Your hosting package comes with powerful tools to manage your professional e-mail addresses. This glossary explains the key terminology you will encounter when setting up or managing your mail.
Protocols & Access
- Webmail
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Webmail allows you to view, send, and manage your e-mail through a web browser (like Chrome or Safari) rather than a specific program on your computer. It is perfect for checking your mail from different computers or when travelling.
- IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
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Recommended for most users. IMAP syncs your e-mail across all your devices. When you read or delete an e-mail on your phone, it is also marked as read or deleted on your laptop. It leaves the messages on the server, allowing multiple devices to manage the same mailbox seamlessly.
- POP (Post Office Protocol)
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POP is an older method that downloads emails from the server to a single device and (usually) deletes them from the server afterwards. It is useful if you have limited server storage space, but it is not recommended if you need to access your mail from multiple devices (e.g., both a phone and a laptop).
Routing & Management
- Email Forwarding
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Forwarding allows you to automatically redirect any e-mail sent to your domain (e.g.,
[email protected]) to a different address (e.g., your personal Gmail or Outlook address). You can usually forward one address to multiple recipients. - Catch-All Email Forwarding
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A "Catch-All" captures any e-mail sent to your domain, even if the address doesn't exist. For example, if someone accidentally types
[email protected]instead of[email protected], a catch-all ensures you still receive it. Note: This can attract a significant amount of spam. - Autoresponders
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An autoresponder automatically sends a pre-written reply to anyone who emails you. This is commonly used for "Out of Office" messages or to confirm that a support request has been received.
Security & Lists
- Junk Mail Filters (Spam Filters)
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These filters use intelligent technology to identify and strip out unsolicited junk mail before it reaches your inbox. You can configure these to automatically delete spam or move it to a "Spam" folder for you to review later.
- Mailing Lists
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Mailing lists allow you to send a single e-mail to a large group of subscribers. This is useful for newsletters or announcements.
Important Warning: We have a zero-tolerance policy for unsolicited e-mail (spam). Any customer found abusing the mailing list facility to send spam will have their account terminated immediately and will be billed a £750 clean-up fee.
