Archiving in cPanel

You can enable and manage email archiving in cPanel using the built-in Archive interface. This feature is especially useful for preserving incoming, outgoing, and mailing-list messages for a defined retention period.

Step 1: Access the Archive Interface

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. In the Email section, click Archive.
3. When the interface opens, you’ll see sections including Overview, Default Archive Configuration, Manage Archiving, IMAP Access, Download Archives, Access Webmail, and Manage Disk Usage.

Step 2: Enable Default Archive Configuration

To set a default archiving rule across all your domains:

1. In the Default Archive Configuration section, select the archive type you want — for example, Incoming, Outgoing, or Mailing Lists.
2. Choose the Retention Period (how long archived messages are stored).
3. Click Apply to All My Domains to enforce this configuration on all domains under your account.

Step 3: Manage Archiving per Domain

In the Manage Archiving table, you can configure archiving for each domain individually.

To adjust a domain’s configuration:

1. Locate the domain in the table.
2. Select the desired Archive Type and Retention Period.
3. The system will automatically apply the updated settings.

Step 4: IMAP Access to Archives

You can access archived messages through any IMAP-compatible email client.

Automatic Setup

• Use the IMAP Access link next to a domain.
• Choose between secure (SSL/TLS) and non-secure options.
• Follow the setup script to add the archive mailbox automatically.

Manual Configuration

• Mail server username: [email protected]
• Incoming Mail Server (SSL): mail.example.com, port 993
• Incoming Mail Server (non-SSL): mail.example.com, port 143

Once configured, the archive folders (e.g., archive-incoming.2025-10-29) will appear in your IMAP client.

Step 5: Download Archives

To save a copy of your archived messages locally:

1. Click Download Archives beside the relevant domain.
2. Choose one of the available download options:

• • All Archives
  • Incoming
  • Outgoing
  • Mailing Lists

3. The system generates a ZIP file containing the requested messages for download.

Step 6: Access via Webmail and Manage Disk Usage

To manage or review archived messages directly:

• Click Access Webmail next to the domain to open the webmail interface.
• To manage disk space:

1. 1. In Webmail, click the archive’s email address (top-right corner).
   2. Select Manage Disk Usage.
   3. Filter messages by age, size, or viewed status.
   4. Click Delete Permanently to remove unwanted archived messages.

Notes and Best Practices

• The Archive feature appears only if your hosting provider enables Email Archiving Support.
• Archived messages are stored under your home directory in folders named archivetype.YYYY-MM-DD.
• All timestamps are based on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
• Archiving can increase disk space usage significantly depending on retention settings.
• To preserve older messages long-term, consider downloading them or accessing via IMAP.
• If unsure about retention periods or storage impact, contact Thamara.Cloud Support before enabling archiving on multiple domains.

Updated on: 13/11/2025