Connect an IMAP Mailbox to AI Email Filter

Connect an IMAP mailbox using your provider’s documented server and a supported authentication method. IMAP support alone does not guarantee that every account or network configuration is compatible.

Confirm the connection details

You do not need to change MX records or migrate your mailbox to enable sorting. SMTP settings are not required for the mail-sorting connection.

Choose the right authentication

Some providers require an app password; others depend on enabled protection settings or account type. Microsoft OAuth is implemented: use the Microsoft sign-in method offered in the application rather than assuming a normal password will work. Tenant policies and granted permissions can affect the connection.

The current production host guard rejects private, loopback and reserved addresses. A private mail-server deployment needs administrator-reviewed integration; do not weaken security controls to work around it.

Connect and diagnose

Add the mailbox in the application, enter the supported settings and test the connection. An authentication error calls for checking login and permissions; a timeout calls for checking reachability and provider status. A successful connection does not prove a category prompt is correct.

Create one reviewable category and run a dry preview before applying moves. Keep original messages accessible and test an exclusion as well as a match. Permanent deletion cannot be undone through History.

Specific guides: Gmail, iCloud, Hostinger, GMX and Mailcow.