How to connect Outlook to your mailbox

Applies to: All plans

Before you start: You need your full email address and its password, and a mailbox that already exists in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. If you haven't created a mailbox yet, do that first — see How to set up your first Microsoft 365 mailbox or How to set up your first Google Workspace mailbox.

To connect Outlook, just add your account and sign in — Outlook finds the correct server settings automatically. At Maxinodes your email is resold Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, so Outlook talks to Microsoft's or Google's servers, not to our hosting node. There are no Maxinodes mail server names to type in, and there is no cPanel webmail.

Before Outlook will work, your email DNS records must be in place. The autodiscover and mail records (added in your client area DNS manager) are what let Outlook configure itself. See The DNS records your email needs (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

Microsoft 365 mailbox

1. Open desktop Outlook.
2. Go to File -> Add Account (or Outlook -> Settings -> Accounts -> Add Account on a Mac).
3. Type your full email address (for example you@yourdomain.com) and choose Connect.
4. If asked for an account type, pick the option labelled Microsoft 365 or Exchange.
5. Enter your password and complete any sign-in prompt, including two-factor verification if your administrator has enabled it.

Result: Outlook downloads your mailbox and your mail, calendar and contacts begin to sync. No manual server settings are required.

Google Workspace mailbox

1. Open desktop Outlook.
2. Go to File -> Add Account (or Outlook -> Settings -> Accounts -> Add Account on a Mac).
3. Type your full email address and choose Connect.
4. When prompted, pick the option labelled Google and sign in on Google's own page. This opens Google in your browser so you can authorise Outlook securely.
5. Approve access when Google asks, including two-step verification if it's enabled on your account.

Result: Your Google Workspace mailbox is added and begins to sync. As with Microsoft 365, Outlook supplies the server settings for you.

Don't have Outlook handy?

You can always read your mail in the browser without setting anything up — Microsoft 365 at outlook.office.com and Google Workspace at mail.google.com. See How to access webmail (Outlook on the web or Gmail).

Troubleshooting this task

• Outlook can't find the settings or keeps asking for a password. This usually means your email DNS isn't fully set up or hasn't propagated yet. Check that your MX and autodiscover records are in place in the DNS manager (in your client area if your domain's DNS is hosted with us, or at your DNS provider if it isn't), then allow a little time after any change. Propagation is usually minutes to a few hours, occasionally up to 24-48 hours.
• Outlook asks for manual server names. You should not need to enter any. Remove the half-added account and start again with Add Account, letting the automatic setup run. There are no Maxinodes mail server settings to enter.
• Sign-in is rejected. Confirm you're using the full email address and the correct password. If two-factor authentication is enabled, complete that step. Reset the password in the Microsoft 365 admin centre or the Google Workspace admin console if needed.
• Mail still won't send or receive. See Email isn't sending or receiving.

Related articles

• How to access webmail (Outlook on the web or Gmail)
• How to connect Apple Mail, iPhone or iPad
• The DNS records your email needs (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Email isn't sending or receiving