Thunderbird: set up email

Set up an email account in Thunderbird (Windows, macOS, Linux) via IMAPInternet Message Access Protocol: the standard for retrieving email that keeps messages on the server and syncs them across multiple devices.. Thunderbird supports our automatic configuration: if your domain uses the rack::SPEED nameservers, you only need your address and password. Otherwise, enter the server details manually.

Prerequisites

• The email account has been created in the panel.
• For the manual method: server details at hand.

Step by step

1. Open Account Settings → Account Actions → Add Mail Account (on first launch, the dialog appears automatically).
2. Enter your name, full email address and the mailbox password. Click Continue.
3. Thunderbird looks up the configuration automatically. If it finds one: select IMAP, then Done. The account is ready to use.
4. If Thunderbird finds nothing (domain without rack::SPEED nameservers), click Configure manually and enter:
   • IMAP: server mail.<yourdomain>, port 993, connection security SSL/TLS
   • SMTP: server mail.<yourdomain>, port 587, connection security STARTTLS
   • Username: full email address
5. Click Re-test, then Done.
6. Send yourself a test email. This checks sending and receiving in one go.

Troubleshooting

Automatic configuration finds wrong servers or none at all

Your domain probably uses external nameservers. Automatic configuration only works with rack::SPEED DNS.

Solution: Switch to Configure manually and enter the details from step 4.

Certificate warning on first connection

mail.<yourdomain> has no SSL certificate for exactly this address.

Solution: Use the server hostname from the panel (ends in rackspeed-cloud.de). It has a valid certificate.

Password is requested repeatedly

Usually the username is incomplete. Thunderbird needs the full email address, not just the part before the @.

Solution: Check the username in the account’s Server Settings and correct it to the full address.

Related articles

• Find IMAP, POP3 and SMTP details: the server details in detail.
• Create an email account: if the address doesn’t exist yet.
• Outlook 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365: set up email: same details, different client.

Still stuck?

If Thunderbird doesn’t connect despite correct details: open a ticket in the customer center. Helpful: Thunderbird version, a screenshot of the error message and the server hostname you used.