EarthLink to Office 365 Email Migration
Move EarthLink email to Microsoft 365 using EarthLink's current IMAP service. For standard EarthLink domains such as @earthlink.net, @mindspring.com, and @ix.netcom.com, EarthLink documents imap.earthlink.net, port 993, with SSL/TLS.
EarthLink-hosted custom-domain/web-hosting email can use a different endpoint: securemail.hosting.earthlink.net on port 993. Identify the source service before migration instead of assuming one server name for every EarthLink mailbox.
Standard IMAP migration transfers supported messages, attachments, mail folders, folder hierarchy, and common message properties. Contacts, calendars, notes, and tasks are outside the IMAP mailbox copy and require separate handling if needed.
EdbMails IMAP Migration Tool supports bulk CSV loading, selective migration, concurrent processing, incremental follow-up runs, mapping, and reports. Use this page together with the main IMAP to Office 365 migration guide.
EdbMails transfers supported EarthLink email data directly between the configured source and Microsoft 365 target environments. The workflow supports concurrent mailbox migration, migration filters, incremental follow-up runs, bulk mailbox loading, and reports. It is designed to preserve supported messages, attachments, folder hierarchy, read/unread state, and common message properties where EarthLink exposes them through IMAP and Microsoft 365 accepts them.
User Query
I’ve been using EarthLink for years, but it no longer meets my needs. I want to migrate to Office 365 for better features and security, but I’m concerned about losing important email data. Can you recommend a professional tool to migrate EarthLink emails, attachments, and folder structure to Office 365? – John, New York
EarthLink email to Office 365 Migration Plan
- Identify whether the source is a standard EarthLink mailbox or EarthLink web-hosting/custom-domain email.
- Inventory mailboxes, mailbox sizes, folders, aliases, and active users.
- For standard EarthLink email, use imap.earthlink.net, port 993, SSL/TLS. For EarthLink web-hosting email, verify whether securemail.hosting.earthlink.net applies.
- Create/provision Microsoft 365 target mailboxes and assign licenses.
- Review source/target limits and bandwidth.
- Run a pilot mailbox before production migration.
EarthLink email to Microsoft 365: Pre-migration activities
Standard EarthLink email
- IMAP server: imap.earthlink.net.
- Port: 993.
- Security: SSL/TLS.
- Username: full EarthLink email address.
- Password: EarthLink mailbox password.
EarthLink web-hosting/custom-domain email
- EarthLink documents securemail.hosting.earthlink.net, port 993, SSL for its web-hosting email service.
- Confirm the source service and credentials before loading bulk mailboxes.
Microsoft 365 target
- Create/provision target users/mailboxes and assign licenses.
- Use the current EdbMails OAuth-based Microsoft 365 target connection.
- Run a pilot before production migration.
Steps to Migrate emails from EarthLink to Office 365
Step 1: Download and install EdbMails IMAP migration software
- Download EdbMails and install the application on any computer running Windows OS
- Start the EdbMails application on your system.
- Log in with your registered email address and password, then click ‘Login’. New users can select ‘Start Your Free Trial’ to access the trial version.Note: The EdbMails IMAP trial lets you evaluate the workflow and migrate up to 30 items from each folder. To migrate all eligible items for licensed mailboxes, purchase the required IMAP migration license.
See a detailed list of EdbMails system requirements for IMAP migration.
- Select the option ‘IMAP (Gmail, Outlook & more) Migration’.
- Select ‘IMAP to Office 365 Migration’.
- Use the default job name or select 'New Job' to customize the name.
- Download EdbMails and install the application on any computer running Windows OS
Step 2: Connect to the source EarthLink email server
- To connect a single EarthLink mailbox, select ‘Single User / Account Migration’, choose ‘Connect to IMAP Server’, and click ‘Next’.
- Click ‘Next’ to proceed.
- For standard EarthLink email, enter imap.earthlink.net, port 993, with SSL/TLS. For EarthLink web-hosting/custom-domain email, verify whether securemail.hosting.earthlink.net applies to the source service.
- Use secure IMAP port 993 with SSL/TLS, then enter the full EarthLink email address and the password required by the source mailbox.
- The Microsoft 365 target uses the current EdbMails OAuth-based modern-authentication workflow.
- Click the ‘Login’ button to proceed.
- To connect multiple EarthLink mailboxes, select ‘Multiple (Bulk) Users/Accounts Migration’, choose ‘Connect to IMAP Server’, and click ‘Next’.
- Click ‘Next’ to continue.
- Click ‘IMAP Migration CSV File’. It will load the sample CSV file to your local drive.
- Open the CSV file and fill in the necessary details, including the email address, password, IMAP server hostname, and port number for each mailbox. After completing the entries, save the file to proceed with the migration.
- Once you've made the necessary changes to the CSV file, save and close it.
- Then, click the 'Load Modified CSV File' button, open the CSV file and click ‘Next’ to proceed.
Step 3: Select the mailboxes or folders to migrate
- Select the mailboxes or specific folders you want to migrate, then click ‘Next’ to proceed with the migration process.
- Select the mailboxes or specific folders you want to migrate, then click ‘Next’ to proceed with the migration process.
Step 4: Connect to the target Office 365 server
- Click the ‘Add New Connection’ button to establish a new connection to the target Office 365. To use the previous connection, select it from the connection list and click the ‘Connect to Existing’ button to proceed.
- Select the required connection options and click the ‘Next’ button.
- Select the authentication method and click the ‘Login’ button to continue.
- Authenticate on the Microsoft sign-in page.
- Choose the required method to load target Microsoft 365 mailboxes. If the automatic mailbox list does not return every required target, use the supported CSV-loading option and verify the destination mailbox list before continuing.
- Click the ‘Next’ button to continue
- Click the ‘Add New Connection’ button to establish a new connection to the target Office 365. To use the previous connection, select it from the connection list and click the ‘Connect to Existing’ button to proceed.
Step 5: EarthLink email to Microsoft 365 mailboxes mapping
- Select the required mapping option
- Where supported and selected, EdbMails can assist with target mailbox creation and automatic mapping. Verify Microsoft 365 licensing and review every source-to-target mailbox mapping before starting the production migration.
- Select the required mapping option
Step 6: Start the Earthlink to Office 365 migration
- After mapping the mailboxes, click the ‘Start Migration’ button to initiate the migration process.
- Click the ‘View Log’ button to view the migration report, which includes mapping details and the total count of migrated emails.
- Log in to your target server and verify the items.
- After mapping the mailboxes, click the ‘Start Migration’ button to initiate the migration process.
EarthLink email to Office 365 Post-migration Tasks
- Verify the Microsoft 365 target
Review migration reports and check representative folders, messages, attachments, item counts, and user access.
- Update mail DNS when ready
If Microsoft 365 becomes the production mail service, update the required MX/DNS records only after target validation.
- Validate Outlook/client access
Confirm Microsoft 365 sign-in and Autodiscover behavior and recreate Outlook profiles only where required.
- Retain the source during validation
Keep the EarthLink mailbox available for the agreed transition period before decommissioning the old email service.
- Verify the Microsoft 365 target
Troubleshooting Guide for EarthLink email to Office 365 Migration
For troubleshooting, check out our knowledge base articles. If you have additional questions, browse the FAQs or contact our dedicated support team for personalized assistance.
Benefits of EdbMails for EarthLink to Office 365 Email Migration
- Source-service-aware connection
Use the correct EarthLink IMAP endpoint for standard EarthLink email or EarthLink web-hosting email.
- Bulk mailbox migration
Load multiple EarthLink accounts through CSV and process migration batches efficiently.
- Selective migration
Choose required mailboxes/folders and apply supported IMAP filters.
- Incremental follow-up runs
Process eligible new or changed email items after the initial pass for staged cutover.
- Reports and verification
Review migration reports plus representative target data before changing production mail flow.
- 24/7 technical support
Contact EdbMails support for migration assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Will my contacts/calendars migrate from EarthLink via IMAP?
No, the IMAP protocol only supports the migration of emails, folders, and attachments.
- Will folder structure/attachments/metadata remain intact?
EdbMails is designed to preserve supported folder hierarchy, messages, attachments, and common email properties exposed through the EarthLink IMAP source. Verify representative target folders and migration reports after the transfer.
- How long will the migration take for X GB of data and Y mailboxes?
EdbMails migration time depends on factors such as mailbox size, number of accounts, and network speed.
