business communications from accidental loss.
- IMAP synchronises your mailbox with the mail server, while POP3 may download emails to a single device depending on your configuration.
- Email services may use different backup and export methods depending on the platform.
- Large mailboxes can take some time to export or restore, particularly if they contain many attachments.
- Always verify that your backup file opens successfully before deleting any existing mailbox or migrating to another provider.
- Keep backup files in a secure location, as they may contain sensitive business or personal information.
- Performing regular mailbox backups before major changes or migrations is considered best practice.
Login to Domains.co.za Account
1. Go to the Domains.co.za website Account Login page.
2. Enter your Email and Password and click the Sign In button.
3. You will see the Domains.co.za Dashboard, displaying the Manage Account menu on the left and your Account Information, Account Overview and Open Support Tickets on the right.
