Migration Guide: Moving Your Custom Domain & Users to Purelymail

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for migrating your existing email domain and historical data to Purelymail. Following this sequence ensures that no emails are lost and your transition is seamless.

Support Note: Purelymail Support provides these guides to assist you, but we cannot perform individual migrations for users. All specific DNS values and technical records are provided dynamically on your Domains page once you start the process.

Step 1: Prove Domain Ownership (Mandatory)

Before our system can interact with your domain, you must prove you own it. This is the only mandatory record required to add the domain to your account.

1. Log into your Purelymail Account Admin Portal and go to Domains.

2. Click Add new domain and enter your domain name.

3. You will see an Ownership Record (a TXT record starting with purelymail_ownership_proof=).

4. Copy this value and add it to your DNS settings at your domain registrar.

5. Once added, click Check DNS Records in our panel to verify.

6. Important: Always click Save after checking and validating DNS records.

Step 2: Create Your Users (Mailboxes)

Crucial: Simply adding a domain does not create email addresses. You must create each user (mailbox) that you intend to migrate mail into.

1. Navigate to the Users page.

2. Click Create new user.

3. Create the addresses you currently use (e.g., example@yourdomain.com).

4. Initial Configuration:

   • Password: Set a strong password (check the "Time to crack" indicator).

   • Search Indexing: Enable this to allow for fast server-side searching of your mail.

   • Spam Filtering: Enable this to utilize our automated spam protection.

   • Password Reset: Toggle/add this if you want to allow recovery for this user.

5. Post-Creation Management:Once the user is created, you can click to manage their settings at any time:

   • Security: Generate App Passwords (required for some migration tools) or Backup Codes.

   • Settings: Fine-tune individual user preferences and security at any time.

Step 3: Migrate Your Data

We recommend moving your data before you change your MX records. You have three primary ways to do this.

⚠️ A Note on Rate Limits: Both Purelymail and your previous provider have rate limits on IMAP data transfer. Large mailboxes may experience "throttling" (slowing down) to comply with these limits. If you have many large mailboxes, we recommend spreading the migration out over time.

Option A: The Mail Porting Tool (Automated)

Our Mail Porting Tool is the easiest way to transfer mail in the background. It connects a Source (your old provider) to a Destination (Purelymail).

• Requirements: You will need the IMAP server address and login credentials for your old provider.

• Autodetect: Our tool can often autodetect server settings for major providers like Gmail or Outlook.

• Background Sync: Once started, the job runs on our servers, so you don't need to keep your browser open.

Option B: Manual Sync via Thunderbird (Highly Recommended)

Using a local client like Mozilla Thunderbird is excellent for users who want full control and visual confirmation.

1. Connect your OLD provider: Add your current account to Thunderbird using your old provider's IMAP settings.

2. Connect PURELYMAIL: Add your new Purelymail account (imap.purelymail.com).

3. The Transfer: Select the emails or folders from your old account and drag and drop them into the folders of your Purelymail account.

4. Verification: Wait for the sync status bar at the bottom to finish.

Option C: Third-Party IMAP Tools

Since we support the IMAP standard, you can use any third-party tool or service that supports IMAP-to-IMAP synchronization.

Step 4: Finalize the Switch (MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC Records)

Once your mail is moved and your users are ready, update your DNS records to point to us.

1. Go back to the Domains page in your Purelymail Account Admin Portal.

2. Follow the instructions provided on that page to update your MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

3. Routing Setting: Ensure the Deliver Mail To setting is set to Purelymail.

4. Once added, click Check DNS Records in our panel to verify.

5. Important: Always click Save after checking and validating these final records.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Existing Records: Be sure to delete any old MX or SPF records from your previous provider to avoid delivery conflicts.

• Propagation: After updating MX records, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for the rest of the internet to "see" Purelymail as your new host.

• App Passwords: If migrating from Gmail or Outlook, you must use an App Password rather than your standard login password.