This article explains how to migrate the emails and folders of email accounts that you have hosted with another provider to IONOS. For this migration, the IONOS Email Migration Tool (powered by audriga) is used.

There is no need to install any software for moving your emails and folders in this process. The IONOS Email Migration Tool (powered by audriga) connects using the same protocols as a normal email program and copies your emails from the other provider to IONOS.

Creating a Backup

First, back up the data in your Microsoft Exchange mailboxes. You can find instructions on how to do this in the following articles:

Backup and Restore Email Accounts with Outlook

Creating an Outlook Backup

Domain Options

Option 1

You can transfer your domain to IONOS. For instructions on how to prepare your domain with your current provider for the move to IONOS, see the following article:

Preparing a Domain Transfer with Another Provider

You can find out how to transfer a domain to IONOS as a current customer or starting as a new customer in the following articles:

Transferring Your Domain to IONOS as an Existing Customer

Transferring Your Domain to IONOS as New Customer

Option 2

If you have registered your domain with another provider and need it for other applications, you can set it up as an external domain at IONOS. You can find detailed instructions for this in the following article:

Setting Up External Domains at IONOS

Validation of External Domains

You can only use validated domains to configure Microsoft Exchange 2019 accounts. To validate them, you have the following options:

A) If you want to use the name servers of your domain provider, we need a confirmation that you are authorized to manage the domain for security reasons. For this purpose, an authentication code will be displayed in your IONOS account during the setup process. To prove your authorization, you need to create a TXT record with your domain provider that contains the authentication code as a value. Then start the verification process in your IONOS account. Our system will then check whether a TXT record with the correct authentication code exists for your domain. If this is the case, the setup of the external domain will be completed automatically.

If you do not know how to create a TXT record with your domain provider, contact their customer support.


B) Alternatively, you can set up the external domain as your future DNS provider using IONOS. You can find instructions on how to do this here:

Setting Up External Domains at IONOS

Please Note

To avoid any interruption of email traffic, we recommend option A.

Setting Up Email Addresses for Microsoft Exchange 2019 Accounts

The next step is to create the desired email addresses in your Microsoft Exchange 2019 contract, which is located in your IONOS customer account.

You can find out how to do this in the following article:

Setting Up Microsoft Exchange 2019

Once you have set up an external domain at IONOS and have created a TXT record with the correct authentication code with your domain provider, you can continue to receive and send email using your accounts hosted with your previous email provider.

Once you want to use the Microsoft Exchange 2019 accounts configured in IONOS to send and receive email, you will need to configure the MX servers from IONOS or the name servers from IONOS at your previous provider. The correct MX entries are: mx00.ionos.com / mx01.ionos.com

Information about the nameservers of IONOS can be found in the following article:

Choosing Nameservers for External Domains

Moving Emails with the IONOS Email Migration Tool (powered by audriga)

Migrate the data from the accounts hosted by your previous email provider to your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 accounts. To do this, use the IONOS Email Migration Tool (powered by audriga).

Please Note

Perform the migration only after the domain transfer to IONOS is complete or the external domain is set up with IONOS as the future DNS provider. This will ensure that all emails are migrated successfully.

You can find instructions on how to migrate emails here:

Using the IONOS Email Migration Tool

Remove Email Accounts From the Previous Provider in Email Apps

In the email applications you use, remove the email accounts you set up with your original provider.

Setting Up Microsoft Exchange 2019 Accounts in Your Email Applications

In order to be able to retrieve and send emails, it is necessary that you delete the old account settings in the respective application. Then, set up an account for your new Microsoft Exchange 2019 mailbox in the app.

Please Note

To enable the configuration of accounts in Outlook and to ensure smooth configuration on mobile devices, please ensure that you also update the Autodiscover record with the original domain provider. This is only required if you are using an external domain with your domain provider's name servers.

On the following page you will find step-by-step instructions for various email applications:

Microsoft Exchange 2019 Setup

You can also find a guide for downloading Microsoft Outlook here:

Downloading Microsoft Outlook for Microsoft Exchange 2019

Remove Email Accounts at the Previous Provider

Remove the email accounts with your previous provider or your local email server.