Overview
This article describes how to configure email using the following versions of Mac Mail:
- 15.0 (Monterey)
- 14.0 (Big Sur)
- 13.0 (Catalina)
- 12.4 (Mojave)
Before you begin
The following section is also available as an instructional video:
Step 1 — Verify the email user exists in your web panel
Make sure your email user is already set up in the DreamHost panel by going to Manage Email.
- You will see your mail user listed on the page.
If it's not on this page, add it using the steps in the following article:
Step 2 — Choose your email server
In the past, it was possible to use mail.example.com to connect (where example.com is your actual domain name). Due to how modern mail clients handle security, this is now NOT recommended as it may throw connection errors. Please ensure you are only using your mail server name when connecting.
It will be one of the following depending on if you're connecting using IMAP or POP:
IMAP hostname: imap.dreamhost.com
POP hostname: pop.dreamhost.com
When you set up the first email address under a domain (that is configured to be hosted with DreamHost), the DreamHost system automatically creates the necessary hostnames and MX records that are required to process email for that domain.
Please also note that if this is your first address on a domain, it may take up to 6hrs for those emails to function.
Step 3 — Configure a new account in Mail
- Open the Apple Mail application by clicking the Mail icon in the dock. You can also click the magnifying glass on the top right and type the word Mail into the search bar.
- If this is the first time opening Mail, select the Protect Mail activity option and then press CONTINUE. This is an optional step that helps protect your privacy.
- If you already have other email addresses configured, click Mail > Add Account... to add this new address. If this is the first address you're adding to Mac Mail, the mail app opens and asks you to select an account provider.
- Select the Other Mail Account… option and click the Continue button.
- Enter the following:
- Name: This is how you'd like your name displayed when sending email.
- Email Address: This field must contain the full email address.
- Password: This is the password you set up for the email when creating it in your panel.
- Click the Sign In button when finished.
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You should receive a notification reading the name or password cannot be identified. This is normal due to DreamHost's mail server configuration.
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- To fix the error, make sure the following three fields are configured:
- Account Type: Choose IMAP or POP (Use IMAP unless you need to use POP)
- Incoming Mail Server: Your mail server name. This is either imap.dreamhost.com or pop.dreamhost.com.
- Outgoing Mail Server: This is smtp.dreamhost.com.
In this example, IMAP is used as the connection as this is the preferred protocol. But, if you wish you can also use POP to connect.
- Click the Sign In button to proceed.
- Choose which apps you'd like to associate with this account and click Done.
Your new email address is now set up and ready to use. You can send a test message to confirm it's working properly.
Update your incoming port to a secure port
When you follow the directions above, Mac Mail automatically sets up an insecure incoming port. To adjust this to a secure port, view the following instructions:
Troubleshooting certificate mismatch errors
View the following article for instructions on how to resolve any SSL certificate mismatch errors:
See also
Internal links
- Email client configuration overview
- Email client protocols and port numbers
- Mac Mail — Adjusting incoming/outgoing settings
External links
- Mail Support – Apple Mail Support
- Add email accounts in Mail on Mac – Apple Mail Support
