{"id":900356,"date":"2026-08-26T09:13:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T13:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/?p=900356"},"modified":"2026-08-26T09:20:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T13:20:23","slug":"back-up-email-thunderbird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/email\/back-up-email-thunderbird\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Back Up Email Using Thunderbird"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your InMotion Hosting mailbox lives on the mail server. When Thunderbird connects over IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), the server holds the master copy of every message, and Thunderbird keeps a synchronized copy inside its own profile. That is convenient, but it is not a backup: delete a message in Thunderbird, and it goes away on the server too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide shows you how to back up email using Thunderbird by installing a free add-on, exporting any folder to an MBOX file you control, and importing that file again when you need the messages back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-warning wp-block-paragraph\">You need Thunderbird installed with your InMotion Hosting mailbox already added as an account before you start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Install the ImportExportTools NG Add-on<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ImportExportTools NG is a free, GPL-licensed Thunderbird add-on that adds import and export functions for messages, folders, and profiles. This guide uses it to export an entire mail folder to a single MBOX file and import it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list article_list\">\n<li>In Thunderbird, open the <strong>Tools<\/strong> menu and choose <strong>Add-ons and Themes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Add-ons Manager search box, type <strong>ImportExportTools NG<\/strong> and press Enter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"article_list\">Select the ImportExportTools NG result from the <a href=\"https:\/\/addons.thunderbird.net\/en-us\/thunderbird\/addon\/importexporttools-ng\/\">official Thunderbird Add-ons site<\/a> and click <strong>Add to Thunderbird<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm the permission prompt to finish installing. If ImportExportTools NG does not appear when you right-click a mail folder, restart Thunderbird and check again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-7-1024x453.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-900357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-7-1024x453.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-7-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-7-768x340.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-7.png 1044w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-info wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> ImportExportTools NG 15.0.1 lists support for Thunderbird 140.0 through 153.*, which covers both current Extended Support Release (ESR) lines. If you run a newer release-channel build and Thunderbird reports the add-on as incompatible, check the add-on listing for an updated version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Back Up Email Using Thunderbird by Exporting to MBOX<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MBOX stores a mail folder as a single plain-text file holding one message after another, and most mail clients and migration tools can read it. The format has no single authoritative specification, so treat an export as a portable archive rather than a guaranteed drop-in for every other program. Exporting a folder writes every message in it to one file you control, so this step is the core of backing up email using Thunderbird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list article_list\">\n<li>In the folder pane on the left, right-click the mail folder you want to back up, for example, <strong>Inbox<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over <strong>ImportExportTools NG<\/strong> in the context menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over <strong>Folder Export (mbox)<\/strong>, then click <strong>As mbox File<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose a destination folder on your computer, outside any folder Thunderbird already manages, and confirm the selection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for the export to finish. The add-on writes the folder to a single mbox file in the location you chose.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-success wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Keep exports in a dedicated backups folder, separate from your live mail. Before you export the same folder to the same destination twice, open the ImportExportTools NG menu, choose <strong>Options<\/strong>, and check <strong>Overwrite the mbox files with the same name in the destination directory<\/strong> under <strong>General settings<\/strong>, which decides whether a second export replaces the first. Exporting to a new folder each time avoids the question entirely. The same panel has <strong>Use .mbox extension for mbox files (non-structured)<\/strong> if you want your exports to carry a .mbox extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Export Options Worth Knowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ImportExportTools NG submenu offers more than one export. A few variants are worth knowing before you back up a large mailbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Structured With Subfolders<\/strong> and <strong>With Flattened Subfolders<\/strong>: two more entries under Folder Export (mbox). Both back up the selected folder and everything underneath it in one pass. The structured option preserves the folder hierarchy in the export.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Single Zipped mbox File<\/strong>: writes the export as one .zip archive, which is easier to upload to cloud storage or attach to a support ticket.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Export All Messages In Folder<\/strong>: saves the folder\u2019s messages as separate files in the format you pick, including <strong>EML Message Format<\/strong> (a single email message file), <strong>HTML Format<\/strong>, <strong>Plain Text Format<\/strong>, <strong>CSV Format (Spreadsheet)<\/strong>, and <strong>PDF Format<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Export Messages As\u2026<\/strong>: the same set of formats, but on the right-click menu for selected messages, for when you need one email as a standalone file rather than a whole folder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whichever export variant fits the moment, the same ImportExportTools NG menu handles bringing a backup back into Thunderbird, which is the next step if you ever need to restore one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Restore an MBOX Backup in Thunderbird<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Restoring a backup works the same way in reverse. Import into a folder under Local Folders so the restored messages stay on your computer instead of syncing back up to the mail server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list article_list\">\n<li>If you do not already have a folder for restored mail, create one under <strong>Local Folders<\/strong>. See <a href=\"\/support\/email\/creating-a-local-folder-in-thunderbird\/\">Creating a local folder in Thunderbird<\/a> for the exact steps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Right-click the local folder and hover over <strong>ImportExportTools NG<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over <strong>Import mbox Files<\/strong>, then click <strong>Individual mbox Files<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Select mbox files to import<\/strong> window, browse to the file you exported earlier and select it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for Thunderbird to finish importing. The messages appear in the folder pane once the import completes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because MBOX is widely supported, you can also open the same backup in another mail client or use it while migrating mail between servers. See <a href=\"\/support\/email\/using-thunderbird-to-transfer-emails-between-servers\/\">Using Thunderbird to Transfer Emails Between Servers<\/a> if you are moving your whole mailbox rather than keeping a local archive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ImportExportTools NG doesn\u2019t show up in the right-click menu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thunderbird occasionally needs a restart to register a new add-on. Close and reopen Thunderbird, then confirm the add-on is listed and enabled under <strong>Tools &gt; Add-ons and Themes<\/strong>. If it is missing entirely, repeat Step 1 and make sure you clicked <strong>Add to Thunderbird<\/strong> rather than only viewing the listing. Also check that your Thunderbird version falls inside the range the add-on supports, which is 140.0 through 153.* for version 15.0.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The export or import seems stuck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large mailboxes with thousands of messages or big attachments take longer to export or import. Confirm the destination drive has enough free space before exporting a large mailbox, since a full disk can stall the process. Leave the window open and check the file size on disk: if it keeps growing, the export is still running. Avoid force-closing Thunderbird during an export, because the resulting file may be incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Imported messages aren\u2019t showing up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Expand the folder you imported into and look for a new subfolder. The import options ending in \u201c(with sbd structure)\u201d recreate the folder structure from the export, so your mail can land one level down from where you clicked. If you still don\u2019t see the messages, confirm you selected the exported mbox file itself rather than a zipped export, which you need to extract first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You now have a local, portable copy of your Thunderbird mail that does not depend on your account staying on the same mail server. Repeat the export step regularly, especially before any migration, and keep the exported files separate from your live Thunderbird profile. If you are moving your mailbox to a new server rather than archiving it, read <a href=\"\/support\/email\/using-thunderbird-to-transfer-emails-between-servers\/\">Using Thunderbird to Transfer Emails Between Servers<\/a> next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your InMotion Hosting mailbox lives on the mail server. When Thunderbird connects over IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), the server holds the master copy of every message, and Thunderbird keeps a synchronized copy inside its own profile. That is convenient, but it is not a backup: delete a message in Thunderbird, and it goes away<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/email\/back-up-email-thunderbird\/\"> Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57032,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude_summary":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"When Thunderbird connects over IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), the server holds the master copy of every message, and Thunderbird keeps a synchronized copy inside its own profile. This guide shows you how to back up email using Thunderbird by installing a free add-on, exporting any folder to an MBOX file you control, and importing that file again when you need the messages back. Select the ImportExportTools NG result from the official Thunderbird Add-ons site and click Add to Thunderbird.","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"extractive","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"e9f9329e3101dd6ba9057c8309b08cb4d0f2ce11","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-900356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-email"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Back Up Email Using Thunderbird (ImportExportTools NG)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to back up email using Thunderbird with the free ImportExportTools NG addon, exporting folders to MBOX for safekeeping.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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