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Microsoft 365: How-To Migrate HostGator Email To Outlook

Microsoft 365 logo

With your Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) Business Pro subscription, you can download and install your applications to your desktop. This guide will help you migrate your HostGator email to your Microsoft 365 account in the desktop version of Outlook.

To follow this guide, you must have the desktop version of Outlook installed first. If you don't have it installed yet, see our article, Microsoft 365: Setting up Office Apps, to guide you in downloading and installing your desktop applications.

Step 1: Gather Your Email Client Settings

  1. Log into the HostGator Customer Portal by navigating to https://portal.hostgator.com.
  2. Click on the Email Accounts option above the Launch cPanel button.
    HostGator Billing Portal Hosting Package Panel
  3. This will open the Email Accounts section of your cPanel. Scroll down to the list of email accounts and click on Set Up Mail Client.
    HostGator Billing Portal Email Accounts Page
  4. Scroll down to the Manual Settings section and take note of the information in the Secure SSL/TLS Settings(Recommended) box. You will need this information to migrate your email.
    HostGator Billing Portal Email Account Manual Settings
This guide is provided as a courtesy to our customers; however, HostGator can not guarantee that this process will not result in a lose of data. As with all processes that involve moving data, we strongly suggest that you Generate A Full Backup before proceeding with this migration.

Step 2: Import Your HostGator Email To Outlook

Now you're ready to import your HostGator email into Outlook.

  1. Open Outlook on your computer.
  2. On the upper left-hand panel, click on FILE.
    Microsoft Outlook FILE Button
  3. In the main window, click on the +Add Account button.
    Microsoft Outlook Add Account Button
  4. On the Account Setup page, enter your HostGator hosted email address and click the Connect button.
    Microsoft Outlook Connect Account Screen
  5. You have to select an account type on the next screen. Choose IMAP.
    Microsoft Outlook Select Account Type
  6. Now you will need the information we gathered earlier. Use the data from the Secure SSL/TLS Settings (Recommended) box to fill in the account settings.
    Microsoft Outlook IMAP Connection Settings
  7. Once you're done inputting your connection settings, click the Next button.
  8. Enter your password on the last screen and click Done.

Outlook will now sync with your HostGator hosted email account. The email in your webmail account will now appear in Outlook, right below your Microsoft 365 mailbox.

Step 3: Save Your Emails to the Desktop

The next part is exporting your emails to an Outlook Data File (.pst). If you receive more email after taking this snapshot, you will have to repeat these steps to migrate the new messages.

  1. In the Outlook desktop app, choose File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
    Microsoft Outlook Open and Export
  2. Choose the option to Export to a file. Then click Next.
    Microsoft Outlook Import and Export Wizard Export To A File
  3. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst), and then hit Next.
    Microsoft Outlook Import and Export Wizard Outlook Data File
  4. Choose the account you want to export by clicking on the name or email account you added to Outlook in the previous steps. Ensure the Include subfolders box is checked before clicking Next.
    Microsoft Outlook Import and Export Wizard Select Folder
  5. Choose Browse to select where to save the .pst file and to enter a filename. By default, the name is backup.pst, but you can choose another name that's easy to remember.
    Microsoft Outlook Import and Export Wizard Name .pst File
  6. If you are exporting to an existing .pst, from a previous export, you will need to select what to do when exporting items that already exist in the file in the Options box.
  7. Then click Finish to continue.
    1. The next box presents you with the option to password protect the file; however, you can click OK to save the data file. Outlook will immediately begin to export the data. Please note that Outlook will not give you a message when it's done.
      Microsoft Outlook Import and Export Wizard Name .pst File
  8. Confirm that the file is saved to the location you chose.

Step 4: Remove the HostGator Account From Outlook

Before you can connect your Microsoft 365 account, you will have to remove your HostGator hosted email account first.

  1. Choose File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
    Microsoft Outlook Account Settings
  2. In the Account Settings box, select your email account and then click Remove.
    Microsoft Outlook Remove Account
  3. A dialog box will display warning you about the offline cache being deleted. Choose Yes.
    Microsoft Outlook Confirm Account Removal
  4. The email messages that you imported to your Microsoft 365 mailbox will still be there, but your %%RBAND%% email account will no longer appear in Outlook.

Step 5: Import Your Email to Your Microsoft 365 Mailbox

Now you can connect your Microsoft 365 account to Outlook. To do this, you follow the same steps from Step 2, but instead of choosing an IMAP connection, choose Microsoft 365.

  1. To start the Import and Export Wizard, click File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
  2. Choose Import from another program or file from the listed options and then click Next.
    Microsoft Outlook Import Export Wizard Import Options
  3. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and then click Next to continue.
    Microsoft Outlook Import Export Wizard Import .pst
  4. Browse to the .pst file created in Step 3.
    Microsoft Outlook Import Export Wizard Import Choose .pst
  5. In the Options box, select how you want to deal with duplicates and click Next.
  6. If you assigned a password to the .pst file, enter the password and then click OK.
  7. Choose the option to Import items into the same folder in: and make sure your Microsoft 365 mailbox is selected in the drop-down below it.
    Microsoft Outlook Import Export Wizard Select Folder To Import To
  8. Choose Finish.

Outlook will immediately start copying the information from the .pst file to your Microsoft 365 mailbox.

If you are importing a lot of emails, this process can take hours to complete. If Outlook is shut down or disconnected from the Internet before the import completes, it will continue the next time it's reconnected.

When Outlook is finished, you will see the emails from your HostGator hosted email in your Microsoft 365 mailbox.

 

Note: If you have questions or need further assistance, please reach out to live support phone or Live Chat.