Data Migration to ALTERNmail from Other Email Platforms

1. Migrating from Gmail to ALTERNmail

A. Migrating Emails

Enable IMAP in Gmail:

    • Go to Gmail and click the gear icon (top-right).

    • Click See All Settings.

    • Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

    • Enable IMAP and click Save Changes.

Configure Gmail in an Email Client (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird):

    • IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com

    • Port: 993

    • SSL: Enabled

    • Username: Your Gmail address

    • Password: Your Gmail password or App password.

Add ALTERNmail to the Same Email Client:

    • IMAP Server: mail.alternmail.com

    • Port: 993

    • SSL: Enabled

    • Username: Your ALTERNmail email address

    • Password: ALTERNmail password.

Transfer Emails:

    • Drag and drop emails between the Gmail account and ALTERNmail inbox in the email client.

B. Migrating Contacts from Gmail

Export Contacts from Gmail:

    • Go to Google Contacts.

    • Click Export on the left.

    • Choose All contacts and select vCard format.

    • Click Export to download the .vcf file.

 

Import Contacts to ALTERNmail:

    • click on "Settings"

    • then click on  "Account"

    • choose your email account, click on it and scroll down

    • In the "Import" section, click on "Choose file"

    • Select the file with contacts (e.g. contacts.tgz) you want to upload; the file must be in .tgz format

*At the end of the document, there is a guide on how to obtain a file in .tgz format

 







C. Migrating Calendar from Gmail

Export Calendar:

    • Go to Google Calendar.

    • Click the gear icon → Settings.

    • Under Settings for my calendars, click the calendar you want to export.

    • Scroll down and click Export to download a .zip containing the .ics file.

Import Google Calendar to ALTERNmail:

    • click on "Settings"

    • then click on  "Account"

    • choose your email account, click on it and scroll down

    • In the "Import" section, click on "Choose file"

    • Select the file with calendar (e.g. calendar tgz) you want to upload; the file must be in .tgz format

*At the end of the document, there is a guide on how to obtain a file in .tgz format

 



2. Migrating from Outlook to ALTERNmail

A. Migrating Emails from Outlook

Enable IMAP in Outlook:

    • Go to Outlook Settings.

    • Click the gear icon → View all Outlook settings.

    • Go to Mail > Sync email, and enable IMAP.

Configure Outlook in an Email Client (e.g., Thunderbird):

    • IMAP Server: outlook.office365.com

    • Port: 993

    • SSL: Enabled

    • Username: Your Outlook email address

    • Password: Your Outlook password.

Add ALTERNmail to the Same Email Client:

    • IMAP Server: mail.alternmail.com

    • Port: 993

    • SSL: Enabled

    • Username: Your ALTERNmail email address

    • Password: ALTERNmail password.

Transfer Emails:

    • Drag and drop emails between your Outlook and ALTERNmail inbox in the email client.




B. Migrating Contacts from Outlook

Export Contacts from Outlook:

    • Go to Outlook Contacts.

    • Click Manage > Export contacts.

    • Choose All contacts and export to CSV format.

Import Contacts to ALTERNmail:

    • click on "Settings"

    • then click on  "Account"

    • choose your email account, click on it and scroll down

    • In the "Import" section, click on "Choose file"

    • Select the file with contacts (e.g. contacts.tgz)  you want to upload; the file must be in .tgz format

*At the end of the document, there is a guide on how to obtain a file in .tgz format

 

C. Migrating Calendar from Outlook

Export Calendar from Outlook:

    • Go to Outlook Calendar.

    • Click Settings → View all Outlook settings.

    • Go to Calendar > Shared calendars.

    • Under Publish a calendar, choose your calendar and click Publish.

    • Download the .ics file.

Import Calendar to ALTERNmail:

    • click on "Settings"

    • then click on  "Account"

    • choose your email account, click on it and scroll down

    • In the "Import" section, click on "Choose file"

    • Select the file with calendar (e.g. calendar.tgz) you want to upload; the file must be in .tgz format

*At the end of the document, there is a guide on how to obtain a file in .tgz format



How to Obtain a .tgz File

 

  • Create a .tar archive: Right-click on the .csv file (for example, calendar.csv). 

  • From the context menu, choose 7-Zip > Add to archive.... 

  • In the Archive format dropdown, select tar. 

  • Set the desired archive name (for example, calendar.tar). 

  • Click OK to create the .tar file. 

  • Compress the .tar file using gzip: After creating the .tar file, right-click the .tar file (for example, calendar.tar).

  •  Select 7-Zip > Add to archive... again.

  •  In the Archive format dropdown, select gzip.

  •  Ensure the Compression level is set to Normal or any desired level. 

  •  Set the desired archive name (for example, calendar.tgz). 

  •  Click OK to compress the .tar file into .tgz.






Helpful Tips

  • Ensure IMAP is enabled on all accounts before starting the migration.

  • Use a stable internet connection to avoid interruptions, especially when migrating large amounts of data.

  • If you use two-factor authentication, generate an app-specific password for Gmail or Outlook.