This guide is for current Outlook: Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021/2024, and the new Outlook for Windows. Older versions (2010, 2013) are no longer supported by Microsoft and aren’t covered here.
We recommend IMAP. Mail stays on the server, so your inbox looks the same in Outlook, on your phone, and in webmail.
Before you start
- Your full email address (for example,
[email protected]) - That mailbox’s password (not your cPanel or client-area password)
- Server name:
mail.yourdomain.com(use your domain)
In cPanel → Email Accounts → Connect Devices you can also copy the exact values for that mailbox.
Server settings (IMAP recommended)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Account type | IMAP |
| Incoming mail server | mail.yourdomain.com |
| Incoming port | 993 |
| Incoming encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing mail server (SMTP) | mail.yourdomain.com |
| Outgoing port | 465 |
| Outgoing encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Username | Full email address |
| Password | Email account password |
| Outgoing server requires sign-in | Yes — same credentials as incoming |
Option A — Let Outlook try automatic setup
- Open Outlook → File → Add Account (classic), or Settings → Accounts → Add account (new Outlook).
- Enter your email address and continue.
- When prompted for the password, enter your mailbox password.
- If Outlook finds the account and finishes, send a test message and you’re done.
Custom domains often need manual IMAP settings. If auto setup fails or picks the wrong provider, use Option B. You can also copy the exact hostnames from cPanel → Email Accounts → Connect Devices for that mailbox (still use IMAP port 993 and SMTP 465 with SSL/TLS unless Connect Devices shows different ports).
Option B — Manual IMAP (classic Outlook / Microsoft 365)
- File → Add Account.
- Enter your address → Advanced options → tick Let me set up my account manually → Connect.
- Choose IMAP.
- Incoming: server
mail.yourdomain.com, port993, encryption SSL/TLS. - Outgoing: server
mail.yourdomain.com, port465, encryption SSL/TLS. - Next, enter your password, Connect, then Done.
If ports aren’t shown during setup: File → Account Settings → select the account → Change / Repair → advanced options, and match the table above. Confirm “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.”
New Outlook for Windows
- Settings (gear) → Accounts → Email accounts → Add account.
- Enter your address → continue. If asked for provider, choose IMAP.
- Under advanced / “Show more,” set IMAP
mail.yourdomain.comport 993 SSL/TLS, SMTP same host port 465 SSL/TLS, username = full address. - Enter password and continue.
Note: the new Outlook may sync IMAP accounts through Microsoft’s cloud. If your organisation needs a direct server connection, use classic Outlook instead.
Optional: POP3 (single device)
Only if you intentionally want POP:
- Incoming:
mail.yourdomain.com, port 995, SSL/TLS - Outgoing: same SMTP settings as above (465 SSL/TLS, authentication required)
Caution: POP downloads mail to that computer. If you tick “Leave a copy of messages on the server” and “Remove from server after N days,” messages deleted from the server after that period are gone. Prefer IMAP unless you know you need POP. (Thunderbird users: see the leave-on-server / auto-delete article for the same warning.)
Check that it works
Send a test to yourself and to an outside address (for example Gmail), then reply from outside and confirm it arrives.
If something doesn’t work
- Password loop: username must be the full email address; update Outlook after any password change.
- Can receive but not send: turn on SMTP authentication; confirm 465 + SSL/TLS.
- Certificate warning: check the server name spelling. Don’t accept an unexpected certificate — open a ticket and we’ll check it for your domain.
- Mail stopped after a DNS change: if MX no longer points at Cid Hosting, these settings don’t apply.
Open a ticket at clients.cidhosting.net with your email address (never the password), Outlook edition, and a screenshot of the error. We aim to attend to support requests within eight hours.
