IMAP settings · web.de
WEB.DE IMAP settings
WEB.DE is the second mail service of the same German operator as GMX and behaves the same way: external access is off until you enable it in the mailbox settings. It also has a quirk of its own that breaks the connection after you have enabled access — the username here goes in without the domain.
IMAP connection
- Server
- imap.web.de
- Port
- 993
- Encryption
- SSL/TLS
- Username
- the part before the @
- Password
- the mailbox password
Sending, SMTP
- Server
- smtp.web.de
- Port
- 587
- Encryption
- STARTTLS
Checked against the service's own autoconfiguration file on 2026-09-15 — the same source Thunderbird reads when it fills the settings in for you. Source: autoconfig.thunderbird.net, hilfe.web.de
What breaks here.
- POP3 and IMAP access is off by default. Enable it in the mailbox: the initials icon → Email settings → POP3/IMAP → the toggle, followed by a check where you drag two symbols onto each other.
- The username is the part before the @. For name@web.de you type name. The full address is refused, and it looks exactly like a wrong password.
- Sending goes through smtp.web.de on port 587 with STARTTLS. Port 465 over SSL is accepted too, but 587 is the one the service documents.
- POP3 here deletes messages from the server once fetched. For a migration always pick IMAP, or half the archive ends up only in the old client.
Questions
The short answers
Username with or without the domain?
Without. For name@web.de the username is name. This sets WEB.DE apart from most services and produces the same error as a wrong password.
Which ports?
IMAP is 993 with SSL/TLS (or 143 with STARTTLS), SMTP is 587 with STARTTLS. Unencrypted connections are not served at all.
Where do I enable IMAP?
In the WEB.DE web interface: the icon with your initials in the top bar → Email settings (E-Mail-Einstellungen) → POP3/IMAP → allow access and pass the check.
Can I migrate away from WEB.DE without deleting anything there?
Yes, that is the default: the transfer only copies. Everything stays in WEB.DE until you close the mailbox yourself.
IMAP settings
Settings for similar services
imap.ukr.net@UKR.NETIMAP access for a @UKR.NET mailbox: imap.ukr.net, port 993, SSL. Why the account password is rejected and where the app password comes from.imap.gmx.netGMXIMAP for a GMX mailbox: imap.gmx.net, port 993, SSL. Why access is off by default and when the host is imap.gmx.com instead.imap.mail.commail.comIMAP for a mail.com mailbox: imap.mail.com, port 993, SSL. Access for external programs is a setting in the mailbox, not a default.imap.wp.plPoczta WPIMAP for a wp.pl mailbox: imap.wp.pl, port 993, SSL. The username goes in without @wp.pl, which is where most setups fail.imap.aol.comAOL MailIMAP for AOL Mail: imap.aol.com, port 993, SSL. Why the account password is refused, and the separate export host for downloading a whole mailbox.imap.fastmail.comFastmailIMAP for Fastmail: imap.fastmail.com, port 993, SSL. Every client needs its own app password, and the Basic plan has no IMAP at all.127.0.0.1Proton MailProton Mail has no public IMAP host. Access goes through Proton Mail Bridge on 127.0.0.1:1143, which needs a paid plan and a running desktop app.Find out how big your mailbox is. It costs nothing.
Connect two servers, look at the size and decide. Or take the client and keep everything on your side.
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