How to configure Outlook to send email using SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings? Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and Internet Message Access Protocol (  IMAP ) are the three most commonly used protocols for sending e-mail messages on the Internet. 

      As user-friendly as Outlook is, its advanced settings can be a bit of a challenge to configure. Especially if you are trying to use Outlook with a custom server or a different protocol. The following tutorials show you how to set up Outlook to send email via SMTP, IMAP and POP3 protocols.

Learn about Outlook

Microsoft first introduced Outlook in its Office 97 release. Many people use Outlook as a handy Mail User Agent (MUA) to access and catalog their e-mail communications. As such, it is often seen as just a webmail application. However, its purpose is more than that.

Outlook is a personal information manager. Webmail functionality is just one of its four core functions. It’s designed to keep Office suite users organized. As a result, its interface can often feel crowded, especially if you have other add-ons installed. This can make configuration difficult.

Regardless, Microsoft has been trying to make it easier for users to integrate Outlook with some of the most popular mail transfer agents (MTAs). It accomplishes this feat primarily by using an easy-to-follow wizard. However, for old-school power users who prefer a more text-based interface, these wizards often make advanced configuration more difficult.

Still, Outlook’s advanced features hide beneath its shiny veneer, so you must first understand how to get there. How do I configure Outlook to use my SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings to send e-mail? Follow this article to resolve this issue.

Configure Outlook to use SMTP, IMAP, POP3 for outbound mail

How to configure Outlook to send email using SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings – There are several ways to do this. However, before we get started, you should note that the following guide will only focus on versions of Outlook from the past decade (starting with Outlook 2013). Of course, this includes Outlook Live for Office 365 .

You can configure Outlook to use SMTP, IMAP, or POP3 to send and receive e-mail by creating a new account or editing an account you previously created.

I do recommend that users understand the differences between these protocols before attempting to configure any mail client’s advanced settings. First, let’s see how to set up an account server and add custom mail protocols.

Edit mail server settings for Outlook desktop

The steps below apply to Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you’re using Outlook 2013, you need to make sure you’re using the modern menu design instead of the classic one.

• Click on the File menu item (or press Alt+F on your keyboard).
• Next, click the Info .
• Select the account you want to edit from the Account Information drop-down menu at the top.

5. Click Account Settings

6. Select Server . This will open the IMAP Account Settings dialog.

7. Next, click on the drop-down option labeled Outgoing mail .

8. Change your outgoing server settings accordingly.

Once you are done editing/adding server settings, you can click on the Next  button. Outlook will send a test email. If it successfully sends and receives it, it will save your settings.

It’s important to note that you can only use SMTP for outgoing mail. POP/POP3 and IMAP are used for incoming mail messages. Therefore, if you try to send email using a POP or IMAP server, your setup will most likely fail with an error. However, you are welcome to try it. However, similar restrictions apply to incoming messages. You cannot use the SMTP server to receive mail.

Create a new mail account for Outlook desktop

To create a new account and configure it to use SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings in Outlook:

• Click on the File menu item (  ALT+F  ).
• Next, you can expand the Account Information drop-down menu and click the Add Account option or click the Add . Outlook will display its account creation dialog.

3. Insert your email address into the Email address text field.

4. Click the Advanced Options drop-down menu.

5. Check the option labeled Let me set up my account manually .

6. Click the Connect button.

7. The next screen allows you to choose your account type. If you are using a POP mail server, click the POP option. However, if you are using an IMAP-based server, you should click the IMAP option.

8. Outlook will ask you to fill in your mail server details. This includes servers, ports, encryption methods, and more for incoming and outgoing mail. After filling the details, you can click on the button labeled Next .

Outlook will again verify your settings by sending a test message. If the verification process is successful, Outlook will save your settings.

How do I configure Outlook to send e-mail using the SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 settings next in this article? We’ll show you how to access Outlook’s mail server settings. 

Access Mail Server Settings for Outlook Live

Outlook Live does not allow you to add additional mailboxes or accounts. Much like Yahoo Mail, it functions as a single email client. However, you can use third-party applications to forward and sync mail.

However, you can access Outlook Live’s sync email settings using the following steps:

• Click the settings cog () near the upper right corner of the screen.
• Next, click View all Outlook settings . It should be under the “Display Density” options section. Outlook Live should now display the Settings screen.

Mail menu item. Outlook Live will display an additional panel with a new set of options.  

4. Finally, click the Sync Email option.

    The Sync Email screen allows you to define email aliases. An email alias acts as an additional email account that can be used to send, forward, or receive messages. They act as an extra layer of security. While it’s not the same as being able to set up a custom IMAP or POP server, it’s a possible workaround.

    If you scroll down the Sync Email screen, you’ll find your POP and IMAP settings. You can use it to make devices and third-party applications use POP to sync your mail between them. Additionally, you can choose to allow these devices and applications to delete messages from Outlook.

very good! We’ve seen how to configure Outlook to send email using SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 settings. Let’s summarize.

Configure Outlook to send email using SMTP, IMAP, POP3 settings

    So how do you configure Outlook to send email using SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 settings? As we established in the article above, you can configure the desktop version of Outlook to send mail through a custom SMTP server. However, you can also try configuring it to send email through an IMAP or POP3 based server.

    However, it doesn’t produce the desired results because IMAP and POP3 are used to receive mail. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft’s Exchange Server, which uses the EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) and MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) protocols. These are Microsoft’s proprietary mail protocols that its Exchange Server uses to communicate with email clients.

Nonetheless, I hope this guide was helpful to you.

If you want to use a large number of Microsoft mailboxes, it is recommended to purchase Outlook mailboxes and hotmail mailboxes .