Connecting any other IMAP provider (GMX, custom domains & more)

If your email provider isn't one of the named options, you can still connect through IMAP — as long as your provider supports IMAP and SMTP and lets you generate an app password (or accepts your regular password). This guide covers the general flow plus a few specific providers we see often.

What you'll need

1. Your full email address.
2. A password that your provider accepts for IMAP/SMTP — usually an app password if you have two-factor authentication enabled.
3. Your provider's IMAP and SMTP host, port, and encryption type.

Almost every modern provider uses one of two combinations:

• IMAP: port 993 with SSL/TLS
• SMTP: port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS

The host names are provider-specific (often imap.example.com and smtp.example.com). If you don't know them, search your provider's help center for "IMAP settings" or "third-party email client" — most publish them on a single help page.

Step-by-step

1. Find your provider's IMAP and SMTP host names and ports (see provider list below for common ones).
2. If your provider requires app passwords (especially with 2FA on), generate one from your provider's account security page. Label it PitchBrand so you can revoke it later.
3. In PitchBrand, open Settings > Mailbox and choose Other Email (IMAP).
4. Enter your email, password, and the server settings.
5. Submit. The Mailbox tab will show Finishing setup while syncing, then a green Connected badge.

Common providers we hear about

GMX / Mail.com

• Enable IMAP first. GMX has IMAP/POP turned off by default. Sign into GMX webmail and turn on POP3/IMAP under Settings > POP3/IMAP Settings.
• If 2FA is on, generate an application-specific password under Security Settings > Two-step verification > Manage application-specific passwords.
• IMAP: imap.gmx.com · port 993 · SSL/TLS
• SMTP: smtp.gmx.com · port 465 · SSL/TLS
• For @gmx.de accounts the host is imap.gmx.net / mail.gmx.net; check GMX's help center for your country's exact hostname.

Custom domains hosted by your registrar (Namecheap, Hover, Bluehost, GoDaddy, etc.)

• The host is usually mail.yourdomain.com or something like mail.privateemail.com (Namecheap) or mail.hover.com (Hover).
• Almost all registrar-hosted email uses IMAP 993 SSL/TLS and SMTP 465 SSL/TLS or 587 STARTTLS.
• Check your registrar's help docs for the exact host — search "[registrar name] IMAP settings."
• Most don't require app passwords; your mailbox password works directly.

Self-hosted or company IMAP servers

• Get the IMAP host, port, encryption, SMTP host, port, and SMTP authentication settings from your IT admin or hosting provider.
• If your company uses Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, use the dedicated Outlook or Gmail button on the Mailbox tab instead of IMAP — OAuth is more reliable and doesn't need an app password.

Providers that don't work with PitchBrand

• Proton Mail — Proton Mail only exposes IMAP through Proton Mail Bridge, which runs on your own computer and isn't reachable from PitchBrand's servers. Use a different sending address (a paid Gmail, Outlook, Fastmail, or custom-domain account) to pitch through PitchBrand.
• Free Hotmail / Outlook.com without OAuth — connect these through the dedicated Outlook button on the Mailbox tab, not via IMAP. OAuth is more reliable.
• Anything that only offers a webmail UI with no IMAP — you'll need to switch to a provider that supports IMAP (or sign up for one of the named providers).

If the connection fails

• "Invalid credentials" — if your provider supports app passwords and you have 2FA on, your regular password will not work. Generate an app password and use that.
• "Cannot connect to server" — double-check the host name (typos are common) and confirm the port/encryption combination matches what your provider's help center publishes.
• IMAP works but SMTP fails (or vice versa) — some providers use different encryption for IMAP and SMTP. IMAP is almost always SSL/TLS on port 993; SMTP is often STARTTLS on 587 or SSL/TLS on 465. Try the other SMTP combination if one fails.
• Still stuck? Email support@pitchbrand.co with your provider's name and the IMAP help page URL — we'll help you find the right settings.