How to configure e-mail clients automatically through DNS

There are some e-mail programs that make it easy for users to add new mailboxes or e-mail addresses. These programs offer wizard tools that automatically collect the configuration data that is required for the user to be able to send and receive e-mails. Usually, the only information a user needs to enter is the e-mail address to set up, as well as a username and password. Mail clients like Thunderbird or Outlook expect this configuration file at a URL like https://autoconfig.example.com/mail/config-v1.1.xml – with example.com as placeholder for your domain. In mailbox.org the correct URL is https://autoconfig.mailbox.org/mail/config-v1.1.xml.

mailbox.org offers this feature out of the box and it also works for those who use our e-mail service together with a custom domain name. However, in the latter case a particular DNS setting must be made first, so that clients send their configuration requests to the correct server. Make sure to have a look at our article about how to use e-mail with a custom domain name first, and then you find below all the information required to configure the necessary DNS settings at your domain provider.

If you want to use the automatic configuration wizards offered by e-mail clients such as Mozilla Thunderbird or KDE KMail, you should set up a reference to the autoconfig XML file of our Web server. This can be achieved easily by setting two entries in the DNS configuration of your e-mail domain, specifically the CNAME record and the SRV record. In the syntax of the DNS protocol:

autodiscover IN CNAME mailbox.org.

defines the CNAME entry while a SRV entry pointing to the autoconfig-service is specified by:

_autodiscover._tcp IN SRV 0 0 443 mailbox.org.

The following lines show how to make that work in the example of the german provider Hetzner:

|Select the domain ("Zone") for which you want to configure a new entry.
Click on "Add Record*" and select the Record Type "CNMAME".
As "Hostname*"enter autodiscover, as "*Dest**ination" mailbox.org. (including full stop).
Save the entry by clicking on "Add".
Click on "Add Record" once more and select the Record Type "SRV".
As "Hostname*"enter the subdomain which you want to configure, here _autodiscover._tcp
Click on "Configure" and enter Priority ("0"), Weight ("0") , Port (443) and Destination mailbox.org.
Save the entry by clicking on "Add".

As soon as the new data is available throughout the internet, mailclients can automatically find their configuration.

Provider:

Please note that different providers will use different input masks for DNS entries. The fields in these dialogues will have varying names and require different input formats. Read your provider's documentation on the SRV entries in the DNS or consult your provider's support. mailbox.org cannot provide any support here.

Placing the autoconfig file on your server

Alternatively, it is also possible to upload an XML file containing the relevant mail server information for mailbox.org to your web server. The file's content follows a defined syntax explained nicely in the Mozilla wiki, you can specify domain, incoming and outgoing mail server including ports as well as details of transport encryption or authentication methods.

mailbox.org is providing an XML file prepared with all settings needed which you can download from https://mailbox.org/mail/config-v1.1.xml. The listing below shows its full content, you will need to adapt it to your needs by entering your data in <domain>, <displayName> and <displayShortName> and put in the right directory on your web server.

config-v1.1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<clientConfig version="1.1">
  <emailProvider id="mailbox.org">
    <domain>mailbox.org</domain>
    <displayName>mailbox.org -- damit Privates privat bleibt</displayName>
    <displayShortName>mailbox.org</displayShortName>
    <incomingServer type="imap">
      <hostname>imap.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>993</port>
      <socketType>SSL</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </incomingServer>
    <incomingServer type="imap">
      <hostname>imap.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>143</port>
      <socketType>STARTTLS</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </incomingServer>
    <incomingServer type="pop3">
      <hostname>pop3.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>995</port>
      <socketType>SSL</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </incomingServer>
    <incomingServer type="pop3">
      <hostname>pop3.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>110</port>
      <socketType>STARTTLS</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </incomingServer>
    <outgoingServer type="smtp">
      <hostname>smtp.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>465</port>
      <socketType>SSL</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </outgoingServer>
    <outgoingServer type="smtp">
      <hostname>smtp.mailbox.org</hostname>
      <port>587</port>
      <socketType>STARTTLS</socketType>
      <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
      <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    </outgoingServer>
    <documentation url="http://www.mailbox.org/">
      <descr lang="de">FAQ und Support-Datenbank</descr>
      <descr lang="en">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)</descr>
    </documentation>
  </emailProvider>
</clientConfig>

Placing the autoconfig file on your server​

Placing the autoconfig file on your server