OVH IMAP and SMTP settings
Incoming and outgoing server, port, encryption and password requirements — everything a mail client asks for.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
- Server
- ssl0.ovh.net
- Port
- 993
- Encryption
- SSL/TLS
Outgoing mail (SMTP)
- Server
- ssl0.ovh.net
- Port
- 465
- Encryption
- SSL/TLS
Your usual mailbox password is enough
OVH uses your regular mailbox password; double-check the exact IMAP server in your customer area (often ssl0.ovh.net, sometimes imap.mail.ovh.net depending on the plan).
Settings for the most common providers
| Provider | IMAP | SMTP |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | imap.gmail.com:993 | smtp.gmail.com:587 |
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 | outlook.office365.com:993 | smtp.office365.com:587 |
| Yahoo Mail | imap.mail.yahoo.com:993 | smtp.mail.yahoo.com:465 |
| iCloud Mail | imap.mail.me.com:993 | smtp.mail.me.com:587 |
| OVH | ssl0.ovh.net:993 | ssl0.ovh.net:465 |
| Orange | imap.orange.fr:993 | smtp.orange.fr:465 |
| Free | imap.free.fr:993 | smtp.free.fr:465 |
| SFR | imap.sfr.fr:993 | smtp.sfr.fr:465 |
| Infomaniak | mail.infomaniak.com:993 | mail.infomaniak.com:465 |
| IONOS / 1&1 | imap.ionos.fr:993 | smtp.ionos.fr:465 |
| Gandi | mail.gandi.net:993 | mail.gandi.net:465 |
| Proton Mail | 127.0.0.1:1143 | 127.0.0.1:1025 |
How it works
- Enter your email address — or just your domain. No password is asked for: this page connects to nothing.
- We identify your provider — first from the domain if it is a known one (gmail.com, orange.fr, free.fr…), otherwise by querying your domain's DNS records to recognise the host behind it.
- Copy the settings into your software — incoming IMAP server and outgoing SMTP server, with the port and encryption type, plus whether an app password is mandatory.
Use cases
- Setting up a mailbox in Thunderbird, Apple Mail or Outlook — when the client's automatic detection fails and it asks for the servers by hand.
- Preparing a transfer or a backup — our transfer, backup and analysis tools ask for exactly these IMAP settings.
- Understanding why a connection is refused — nine times out of ten it is a port that does not match the chosen encryption, or a missing app password.
- Configuring sending for a website or an application — the SMTP settings listed here are what a contact form or an invoicing tool expects.
- Finding a domain's servers on shared hosting — DNS detection often surfaces the real server name behind your domain.
What this tool doesn't do
- The tool does not test the connection: it gives you settings, it does not check that they work with your credentials. The mailbox tester does that job in seconds.
- It never asks for a password, and does not need one. Be wary of any site that demands your credentials in order to give you a port number.
- For an unknown domain, the suggested servers are hypotheses deduced from DNS and from naming conventions, not the truth: only your host can confirm.
- POP3 settings are not listed: all our tools, and nearly all modern usage, go through IMAP.
- Proton Mail exposes no direct IMAP: you have to go through the Proton Mail Bridge application installed on your computer, as the provider page explains.
Frequently asked questions
What are the IMAP and SMTP servers for? +
The IMAP server is for reading your mail: it keeps your messages and folders on the server, and your software connects to it to display them. The SMTP server is for sending. A mail client needs both, with different addresses and often different ports.
What is the difference between SSL/TLS and STARTTLS? +
Both encrypt the connection. With SSL/TLS (often port 993 for IMAP, 465 for SMTP) encryption is established before any conversation. With STARTTLS (often port 143 for IMAP, 587 for SMTP) the connection starts in the clear then switches to encrypted. When your provider offers both, take the one it recommends: there is no security gain in choosing the other.
Should I prefer IMAP or POP3? +
IMAP in almost every case. IMAP keeps messages on the server and syncs your folders across all your devices; POP3 downloads messages and, in its default setup, removes them from the server — which makes your mailbox dependent on a single device. All our tools work over IMAP.
What is an app password, and why is my usual password rejected? +
On Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and iCloud, turning on two-factor authentication stops third-party software from using your usual password. You then have to generate, in the account's security settings, a password dedicated to that one application. This page states it provider by provider.
My provider is not in the list — how do I find my settings? +
Enter your email address: if the domain is not in our list, we query your domain's DNS records to identify the host and suggest the most likely servers, along with the classic names (imap.yourdomain, mail.yourdomain). Those are leads to confirm with your host.
Are these settings guaranteed up to date? +
They are checked by hand and dated, but a provider can change a server or a security policy without notice. When in doubt, your provider's customer area or documentation remains the reference. Our mailbox tester lets you verify a setting in seconds.
Is what I type stored? +
No. The address or domain you enter is only used for the lookup during the request. No password is asked for on this page: all it does is tell you settings.