A misconfigured MX record can mean hours of missed emails. Cancelling the old account too early can cause permanent data loss. Done correctly however, an email migration causes zero downtime. This guide walks you through every step — or call (02) 9199 8787 and let Australian Hosting Solutions handle it for you.
What Do You Need Before Migrating Business Email?
- A new email hosting account set up and active — sign up first and confirm webmail login before touching anything on the old account
- A list of all existing email accounts — every address, username, and password
- Access to your domain registrar — you will need to update MX records at the end
- An email client configured with IMAP on both accounts — this is how you copy emails across
- Keep both accounts active during the transition — do not cancel the old hosting until DNS has fully propagated
How Do You Migrate Business Email Step by Step?
Step 1: Create Matching Accounts on the New Server
Log in to your new hosting cPanel and create the same email addresses. Use the same usernames so your addresses remain unchanged.
Step 2: Configure Both Accounts as IMAP in an Email Client
Open Outlook or Thunderbird and add both old and new email accounts as IMAP. You will see two inboxes side by side — this lets you drag emails from old to new.
Step 3: Copy All Emails from Old to New
Select all emails in each folder of the old account (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, custom folders) and drag them into the matching folder on the new account. The client uploads everything to the new server via IMAP. For large mailboxes, leave this running overnight.
Step 4: Verify All Emails Are on the New Server
Log in to webmail on the new server and confirm all emails, folders, and sent items are present. Do not proceed until confirmed.
Step 5: Update Your MX Records
Log in to your domain registrar and update the MX records to point to your new mail server. For Australian Hosting Solutions, the new MX record is provided in your welcome email. Propagation takes 30 minutes to 4 hours for most Australian ISPs.
Step 6: Update Email Clients to New Server Settings
Update IMAP and SMTP settings in Outlook, Apple Mail, and mobile devices. Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au, IMAP port 993 (SSL), SMTP port 465 (SSL). Call (02) 9199 8787 if you need help with any device.
Step 7: Keep the Old Account Active for 7 Days
Check the old email account daily for 7 days after the MX change to catch any stragglers from slow DNS propagation. After 7 days with no new arrivals, it is safe to cancel.
What Can Go Wrong and How Do You Prevent It?
| Problem | How to Prevent It |
|---|---|
| Emails lost during migration | Never cancel the old account until all emails are confirmed on the new server |
| Email downtime during MX change | Do the MX change during low-traffic hours (e.g. Saturday evening) |
| New emails going to old server | Keep old account active for 7 days post-migration |
| Sent emails not copied across | Manually copy Sent folder as well as Inbox |
| Spam issues on new server | Confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are live before changing MX |
Frequently Asked Questions: Business Email Migration in Australia
Will my email address change when I migrate to a new host?
No. Your email address stays the same. Only the server handling your email changes when you update your MX records.
How long does a business email migration take?
Technical setup takes 1–2 hours. Copying emails depends on mailbox size. DNS propagation adds 30 minutes to 4 hours.
Can Australian Hosting Solutions migrate my email from Gmail, Outlook.com, or another host?
Yes. We migrate email from any source. Call (02) 9199 8787 and we will handle it on the phone.
Do I need to reconfigure Outlook and my phone after migrating?
Yes. Update IMAP and SMTP server settings in each email client. We provide the correct settings and walk you through the update on the phone.
Is there any email downtime during a migration?
With proper planning, downtime is minimal — typically zero to a few minutes. Australian Hosting Solutions coordinates the timing to minimise any disruption.
Want us to handle the migration for you?
Call (02) 9199 8787 and we will migrate your business email live on the phone — no downtime, no data loss, 22 hours a day.
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