HostGator with Outlook – Settings Explained [Tutorial]

If you are hosting (i.e storing files, folders, images, videos, films etc on a server) a website, you probably know what HostGator is! I’ve already given my 10 reasons why I prefer HostGator as the best web hosting company in the world. Though its not boasting about its features, I have explained about my experience.

But just hosting a website may not be sufficient sometimes! You also need a professional email that makes your address card look official. I also wrote another article on how to create a domain email in hostgator and view in Windows Live Mail.

But there is another popular mail client – Outlook 2013 whose integration settings with Hostgator, I’ll explain in this article.

Method 1 – Auto Discovery

This method is very simple.

All you need to do is add a website or domain email you created earlier in HostGator and enter its credentials like Email id and password. Don’t worry, your password is safely secure in Outlook’s hands.

If this is the first time you are opening Outlook 2013, then you’ll be greeted with the above window. You just need to check the option “Yes” (which is the default) and click on Next button.

If this is an another time you are starting Outlook 2013 and want to add an Email account, you just navigate to File > Add Account.

You will see a typical window like the above after clicking Next. You need to enter your name, Email address and password two times. (the password is the one you created while creating domain email in HostGator).

This will automatically link up with HostGator cPanel settings and the following pop-up window will show up with a secure URL to an XML file being displayed. Just check the option “Don’t ask me about this website again”  so that you don’t get this confirmation dialog again and click on Allow button.

Your IMAP e-mail account created in HostGator  is successfully configured in Outlook 2013.

This is a test message sent to your professional email address from Outlook, when you open your email account in Outlook 2013.

Method 2 – Manual Method

This is more difficult way of configuring email account than the previous one and apply it only if the above automatic method fails.

Instead of “Email Account” you need to select the option “Manual setup or additional server types” and click Next button. 

Choose the method of connecting to your Email account – here it’ll be either POP or IMAP.  The other methods are not discussed here. 

Here you are using the IMAP protocol method of connecting to your professional mail created in HostGator. Enter the seven fields as shown in the above screenshot. The incoming and outgoing mail server will be gator3315.hostgator.com. The password is the one created while creating account in Hostgator.

Then click on “More Settings“.

In the Outgoing Server pane, just check the option that says “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication”. The default option will be taken for that. 

Now enter the port numbers for Incoming Server(993) and Outgoing Server(465).  Also make sure that you choose either SSL or TLS method of encrypted connection. 

If you are successful, you will see the above dialog box with tick-marks to

• Log onto incoming mail server (IMAP) and
• Send test e-mail message

You can check your Outlook 2013 email Inbox to see whether the test message has been received or not.