There are many reasons why your client may want to switch to a new mail server. The old mail server may no longer meet their requirements, or your client may simply want all of their data (website and emails) in one location.
When a custom domain name is involved (e.g. client@customdomain.com), many web designers and developers wonder how to transfer mail data while keeping the same domain. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to easily perform this type of advanced email migration!
To migrate email data while maintaining the same custom domain, follow these steps:
Step 01:
Setup & Preparation
Preparation is key for a seamless email migration. Before you start migrating your clients’ emails, you will need the following:
- A list of all the mailboxes that need to be migrated
- Username, password & mail server name for the existing mailboxes
- Username, password & mail server name for the new mailboxes
- Access data for the domain admin panel.
Pro tip: Now is the perfect time to check whether you can actually log in to the domain admin panel. It’s not uncommon for passwords to have been changed or for additional security features, such as two-step verification, to have been implemented. It’s best to familiarise yourself with these details now, rather than when you need to make changes later on.
➡️ If your client doesn’t provide you with access to the domain panel, don’t worry. You can use our email template to inform the IT admin of the domain or your client that they will need to make the necessary domain changes themselves.
The new mailboxes don’t already exist?
If the new mailboxes do not already exist on the new webspace, create them now! If you do not have access to the webspace, you can use our email template to request that your client or IT admin creates the mailboxes for you.
➡️ Having two mailboxes with the same email address on two different mail servers is absolutely not a problem. The mail server that receives new emails is determined by the DNS/MX settings of the custom domain. As long as these records are not altered, all emails will continue to be received in the old account.
How do you obtain the access data more conveniently?
➡️ Download our email migration checklist and share it with your customer. They should complete both the “Checklist: Email Migration” form (Checklist-Email-Migration.pdf) and the “Checklist: Domain Access Data” form (Checklist-Domain-Access-Data.pdf) to provide you with all the necessary data in a convenient manner.
Effective communication is key!
Some clients may become anxious when they are aware of any changes occurring with their emails. To alleviate their concerns, it’s important to proactively communicate with them before taking any actions. Trust us, this will reduce the likelihood of receiving frantic phone calls or emails.
➡️ Copy this email template and past it into a new email. Then fill in the necessary information and send it to your client.
Congratulations, you’re already halfway there! Now let’s migrate those emails to where they belong 💪.
Step 02:
Performing the Email Migration
To migrate your client’s emails to the new mail server, please follow these steps:
- Download & open the MailJerry app or open the Webapp at https://webapp.mailjerry.com. Click on “New Migration”
- For the first mailbox, select your account type (in most cases: IMAP) and enter the login credentials & mail server name (as required) of the existing mailbox in the fields under “Existing Address”.
- Select the account type & enter the login credentials and mail server name for the new mailbox in the fields under “New Address”.
➡️ If the mail server name is the same as for the existing account, use an alternative mail server name instead.
When do you need to use an alternative mail server name?
If the mail server name uses the custom domain name for the both the new AND old account (e.g. mail.mydomain.com), enter an alternative mail server name for the new address. To find the alternative mail server name for the new mail server, follow this tutorial.
- Click on “Check Settings”. MailJerry will now verify if a connection to both mailboxes is possible.
- In the summary, enable the option “Synchronize Emails for 10 Days”.
- Now start the migration of the first mailbox by clicking on “Start Your Migration”.
To migrate multiple mailboxes, follow these steps:
- Start the migration for the first mailbox as described above.
- While the first migration is ongoing, click on “NEW MIGRATION” located at the upper-right corner of the app.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for each mailbox that requires migration.
❓ Encountering issues? Check out the troubleshooting section.
Step 03:
Change DNS / MX Settings & Finish the Migration
Once all your migrations are completed, they will be marked with a green icon in the overview.
⚠️ Ensure that the mailbox sync is active for all mailboxes. This will guarantee that all emails received in the old account will automatically be transferred to the new mailbox.
Request Your Client to Setup Up the New Mailboxes
Next, get in touch with your client and provide them with the login information for the new mailboxes, using this email template. Ask your client to set up the new mailboxes in their email client by using the alternative mail server name that you used during the migration process.
➡️ Advise them not to start using the new mailboxes yet, but to continue working with the old accounts for the time being.
➡️ It’s recommended that the email setup is completed within 3-4 days so that there is sufficient time to update the DNS settings (email accounts are synced for 10 days).
Change the DNS / MX settings
After the client set up the new mailboxes in their email software, access the domain control panel and update the DNS/MX settings to point to the new server. Make sure to set the TTL to the lowest value possible, usually 300 milliseconds.
ℹ️ The TTL determines how often the domain’s records are updated. A lower value means that the new settings will be available worldwide more quickly. If changing the TTL is not possible, allow up to 24 hours for the new settings to go online.
While waiting for the new DNS/MX settings to go live, MailJerry will automatically synchronize all emails received in the old mailbox to the new mailbox to prevent data loss. Once the new domain settings are live, MailJerry will no longer be able to connect to the old account, indicating that the migration is complete.
➡️ After the DNS / MX records are updated and the changes are available, your client can start to use the new email accounts and remove the old mailboxes from their email software. Inform your client by using this email template.
Congratulations, you successfully finished the email migration! You’ve learned how to transfer mail to a new mail server while using the same custom domain name, good job 👍.
If you want to learn more on how to transfer mail for clients, check out the following tutorials: ⤵️
- How to Transfer Email Accounts for Clients: Complete Walkthrough
- How to Transfer Mail Address to a New Domain for Your Clients
- Expert Solutions: Overcoming Common Problems When Migrating Emails for Your Clients
- Email Migration Announcement Template: Efficiently Communicate With Your Client
