Set Up Business Email in the New Outlook for Windows (IMAP)

The new Outlook for Windows adds a mailbox on your own domain in about two minutes, but the IMAP option is a step deeper than it used to be, and the app syncs non-Microsoft accounts through Microsoft's cloud, which some businesses would rather know before they click Continue. This guide covers the new Outlook screens, the settings, that sync behaviour, and the classic Outlook steps for anyone who prefers a direct connection.

Quick answer

Settings (the gear), Accounts, Email accounts, Add account. Enter the address and continue; if Outlook does not detect the server, open the advanced setup, choose IMAP, and enter mail.oqumail.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS for incoming and mail.oqumail.com on port 587 with STARTTLS for outgoing, with your full address as the username for both.

The settings you will enter

• Incoming (IMAP) server: mail.oqumail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS on
• Outgoing (SMTP) server: mail.oqumail.com, port 587, STARTTLS (on iPhone this is "Use SSL" on with port 587)
• Username: your full email address, for both incoming and outgoing
• Password: the same password you use for OquMail webmail

Step by step in the new Outlook

1. Open Outlook. Click the gear icon near the top right to open Settings, then Accounts, then Email accounts, then Add account.
2. Type your full email address and click Continue. Outlook tries to detect the provider.
3. If it asks for a password straight away, enter the webmail password and continue; if the account connects, skip to the test at the end.
4. If it reports that it could not connect, or shows an option to set up manually, choose IMAP. Enter the incoming server mail.oqumail.com, port 993, secure connection SSL/TLS.
5. Enter the outgoing server mail.oqumail.com, port 587, secure connection STARTTLS. The username is your full address and the password the webmail one.
6. Click Continue and wait for the connection check, then Done.
7. Send a test message to another address you own and reply to it from there, so both directions are confirmed.

What the cloud sync means

The new Outlook does not talk to IMAP servers directly from your PC. It stores the account credentials with Microsoft and syncs the mailbox through Microsoft's service, which is how the same account appears in Outlook on the web and on your phone without setting it up again. For most small businesses that is fine. If your policy says mail may not pass through a third party, or you simply prefer a direct connection, use classic Outlook or Thunderbird, both of which connect to mail.oqumail.com themselves.

Classic Outlook instead

1. File, Add Account. Type the address, click Advanced options, tick Let me set up my account manually, then Connect.
2. Choose IMAP.
3. Incoming mail: server mail.oqumail.com, port 993, encryption SSL/TLS. Outgoing mail: server mail.oqumail.com, port 587, encryption STARTTLS. Click Next.
4. Enter the webmail password and click Connect. Finish, then send the same test message.

Useful settings

• Signature: Settings, Accounts, Signatures. Create one for the work account and set it as the default for new messages and replies.
• Sent folder: IMAP accounts keep Sent on the server, so messages sent from Outlook appear in webmail and on your phone.
• Notifications: Settings, General, Notifications, and limit alerts to the work inbox if you also added a personal account.
• Rules: Settings, Mail, Rules, to file newsletters and automated notices out of the inbox.

If something goes wrong

• Something went wrong: almost always a typo in the server name or the wrong encryption on the outgoing port. STARTTLS on 587, SSL/TLS on 993.
• Outlook keeps asking for the password: the username is the full address, and the password is the webmail one. Test it in webmail; if it works there, remove the account and add it again.
• The Microsoft 365 or Exchange option was picked by auto-detect: remove the account and choose IMAP in the manual setup.
• Receives but cannot send: the outgoing server was saved with SSL/TLS on port 587. Change it to STARTTLS; see cannot authenticate for the full checklist.

Common questions

Is the new Outlook free?

Yes for IMAP accounts; it ships with Windows 11 and is a free download on Windows 10. A Microsoft 365 subscription is only needed for Microsoft's own hosted mailboxes and the Office apps.

Can I use the Outlook mobile app with the same account?

Yes. Outlook for iOS and Android adds IMAP accounts under Add account, Add email account, with the same server values.

Will my folders from webmail show up?

Yes. IMAP syncs every folder, so what you file in webmail is filed in Outlook and vice versa.