Email Not Working After Migration: How to Fix It

If your email stopped working after a migration, it is usually caused by DNS records that have not finished updating or by a mail client still using old settings. Follow the steps below to get your email working again.

Check DNS and MX records first

Most email problems after a migration come down to the MX (Mail Exchanger) records, which tell the internet where to deliver your mail. After a migration or nameserver change, these records can take time to update everywhere, and sometimes need to be recreated.

1. Check how long it has been since your domain or hosting was migrated. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to spread fully across the internet, so mail may still arrive at the old server during this time.
2. Log in to your control panel (cPanel or DirectAdmin) and confirm the MX record for your domain points to the correct mail server.
3. If the MX record is missing or incorrect, add or correct it using the steps for your control panel below.
4. Wait a few hours after making any DNS change before testing again, as changes are not instant.

cPanel

1. Go to Domains or Zone Editor in cPanel and open the DNS zone for your domain.
2. Check that an MX record exists and points to your mail server hostname.
3. Go to Email > Email Routing and confirm the setting matches where your mail is actually hosted: choose Local Mail Exchanger if your mailboxes are on this server, or Remote Mail Exchanger only if you use an external email provider such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
4. If Email Routing was left on the wrong setting after migration, incoming mail will not be delivered locally, so correct it and save.

DirectAdmin

1. Go to DNS Management for your domain and check the MX record is present and points to your mail server.
2. Go to Email Manager > Email Accounts and confirm the mailbox still exists.
3. If the account is missing, recreate it under Email Manager > Email Accounts > Create Account using the same email address and a new password.

Check your email account and password

If the mailbox exists but you cannot log in, the password may not have carried over correctly during migration.

1. In cPanel or DirectAdmin, open the email account and reset its password.
2. Update the new password in your mail app or webmail login.
3. Try logging in to webmail directly (usually at https://yourdomain.com/webmail) using the full email address and new password, to confirm the mailbox itself is working.

Update your mail client settings

Desktop and mobile mail apps often keep old cached settings after a migration, which stops mail from syncing even when the server side is fine.

1. Remove the email account completely from your mail app (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or your phone's mail app) rather than just editing it.
2. Re-add the account using your full email address as the username and the current password.
3. Use these typical settings, replacing the server address with the one shown in your welcome email or the client area:
4. Incoming (IMAP): port 993 with SSL, or port 143 with STARTTLS.
5. Outgoing (SMTP): port 465 with SSL, or port 587 with STARTTLS.

Troubleshooting

• Mail bounces with "user unknown" or "cannot find MX record": the MX record is missing, incorrect, or still propagating; recheck it and wait.
• Some messages arrive, others don't: this is normal during propagation, as different senders may still be using the old server's DNS information for up to 48 hours.
• Mail appears in webmail but not in your mail app: the issue is on the client side; remove and re-add the account rather than editing it.
• Missing emails might be on the old server: check the old mailbox, if you still have access, as mail may have been delivered there during the transition.
• Login fails even with the correct password: reset the password in cPanel or DirectAdmin and enter it fresh in your mail client.

If your email is still not working after trying these steps, contact Hostking support via live chat or by opening a support ticket from the client area.