EarthLink Email Settings: IMAP, POP & SMTP
EarthLink’s own IMAP, POP and SMTP settings for Outlook, Apple Mail and phone apps — plus the limits and the IMAP-or-POP choice that matters.
Quick answer
EarthLink server settings
- IMAP Incoming SSL/TLS
-
imap.earthlink.netport 993
- SMTP Outgoing STARTTLS
-
smtpauth.earthlink.netport 587
- POP3 Download SSL/TLS
-
pop.earthlink.netport 995
- Username
- Your full email address
- POP server for other domains
- pop.(your domain), e.g. pop.mindspring.com
- Attachments
- Up to 20 MB
- Recipients per email (Web Mail)
- 100
These are the server settings EarthLink publishes for email apps such as Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird. The IMAP and SMTP servers are the same for every EarthLink domain; only the POP server changes with your address.
IMAP (recommended for most people)
| Server | Port | Security | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming | imap.earthlink.net | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | smtpauth.earthlink.net | 587 | STARTTLS |
POP3
| Server | Port | Security | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming | pop.earthlink.net — or pop. + your domain, e.g. pop.mindspring.com, pop.peoplepc.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | smtpauth.earthlink.net | 587 | STARTTLS |
Username and password
Both the incoming and outgoing servers need you to sign in. Use your full email address and your email password.
IMAP or POP?
- IMAP keeps your mail in sync with Web Mail and your other IMAP devices. If you use more than one device, put all of them on IMAP — EarthLink warns that mixing POP and IMAP can stop messages being saved.
- POP usually downloads mail and deletes it from the server, and it doesn’t sync folders you create in Web Mail. If you use POP, turn on Leave a copy of messages on the server (often under an Advanced tab).
Limits worth knowing
- Attachments: up to 20 MB — EarthLink suggests staying under 15 MB, as some other providers reject large files.
- Recipients: up to 100 per email in Web Mail (Outlook 365 allows 500, but EarthLink advises keeping to 100 so other providers don’t flag you as spam).
Mail disappearing from the server?
That’s usually POP doing what it does: most POP apps download messages and delete them from the server. Turn on Leave a copy of messages on the server. Many apps then let you choose how many days to keep them, or to keep them until you delete them from Trash or Deleted Items. With IMAP, mail stays until you delete it.
Not getting email from someone?
- Check they’re using the right address.
- Look in Known Spam and Suspect Spam in Web Mail, and in your app’s Spam or Junk folder.
- Ask whether they got a bounce message, and check your app’s rules.
- Check your Web Mail Block List.
EarthLink says it doesn’t block whole domains by name; a message can be treated as spam because of its content or a server’s history. If a real email was flagged, select it in Web Mail and click Not Spam.
Can receive but can’t send?
EarthLink’s first fix is to check your app’s outgoing (SMTP) settings against the table above: smtpauth.earthlink.net, port 587, STARTTLS, with sign-in turned on.
Want them filled in for your address? Use the Email Settings Finder. Or skip the app: sign in to EarthLink Web Mail.
How this guide was checked · October 2026
Verified against 2 official sources
Every step, setting and limit in this guide was checked against the provider’s own documentation on help.earthlink.net. Anything we couldn’t confirm was left out.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the EarthLink IMAP server?
imap.earthlink.net on port 993 with SSL/TLS.
What is the EarthLink SMTP server?
smtpauth.earthlink.net on port 587 with STARTTLS, signing in with your full email address and password.
What POP server do mindspring.com addresses use?
The POP server follows your domain, so pop.mindspring.com on port 995 with SSL/TLS. IMAP and SMTP are the same as earthlink.net.
How big an attachment can I send from EarthLink?
Up to 20 MB, though EarthLink suggests staying under 15 MB.
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