When learning about email hosting you'll notice that there's lot of industry specific terminology thrown around. We know that this can be overwhelming and confusing, so we've created a small glossary of the most common email and email-related terms you might stumble across. We’ve tried to avoid adding extra technical words when explaining terms, while still providing you with full explanations of how things work in the big wide world of email hosting.
Understanding these terms is key to making a better decision on your next email hosting move.
- If you see a term in italics that you don't recognise, it has its own entry in this glossary.
Account
Accounts on the same email hosting plan can be differentiated by the part that comes before the @ in an email address, like with thisaccount@example.com. Accounts are usually titled with the account user’s name or role, like john@example.com or support@example.com. Each account sends and receives its own emails, but emails from accounts with the same domain are sent and received from the same server.
Auto-forwarding
Auto-forwarding sends all emails you receive from one email address to another email address. This is useful when you want to use one email inbox to receive and read emails from multiple addresses. Auto-forwarding needs to be set up and configured manually, and the steps to using it vary by email client. Learn how to automatically forward emails in cPanel.
Bulk sender
If you send over 5000 emails a day, you’re considered a bulk sender. If you send that many emails and you don’t have the sufficient email security protocols in place, you may end up getting marked as spam. For sending broadcast-style messages like newsletters, we suggest that you use an email service like MailChimp.
Client
An email client is the software that lets you send, receive and manage emails from multiple email addresses. Popular choices for email clients include Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail.
DNS
DNS, or the domain name system, translates domain names into IP addresses and vice versa. Standard internet browsing uses DNS to find a website’s IP address, whereas emails use DNS to ensure mail is delivered to the correct inbox. To prevent spam, mail servers use three different DNS text records to verify the sender’s identity before delivering emails: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Domain
An email domain is the part that comes after the @ in an email address, like with user@example.com. On a technical level, it identifies the mail server that hosts the account. A personalised email domain (instead of a generic @gmail.com or @outlook.co.nz) serves as proof of your online identity, increasing your level of professionalism, and helps build trust and brand recognition. You need to purchase a domain before you can use it for your emails.
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is an email protocol that determines how a server processes received emails. As opposed to POP3, IMAP adapts a synchronised approach. When you’re using IMAP, your email client will stay synchronised with the server, allowing you to access your emails across multiple devices. Unlike POP3, IMAP keeps your email data on the server. Emails are only deleted when you specifically delete them. As a result you’ll use more server space, but use less device storage. Read more about the differences between IMAP and POP3 in our blog.
Inbox
An inbox is like a mailbox, where emails received by a server can be read from an email client. If the recipient’s email client uses IMAP the information will synchronise across devices connected to the email account. If the client uses POP3, the email will be downloaded to just one device.
Outbox
The outbox is a queue of emails waiting to be sent, or that have failed to send. After emails have successfully been sent, they will be moved out of the outbox. The emails are then delivered to the recipient’s inbox.
POP3
POP3 is an email protocol. When you use POP3 your email client downloads messages from the server to your device. Once the messages are downloaded, they are usually removed from the server. This means the only copy of the message is on your phone or laptop. If you try to check your emails from a different device later, anything that you’ve already downloaded will not appear on the second device. Read more about the differences between POP3 and IMAP in our blog.
Port
A port is a location within a server used to connect to a network and retrieve data. You can think of email ports like mail boxes in a large apartment building. Each mail slot belongs to a different resident within the building. Addressing mail to the entire building doesn’t guarantee the right person receives the delivery. Instead, by addressing it with a port number specifically the server knows which mail box to deliver to. In the same sense, servers don’t know what to do with the email data without an indicated port. When servers receive data directed at a specific port, it can then be directed with the correct application or process. Different email protocols require you to provide different port numbers.
Protocol
Email protocols are sets of rules that control how emails are sent, received and accessed between mail servers and mail clients across the internet. The three most common protocols are IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, which all serve different purposes.
Server
A server is a specialised computer designed to make its files accessible to other computers over a network. They are used for websites, emails, and many other purposes. Servers are built to run all the time, and require continuous power supply, temperature control, software configuration and maintenance.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the process used by mail servers to send, receive and relay emails across the internet. It works by sending out message data from a client to a server, which is then directed into ports.
