Preparation: What you need
Before you begin, you should have the following information ready:
- Email address (e.g. [email protected])
- Password for this email address
- Incoming mail server (IMAP or POP3) – usually something like
imap.beispiel.ch - Outgoing mail server (SMTP) – usually something like
smtp.beispiel.ch - Ports and security types (SSL/TLS, STARTTLS, etc.)
➡️ You will receive this information from the provider of your e-mail address
Simplified setup
Some mail programs (e.g. Outlook or Thunderbird) offer a simplified setup. After you have selected “New mail account” or similar, these programs only ask for the email address and password, the rest goes by itself.
This only works if the mail server (i.e. the hosting) is prepared for it. You can just try it out. If it doesn’t work, you’ll get an error message and then you can set up the account as described below.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Open the mail program
Open the program you want to use (e.g. Thunderbird, Outlook, Mail).
2. Add a new account
There is usually a menu item such as “Add Account”, “Set Up New Account” or “Add Email Account”.
Enter your email address and password
Enter your email address and password. Some programs automatically detect the provider (see above, Simplified Setup).
4. Check server settings or enter them manually
If the automatic setup does not work, enter the server data manually:
- Inbox (IMAP or POP3)
- Server: e.g.
imap.beispiel.ch(with some hosters it is the domain of the website, e.g.meinewebsite.chormail.meinewebsite.ch, or a hosting address such asrlz42.hosterserver.ch) - Port: usually 993 (IMAP with SSL) or 995 (POP3 with SSL)
- Security: SSL/TLS
- Server: e.g.
- Outgoing Mail (SMTP)
- Server: e.g.
smtp.beispiel.chormeinewebsite.ch - Port: usually 587 or 465
- Security: STARTTLS or SSL/TLS. Email should not be used without such encryption, and there is no reputable provider that does not have it.
- Server: e.g.
- Username: usually the complete email address
5. Complete the setup
The program tests the connection, some automatically, some have a button for it. If everything fits, you can click Done, Finish , or OK .
6. Send and receive emails
Now your account should be working! Try it out.
🔁 IMAP or POP3?
- IMAP (recommended): Your emails stay on the server and are in sync across all devices.
- POP3: The e-mails are downloaded from the server and usually deleted. Not ideal for multiple devices.
What if emails don’t arrive or end up in spam for the recipient?
Supply problems can have a variety of causes. At best, you get an error report back that says something about the causes. Some hosters or mail services keep a record of sending attempts, results and error messages.
If nothing can be found there, you can use testing and analysis tools, which, by the way, is also useful preventively.
Examples:
However, laypeople are usually overwhelmed with such analyses. At least the reports show whether there are errors, even if you don’t understand them exactly.
For more detailed analyses and corrections, the support of your hoster or mail account operator will often be necessary.
Sometimes it is also the recipient’s fault if the spam filter is too strict. Microsoft (outlook.com, live.com, hotmail.com) in particular has particularly strict spam filters that are difficult to understand. In Switzerland, there have often been problems with Swisscom (bluewin.ch) – but at least it is possible to get support from Swisscom.
For very important messages: Ask for confirmation of receipt and ask if there is no answer. Email, like almost all electronic communication, is never 100% reliable. So, if there are doubts, give them a call …
May your inbox be filled with lots of good news!