Hosting and cPanel Email
Connect self-hosted, cPanel, Plesk, or hosting-provider email through the Custom Email preset with the provider's real IMAP and SMTP servers.
Status: Supported with manual configuration.
Authentication: Mailbox password (IMAP/SMTP password authentication).
Roundcube and similar applications are webmail clients, not email providers. To connect a mailbox hosted by a hosting provider, you need the provider's actual IMAP and SMTP settings, not the webmail URL. Hosting email is not a PressedMail preset, so connect it through the Custom Email provider.
Where to find the settings
Hosting providers expose IMAP and SMTP settings through control panels or account dashboards, for example:
- cPanel (often under Email Accounts > Connect Devices or Mail Client Configuration)
- Plesk
- DirectAdmin
- HestiaCP
- The hosting account dashboard
DNS records do not automatically determine the correct mail-client hostname. Look up the documented Connect Devices or Mail Client Configuration page for the mailbox.
Common hostnames and ports
| Setting | Common value |
|---|---|
| IMAP host | mail.example.com, imap.example.com, or the hosting server hostname |
| IMAP port | 993 |
| IMAP encryption | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP host | mail.example.com, smtp.example.com, or the hosting server hostname |
| SMTP port | 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (STARTTLS) |
| SMTP encryption | SSL/TLS or STARTTLS |
| Username | Full email address |
| Password | The mailbox password |
Do not assume mail.example.com works for every host. Confirm the hostname the provider documents for the mailbox.
Setup in PressedMail
- Open Settings > Email Connections and select Add Account.
- On Add an Email Account, choose Custom Email.
- On Account Credentials, enter the full mailbox email address and display name.
- On Server Configuration, enter the IMAP and SMTP host, port, and encryption from the hosting provider's documentation.
- Enter the username (usually the full email address) and the mailbox password.
- Run Test Connection to validate both servers.
- Save the account.
Special cases and limitations
- Shared hosting may block outbound SMTP. If sending fails while incoming works, ask the host whether outbound SMTP ports are open.
- The TLS certificate must match the configured hostname. If the certificate is issued for the server hostname, use the server hostname rather than
mail.example.com. - Cloudflare or similar proxying must not be enabled on mail-service DNS records (MX, IMAP, SMTP hostnames). Proxying mail records breaks IMAP and SMTP.
- The mailbox password is normally used directly; some hosts issue separate app passwords.
Troubleshooting
- Confirm the hostname and port from the provider's Connect Devices page.
- Confirm outbound SMTP is allowed by the host.
- Match the hostname to the TLS certificate to avoid certificate errors.
- Disable any DNS proxy on the mail hostnames.
- Check outbound access from WordPress to the mail hosts.
This provider may work through manual configuration, but the connection is not part of the officially tested preset matrix.
Security Recommendations
- Use the mailbox password issued by the hosting provider, or a provider app password if available.
- Confirm the TLS certificate matches the hostname; PressedMail does not allow disabling certificate validation.
- See Security and Privacy for the credential storage model.