Microsoft Exchange

Connect your Microsoft Exchange account to Missive using IMAP. This option is for on-premises Exchange servers or hosted Exchange environments that don't support OAuth-based Office 365 authentication.

If you use Office 365 or Outlook.com, use the Office 365 / Outlook connection instead - it's simpler and supports more features.

Prerequisites

Before connecting, ensure your Exchange server has:

• IMAP enabled (port 993 with TLS or port 143 with STARTTLS)

• SMTP enabled (port 587 with STARTTLS or port 465 with TLS)

• Your account has IMAP access permissions

Contact your IT administrator if you're unsure about these settings.

How to connect

1

Open account settings

Go to Settings > Accounts and click Add account.

To open Settings, click your avatar at the top of the sidebar, then Settings (or press ⌘,).

2

Select Microsoft Exchange

Under the Email tab, select Microsoft Exchange.

3

Choose import options

Select how much email history to import:

• No history - start fresh

• 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only

• All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.

4

Enter credentials

Fill in your account details:

• Display name: How your name appears when sending

• Email address: Your Exchange email

• Password: Your Exchange password

5

Configure IMAP settings

Enter your Exchange server's IMAP details:

• Hostname: Your Exchange server (e.g., mail.company.com)

• Port: Usually 993 for TLS or 143 for STARTTLS

• Encryption: SSL/TLS (recommended) or STARTTLS

Your username defaults to your email address. Some servers require a different format like DOMAIN\username.

6

Configure SMTP settings

Enter your Exchange server's SMTP details:

• Hostname: Your Exchange server (e.g., smtp.company.com or same as IMAP)

• Port: Usually 587 for STARTTLS or 465 for TLS

• Encryption: STARTTLS (recommended) or SSL/TLS

7

Connect

Click Connect to add your account. Missive will verify the connection and start syncing your email.

Sync behavior

Actions in Missive sync back to your Exchange server:

Action in Missive	Syncs to Exchange
New email in Inbox	Yes
Email sent	Yes - appears in Sent
Email archived	Yes - appears in Archive folder
Email read/unread	Yes
Label applied	Yes - appears in matching folder
Email deleted	Yes - appears in Trash
Email marked as spam	Yes - appears in Junk
Draft saved	No

Contacts

Missive does not sync contacts from Exchange IMAP accounts. Use Office 365 / Outlook if you need contact sync.

Calendar

Calendar sync is not available for Exchange IMAP accounts. Use Office 365 / Outlook if you need calendar integration.

Troubleshooting

Connection fails

• Verify IMAP is enabled on your Exchange server

• Check the hostname, port, and encryption settings with your IT team

• Ensure your account has IMAP access permissions

• Try both TLS and STARTTLS encryption options

Authentication errors

• Some Exchange servers require DOMAIN\username format instead of email

• Verify your password is correct

• Check if your account requires app-specific passwords

Sync issues

• Large mailboxes may take time to fully sync

• Folders with special characters may not sync correctly

• Contact support if specific folders aren't appearing