Connection Settings
Have these details ready before you start. Your server hostname is in your welcome email and in DirectAdmin.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
Server: your-server-hostname
Port: 993
Security: SSL/TLS
Outgoing mail (SMTP)
Server: your-server-hostname
Port: 587
Security: STARTTLS
Username: your full email address (e.g. you@yourdomain.com)
Password: your email account password
Adding Your Account in Apple Mail
- Open Mail and go to Mail > Add Account from the menu bar.
- Select Other Mail Account and click Continue.
- Enter your name, email address, and password, then click Sign In.
- Apple Mail will attempt to detect settings automatically. If this fails, it will show manual fields.
- Set the Account Type to IMAP.
- Enter your incoming mail server hostname and your outgoing mail server hostname.
- Click Sign In to complete the setup.
If auto-detection fails, Apple Mail will show a manual entry screen. Enter your IMAP and SMTP hostnames there along with your login details.
Verifying the Settings
After setup, you can verify the configuration at any time:
- Go to Mail > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS).
- Click the Accounts tab and select your account.
- Click Server Settings to view and edit IMAP and SMTP details.
Troubleshooting
- If connection fails, confirm the server hostname is correct in your welcome email.
- Make sure your username is your full email address, not just the local part.
- Try port 465 with SSL/TLS if port 587 does not work for SMTP.
- See the SMTP Sending Issues guide if sending fails.